CONOR McGREGOR’S SPECTACULAR knockout of Jose Aldo last December was obviously the highlight of Ireland’s brief history in the UFC to date.
However, five months later, the country is still waiting for its next victory in the octagon. It’s been a tough 2016, which has seen Irish fighters accumulate a combined 0-4 record in UFC competition.
Additionally, the Irish presence in the leading organisation in mixed martial arts has decreased significantly. In the last six months, Cathal Pendred and Paddy Holohan have both retired, while Paul Redmond and Norman Parke were cut from the roster.
Irish MMA is in need of a boost and Neil Seery has an opportunity to provide it when he takes on a former UFC title challenger today in Rotterdam.
Seery’s flyweight clash with Kyoji Horiguchi is the feature bout on the Fight Pass portion of this afternoon’s preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 87, which kicks off at 3.30pm and is only accessible live to UFC Fight Pass subscribers.
The veteran Dubliner is searching for his fourth win in the UFC but — as the biggest underdog on the 13-fight bill at 7/2 — the odds are stacked against him.
Win or lose, Seery has always delivered when it comes to entertainment, but he’ll have his work cut out if he’s to overcome a man who was one second away from lasting the distance with the UFC’s most dominant champion, Demetrious Johnson, just a year ago.
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Elsewhere, a couple of heavyweight contender bouts — Alistair Overeem versus Andrei Arlovski, Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva versus Stefan Struve — will round off the UFC Fight Night 87 card, but our pick of the bunch involves a man with strong Irish links.
Following a disappointing and comprehensive defeat to Demian Maia in December, Gunnar Nelson will be keen to return to winning ways when he takes on Albert Tumenov.
Despite being dominated by Maia, Nelson — who trains under SBG Ireland head coach John Kavanagh — is one of the top grapplers in the game. Facing a fighter like Tumenov, who has claimed to be the best striker in the UFC, it should make for an intriguing clash of styles.
Kavanagh recently told The42 that he believes Nelson can eventually win the UFC welterweight title. If that is to happen, a win today for the Icelandic 27-year-old is essential.
UFC Fight Night 87
Main card (BT Sport 2 & UFC Fight Pass) — 7pm
Alistair Overeem vs. Andrei Arlovski
Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva vs. Stevan Struve
Albert Tumenov vs. Gunnar Nelson
Germaine de Randamie vs. Anna Elmose
Nikita Krylov vs. Francimar Barroso
Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Heather Jo Clark
Prelims (UFC Fight Pass) — 5pm
Rustam Khabilov vs. Chris Wade
Magnus Cedenblad vs. Garreth McLellan
Jon Tuck vs. Josh Emmett
Yan Cabral vs. Reza Madadi
Early prelims (UFC Fight Pass) — 3.30pm
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Neil Seery
Leon Edwards vs. Dominic Waters
Ulka Sasaki vs. Willie Gates
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