by Joe Reilly on 19 October 2005 Up until this point in time the Irish MMA scene has been mainly about developing the home fighters. While it’s continuing to do that better and better each time, it’s now starting to get the attention of more international competitors and spectators. In attendance were UFC and PRIDE veteran “The Westside strangler” Chris Brennan, PRIDE veteran James “The Colossus” Thompson and the world’s number one welterweight BJ “The Prodigy” Penn. This past Saturday in the National Boxing Stadium, MMA Rings: Reborn showcased ten professional fights that definitely gave the fans their money’s worth...

by Joe Reilly on 9 July 2005 With the UFC on Bravo TV in Ireland and the UK, MMA is getting constant exposure to the masses. The top UK events like Cage Rage are starting to flourish with TV deals and great stars to boot. Ireland is following their neighbours, as interest for the sport is growing, but we still have very few MMA events to speak of. Bushido Rings Ireland a few months back was the biggest Irish event to date according to ticket sales, but for sheer entertainment and action, Ring Of Truth 3 stepped up a notch and held its own as the pinnacle this side of the Irish Sea...

by Joe Reilly on 17 April 2005 This weekend the main attraction at UFC 52 will showcase a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship rematch. Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture defends his title against Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell. Whether you have seen their first fight or not, the rematch should definitley get you pumped, as you will see the best two guys at this weight class that the UFC have to offer go head to head. Will Couture defend his championship and continue his unparallelled dominance or will Liddell step up and take the belt he has been chasing for so long? Read on to get my two-cent...

by Joe Reilly on 16 April 2005 As UFC 52 rapidly approaches, the MMA community eagerly anticipates two intriguing championship rematches. Both Matt Hughes and Randy Couture are planning on retaining their UFC gold against Frank Trigg and Chuck Liddell respectively. As both matches loom, many possibilites may occur and that is why I am breaking down each fight over two separate installments. In the first installment I will breakdown the co-main event: Hughes vs. Trigg. Read on and I will share my insight...

by Joe Reilly on 26 March 2005 A couple of weeks ago Ireland’s biggest MMA event to date took place in the Point Depot in Dublin, Ireland. The new promotion Bushido Rings could be compared to Shooto in Japan. The bouts are contested in a ring, no headshots are allowed on the ground and when a knockdown occurs the referee issues a ten count similar to boxing. This show had many interesting moments. Plenty of new stars were born in this part of the world and the planned main event was surrounded in controversy. So, how did this ambitious show come off when all was said and done? Read on and find out.

by Joe Reilly on 2 February 2005 With all the misfortunes UFC owners, Zuffa, had with the line up for the previous UFC, it appears that business is back to normal again. The upcoming UFC card looks stacked and as promising as any MMA card could be. Even if you engross yourself into all the unpleasantries that led to UFC 50 being constantly re-shaped, it actually turned out to be a solid show with the exception of there being only seven fights compared to the usual eight, and the main event falling short after an action packed undercard...

by Joe Reilly on 17 July 2004 This past weekend, one of the most anticipated MMA cards ever to happen on English soil took place in the Wembley Conference Centre in London. In fact, the only other MMA line-up to ever happen in Europe that could have possibly appeared better on paper was UFC 38: Brawl At The Hall back in July of 2002. However, a bout on paper or whole cards on paper isn’t always the accurate indication of how a show necessarily turns out. So the question is, did this tremendous line-up live up to the billing? Well, read on and find out...

by Joe Reilly on 14 April 2004 Here is my rather lengthy account of UFC 47 event week including the experience of meeting the fighters, watching some of them train, joining leading MMA journalist Ryan Bennett on MMA Weekly Radio, the goings on at the weigh-ins, the event itself and the post fight press conference. Read on for all the details...

by Joe Reilly on 29 March 2004 An in-depth look at the upcoming UFC 47: Its On! event taking place on April 2nd from the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Who is going to leave the Octagon a winner; Liddell or Ortiz?

by Joe Reilly on 25 March 2004 Chuck Liddell, a man, who also has an impressive resume in Mixed Martial Arts. He could easily rival anyone for the status of best striker in the Light Heavyweight Division. This man can also say he’s faced the who’s who of his division so far in his career. He can also say that he has fought both in the UFC and PRIDE FC, which means he’s fought in both of the two biggest MMA promotions in the world. The guy is regarded by many, as one of the most fearless fighters in the world, as he likes to fight as regularly as possible and he has a reputation for only wanting to fight top fighters...