HE CAME UP short against Louis Smolka but Paddy Holohan remains as popular as ever among Irish mixed martial arts fans.
Holohan lost via second-round submission (rear-naked choke) to the Hawaiian in last night’s captivating headline bout at UFC Fight Night 76 at Dublin’s 3Arena.
The 27-year-old Dubliner has had a remarkable journey so far in MMA’s leading organisation, going from the first fight on the prelims to the main event in the space of just 15 months.
After last night’s defeat, an emotional and overwhelmed Paddy Holohan was interviewed by Dan Hardy in the octagon.
“I never come out here and say I’m the best,” Holohan told the sold-out arena. “I never said I was born gifted. But I’ll tell yous one thing: When I do come out, I give yous everything.”
Holohan added: “My number one love has been MMA and my son, and I just kept both of them close. No matter what happened, I kept trucking forward.”
