HAVING WATCHED HIS SBG team-mate Conor McGregor sign a deal with the UFC, Irish MMA fighter Cathal Pendred believes he’s got “one foot in the door”. The 25 year-old Dubliner competes in the biggest fight of his career at Cage Warriors 52 tomorrow night when he takes on welterweight champion Gael Grimaud.
Before he departed for London, we grabbed a chat with the man nicknamed ‘The Punisher’…
Firstly Cathal, thanks for talking to TheScore.ie. You’re obviously a busy man at the moment…
It has gone a bit crazy in the last week or so. The media coverage has really blown up with Conor getting signed to the UFC so there seems to be a lot of interest right now, which is great for the sport in Ireland.
Having finished your college degree in analytical science you have been training full-time in recent months. It must be a huge weight off your shoulders to be able to focus solely on improving?
It’s a big relief. Up until last June, I was doing a balancing act with college and training. It was a nightmare to be honest but I’m really enjoying it now.
So did you feel much better prepared physically and mentally going into your last fight (a victory over Bruno Carvalho back in October)?
The main difference was that I was training hard and got more down time. When I was in college, I’d be up in the mornings to go training and then back for lectures before doing a second session then trying to get some work do that I’d have to hand in the next day.
There was also studying for exams so I was constantly on the go and it was very draining mentally. Now I can actually have some time to relax and chill out.
Was there any pressure from your parents or your family to go on and get the academic qualification as something to fall back on? How did they feel about you going into MMA?
No, there was never any pressure on me to do it. That was completely up to myself. When I first started MMA they were a bit concerned as they didn’t know what it was.
Over the years, they’ve gone to the fights and understand what the sport is now and are really behind me.
When I decided to really go for a career in MMA I could’ve quit any time over the last two years but I hate to quit anything. I just thought it would have been a waste to drop it. As you said, it gives me another option to fall back on.
I suppose a lot of people aren’t aware that there is money to be made in the sport…
That’s the other thing. There’s a living to be made but it’s only right at the top. You really do have to go for it and can’t just be mediocre and get by. Conor has made it to the UFC now and he’s going to do great. I’ve got one foot in the door and am just waiting for the call. I know it’s going to happen at some stage.
You went to Belvedere College, traditionally a rugby school, and played on their Senior Cup winning team of 2005. What kind of passion did you have for the sport?
I had never played rugby up until I went to Belvo and even in the first year or two I just did it because everyone else was. It wasn’t until third year and the Junior Cup team that I got serious about it. I enjoyed the competitive nature of it.
Against the odds, I got onto the team as I would’ve been seen as a bit of an outsider because I hadn’t taken it too seriously up until that point. Then I did the same in fifth year when we won the Senior Cup.
When I left school, I had trials for Leinster Schools teams and stuff but had never really broken through. At that stage you want to be in an academy so I kind of knew a professional career wasn’t really an option.
If there had been an opportunity it would definitely have been something I’d have been interested in.
So how did you get into MMA?
I had watched UFC but didn’t know you could do in Ireland. The first time I saw gyms was when I was in America for the summer with a group of friends. I wanted to give it go so hopped in and fell in love with it straight away.
It took a few things out of rugby that I loved and put them into a more concentrated form. When I played rugby I would pick an opponent, and made it a 1 v 1 for the match so MMA really suited me. I like the physical aspect.
When I came back home I was like a man possessed looking for a gym. I was training in a local gym and really enjoyed it so I did some research for the best gym around and came across John Kavanagh and Straight Blast Gym.
It wasn’t ideal location-wise for me as it’s on the other side of the city but it’s the best decision I ever made.
What are the SBG team like?
We’re all like-minded people. We all get on really well. It’s great having characters around and it’s an ideal environment to train in.
You’ve had training camps in Iceland in the past. What advantages are there to preparing there?
One thing I love is the break from normality. It takes you away from all the distractions at home. At the weekend, I don’t really go out with friends as they go out drinking, which I can’t do before a fight. I often try to avoid phone calls so it’s just easy when I go away.
Another thing is that it’s much easier to eat healthily over in Iceland. Everything you order doesn’t come with chips, pasta or potatoes like it does here.
Then training with (Icelandic UFC fighter) Gunni Nelsen day-in day-out is a real positive influence. He’s one of the best grapplers in the world.
You mention distractions at home. Do you find it an ongoing struggle to be disciplined about what you eat and drink?
I used to go out a bit and not drink as I thought I was being anti-social by staying at home at the weekends. I still do it the odd time but you can only do it for an hour or two before everyone starts getting drunk and you feel left out of the craic. I tend to try avoid it.
It’s the same with eating. I often won’t meet up with my friends at their house two or three weeks before a fight as I can’t sit there watching them eat pizzas.
We work with the Irish Strength Institute who also look after our nutrition and I just try and stay away from carbs from six weeks out.
Have you noticed how much MMA has come on in Ireland over the past couple of years?
Yeah, definitely. I remember when I first started I used to have to explain what it was to people. Now when you say it, 80% of the time they know that I’m talking about so the difference is huge. The exposure we are getting, even in the last few weeks, has been massive compared to before.
As they say, it’s the fastest growing sport in the world and it has definitely snowballed here.
Will we see Irish fighters making a big impact in the UFC in the next few years?
100%. We’ve got one guy in the door now and there will be a good few to follow him. We’re going to be contenders in a few years and we will have Irish champions for sure. It’s going to blow up here when that happens
I know the level I am at and I know I can beat some of the top guys in the world. The main thing for a fighter is to have self belief and I know for a fact that I can do it. There’s so much talent coming through in Ireland.
There has been talk that you’re the next in line to get a call to the UFC. What are your thoughts on that?
I’m still improving and am ready to go the UFC when they call. I’m not getting caught up with it and am focused on the things I can control. I just need to keep doing what I’m doing by taking one fight at a time. And that means taking out Gael Grimaud on March 9.
Looking towards the fight, you’ve obviously done your research on Gael. What can you tell me about him?
He’s a decent fighter and is the type who can take a beating for a couple of rounds but still hangs in there and is dangerous. I have to be aware of that and can’t give him any opportunities to get back into it.
The majority of his wins have come from submission but I’ve taken a huge confidence boost from training with Gunni and am used to coming up against guys who are good on the ground. I believe I can beat him wherever he wants to fight.
What should he expect from you?
I say it before every fight that I look like a completely different fighter from my last time out but it’s true. I’ve been working on all the aspects of my fighting and have improved it across the board. I know this is my time. I want to put on a performance.
There has been talk about me not just in Ireland but the UK and this fight will be broadcast across the world so I want to show what I can do.
Cathal fights Gael Grimaud in the headline bout at Cage Warriors 52 for the welterweight title at The Forum in London tomorrow night. Watch the Cage Warriors preview to his fight below (skip to 13:00):
YouTube credit: themmaclinic
