Future MMA World Champion from Strabane

[trileacman]

I never really looked for stats on it tbh. I know it is increasing in popularity all over the world. It's on TV everywhere. I know that all the major TV networks have signed deals to broadcast it - FOX, Viacom, BT Sports in the UK. I know the fighters pay has increased exponentially over the past 10 years to the point where the top guys were earning $100,000 per year to $1 million a fight. Jon Jones is the current LHW champion, sponsored by Gatorade and Nike - he has a line of shoes named after him and he competes in a sport that competes barefoot....
This SBG gym in Dublin is top notch. Our own Geezer trains there. It produces the best local talent on the UK and Irish MMA scene and has now received global recognition.
there are MMA gyms in most major cities all over Ireland.

Not saying all of this proves its the fasting growing sport in the world but it certainly has attention and momentum....

Are you not based in the states?

[The Iceman]

I never really looked for stats on it tbh. I know it is increasing in popularity all over the world. It's on TV everywhere. I know that all the major TV networks have signed deals to broadcast it - FOX, Viacom, BT Sports in the UK. I know the fighters pay has increased exponentially over the past 10 years to the point where the top guys were earning $100,000 per year to $1 million a fight. Jon Jones is the current LHW champion, sponsored by Gatorade and Nike - he has a line of shoes named after him and he competes in a sport that competes barefoot....
This SBG gym in Dublin is top notch. Our own Geezer trains there. It produces the best local talent on the UK and Irish MMA scene and has now received global recognition.
there are MMA gyms in most major cities all over Ireland.

Not saying all of this proves its the fasting growing sport in the world but it certainly has attention and momentum....

Are you not based in the states?

Not forever. I only moved here 7 years ago. I've been involved in and followed combat sports a lot longer than that. SBG is also represented in Portland, Oregon.

[gallsman]

I think we can be optimistic of his future success the way many people might have been when a young football star emerges like Caolan Mooney.

Significantly different. Mooney was a huge fish in small pool. MMA has increasing global appeal. On top of that, people will migrate to it later in life from an amateur boxing or wrestling or judo background.

[The Iceman]

I think we can be optimistic of his future success the way many people might have been when a young football star emerges like Caolan Mooney.

Significantly different. Mooney was a huge fish in small pool. MMA has increasing global appeal. On top of that, people will migrate to it later in life from an amateur boxing or wrestling or judo background.

then a different example - Wayne Rooney? People looked at him from an early age and thought he had what it takes....there has to be 1000s of examples.
Migrating from a particular background is no guarantee for success in the sport. Today you need to be well rounded and a student of all martial arts and none.

This young lad has won honours at European level. He was unlucky not to win the World Championships recently in California. He will only improve and I still stand by my observation - he will be a champ one day.

[gallsman]

This young lad has won honours at European level. He was unlucky not to win the World Championships recently in California. He will only improve and I still stand by my observation - he will be a champ one day.

 I'm not saying he won't - I'm just advising caution.

Wayne Rooney made it to the top level of professional football at 16 and was a star for England at 18. I'd never heard of him until the goal against Arsenal. The point around people coming in from other backgrounds was to emphasise the size of the talent pool, not to say he'll match up poorly against them. Additionally, in MMA like in any other combat sport, you can get stopped with one strike. JDS is hardly the most rounded of fighters and still managed to be champ my catching Cain with a wild swing.

How can you say he was unlucky not to win the World Championship?! He lost his opening match and would have had to win three consecutively to be champ.

[highorlow]

Made an effort to watch this tonight as it was on virgin media, some show live from Dublin on.

Was the standard very poor or are all the fights just hugs on the floor for most of the rounds?