PAUL REDMOND HOPES to be given a chance to secure his first UFC victory when the organisation heads to London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, 27 February, 2016.
Redmond, a Team Ryano colleague of veteran flyweight Neil Seery, is eager for a shot at redemption, having been second-best in his two UFC outings this year.
After stepping in on just two weeks’ notice for his debut back in January, Redmond lost via unanimous decision in spite of a brave performance against Mirsad Bektic in Stockholm.
Last time out, the 29-year-old Dubliner suffered a TKO defeat to Robert Whiteford in Glasgow in July, but he’s likely to get one more chance to prove his worth. The English capital in February would be the perfect occasion, Redmond told The42.
“The London card would be ideal for me,” he said. “I’ll fight wherever they want me to, being honest with you, so I’m not going to complain either way, but I think London would make a lot of sense. Hopefully I can get a spot on that card. That card would be a nice one to aim for.”
Redmond has been competing in the featherweight division since he moved to the UFC earlier this year, but a return to lightweight could soon be on the cards. The cut is difficult for the 145lbs weight-class and he’ll need at least 10 weeks to prepare.
On the other hand, he’ll be ready to step in on a month’s notice for a fight in the 155lbs division. Nevertheless, he’s keeping both options open.
“I’m just one of those guys who doesn’t walk around that light,” Redmond explained. “My natural weight is 80kg (176lbs). I train twice a day and I watch what I eat, but I do walk around heavier than the average 66kg (145lbs) guy.
“Should I be killing myself to make the weight? I don’t know. It’s one of those things where I’m a bit small for lightweight but maybe too big for featherweight. We’ll see.”
While Redmond will continue to train predominantly at Team Ryano in Finglas, he temporarily joined the exodus of fighters from Ireland and the UK to the Tristar Gym in Montreal recently, where the likes of Joe Duffy Tom Breese, Arnold Allen, Stevie Ray and Jack Marshman have all been training.
Working alongside a host of fellow UFC fighters and under renowned coaches likes Firas Zahabi and Eric O’Keefe, Reedmond admitted that his time in Canada provided him with a boost to his confidence.
“I was getting good sparring in over there,” he said. “I was rooming with Stevie Ray — so I was getting a lot of rounds in with him — Joe Duffy, John Makdessi, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Nordine Taleb and guys like that. I learned a lot.
“Sparring with those high-level guys, some of who are on great runs in the UFC, I’m giving them good spars and it does let me know that I’m up there. I wasn’t out-muscled by any of them and I think my technique is at a good level too.
“It’s good to know you can hang in there with those guys. I know I’m 0-2 in the UFC but my record doesn’t justify what I’m capable of. The feedback I was getting over there was very positive too.”
Redmond reiterated his disappointment at not being matched for the UFC’s recent event in Dublin, during which he had to settle for cornering duties for his team-mate Neil Seery during his win against Jon Delos Reyes.
“Nobody knows if the UFC are going to come back here next year — it could be the year after — so who knows when there’ll be another opportunity for that? But I just thought that it made sense to put me on the card,” Redmond said.
“Neil could fight on any card; he could fight any of the top 10 flyweights in Vegas or anywhere else. I live 10 minutes from the arena so they wouldn’t even have had to pay for a hotel room for me.
“I’m not bitter about it, I still got to walk out with Neil so I got to experience the occasion, but yeah, it was disappointing because it would have been nice.”
