IF CATHAL PENDRED often seemed fixated by the prospect of joining the UFC, it was with good reason.
Pendred made his UFC debut seven months ago, and having earned a disclosed total of $148,000 for his three fights to date, his financial worries have certainly eased in the meantime.
“I’m doing what I love to do and I’m making a living from it. If you wake up every day, do something you love and then be able to go home and pay the bills, you have to feel very fortunate. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted,” Pendred says.
Life hasn’t always been so simple for the 27-year-old Dubliner, however. The money is basic on the regional MMA circuit, which Pendred was part of for over five years before getting his chance in the UFC.
“Before I went in to the UFC, I was basically living out of my car. I either stayed at John Kavanagh’s [Pendred's coach] house or slept on the floor of my brother’s bedroom.
“My parents were renting out my old room in their house. They would’ve given me the room if they knew what was going on, but I wouldn’t do that to them. We were in a time of recession and everyone had their own financial issues.
“I didn’t want my burden to become someone else’s burden. I was doing this by choice. I had a university degree and could’ve decided to get a job and make a decent living. But I was pursuing this for my own selfish reasons, so I wasn’t going to let anyone else suffer because of that.”
Pendred initially picked up $16,000 for defeating Mike King in his UFC debut in Dublin last July, but there was a lot more to follow. The pair were also awarded a ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus of $50,000 each, but King’s extra cash never made it to his account.
A few weeks later, the UFC announced that King had tested positive for the steroid nandrolone. Pendred’s opponent had his contract cancelled and forfeited his $50,000 to the man who beat him.
“He [King] messaged me and told me that he’d failed the test before the news broke. I was pissed off at first and I was just getting in to the car with my brother. Anyway, we were on the road, but I pulled in all of a sudden and thought, holy fuck!
“It just hit me that I might get his bonus money. So we got pretty excited and I started googling past situations where the same thing had happened. I was very thankful for that bonus because my entire purse from the fight would have gone on debts otherwise.
“But I’m no longer friendly with him after that. We were really good mates and we just put our friendship aside for the fight. After it, me and my girlfriend went out with him and his girlfriend in Dublin and we had a great night. But my relationship with him is done now after that.”
The issue of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) is a hot topic in the UFC at the moment, after legendary former middleweight champion Anderson Silva emerged as the latest star to fail a test last week.
“The biggest downfall of any professional athlete is that some of them are so competitive that they’ll use any advantage possible, whether it’s within the rules or not,” Pendred says.
“I’ll take any advantage I can too — legally. I’m talking about sports psychology, strength and conditioning, looking after my nutrition… I’m not going to break the rules but there are plenty of guys who will. It’s not something I have to be worried about because I’ll never be caught for that stuff and I feel like I can beat anyone who’s on it anyway.
“I also believe that it shows a sign of mental weakness if you’re taking stuff. It shows a lack of confidence and belief in yourself if you don’t think you can achieve what you want without resorting to illegal measures. But there is more that can be done.”
Pendred secured his third UFC win in Boston last month when he overcame Sean Spencer by unanimous decision, but he was far from satisfied with his performance.
“I was so focused on working my striking in that fight that I didn’t actually look at what my opponent was doing. And I think I ended up eating more shots than I should have. It’s human chess. You have to think about your opponent’s next move as well as your own.
“But have I been fighting according to my style? Probably not. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of me in the UFC. I have three wins under my belt but I’m not particularly happy with any of my performances.
“But I’d rather be disappointed in victories than happy in defeats. I’m still learning though. You’re constantly evolving in this game. I’m still figuring things out.”
There are now eight Irish fighters in the UFC, with Conor McGregor leading the charge. He knows he’s got plenty to work on, but Pendred is determined to join his SBG team-mate at the very top — no matter how long it takes.
“I see myself as too determined and too hard-working to be stopped by any of these guys. Whether it takes me six fights or sixteen fights to be the best, I believe I will.”
Pendred paid us a visit at The42 headquarters in Dublin to discuss his UFC experience thus far. As he was entering the building, SBG team-mate Paddy Holohan passed by. Two years ago there was no such thing as an Irishman with a UFC win. Nowadays they bump into each other on the street.
