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Chris 鈥淭aco鈥� Padilla, fighter, Hardbody MMA, strikes Kenny Wyckoff, fighter, Fight Ugly MMA photo by Lance Cpl. Paul S. Martinez –

10 Best Irish MMA Fighters

With a pantheon of some of the deadliest combatants ever, the UFC has been providing the best mixed martial arts action available for close to 30 years. For many years, Brazil, Japan, and the United States of America supplied the majority of fighters. Fighters from all over the world have begun to establish themselves in major MMA promotions during the modern era of MMA. 

Ireland is one such country that has firmly established itself in the realm of mixed martial arts as a result of the success of several Irish fighters.  Ireland has not only produced some of the most famous people in the world, but also some of the most well-versed fighters. Several of these fighters went on to achieve enormous success in the UFC. These fighters have repeatedly demonstrated their abilities and personalities to the fans, which has always added to their appeal . The fighters have been able to carve their way into becoming the best MMA fighters of all time.  Here are the 10 best Irish MMA fighters.

1. Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor photo by Andrius Petrucenia –

Conor McGregor is not only the most successful fighter from Ireland but also the most successful fighter overall. McGregor is originally from Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland. McGregor is brash, confident, and possesses a devastating left hook. He has dominated his UFC competition with a record of (22-6), 19 of those wins coming by knockout. To say the least, McGregor’s rise in the UFC featherweight division was historic.

He easily defeated featherweights Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier, and Dennis Siver before capturing the interim lightweight and undisputed lightweight world titles from Chad Mendes and Jose Aldo. By capturing both the lightweight and featherweight titles, he became the organization’s first simultaneous multi-division champion. Despite his recent struggles both inside and outside of the Octagon, McGregor has inspired many fighters around the world to pursue and realize their dreams. He is among the most famous people from Ireland in the world. 

2. Norman Parke

Norman Parke is a mixed martial artist from Northern Ireland. Parke has been a professional MMA fighter since 2006, having competed for the UFC, Absolute Championship Berkut, KSW, and BAMMA. In late 2012, he competed for Team UK on The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes, where he won the Lightweight Tournament. The Irish native is one of the most successful Irish MMA fighters.

He made his presence known by defeating Colin Fletcher in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes season. He compiled an intriguing record in the UFC, competing against lightweight legends such as Francisco Trinaldo, Gleison Tibau, and Leonardo Santos.

3. Joseph Duffy

Joseph Duffy is an Irish former MMA fighter who battled in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division. He has been a professional since 2008 and has previously competed for Cage Warriors and The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck. He used to be a professional boxer. Duffy was one of the most anticipated UFC signings of 2015.

At the time, Duffy was one of two men who had defeated Conor McGregor, and many fans salivated at the prospect of the two Irish stars reuniting in the UFC. That victory over McGregor in 2010 must have looked like a winning lottery ticket these days. Despite being talented, he failed to live up to the expectations as a lightweight in the UFC and retired in 2020.

4. Neil Seery

Neil Seery photo by Finglas16 –

Former Irish professional mixed martial artist Neil Seery most recently participated in the flyweight division of the UFC. Seery started his career in 2005 and has since participated in RINGS, Cage Warriors, and BAMMA. He held the title of Cage Warriors Flyweight Champion. The tough Dubliner turned every match into a scrap. Yes, Seery hit a fighter in the mouth and didn’t mind taking his opponent’s best shot to complete it.

He lacked what you may refer to as stopping strength, but he did possess a strong chin and a repertoire of cunning manoeuvres that could take on any opponent. He competed against some of the top flyweights in the world, such as Alexandra Pantoja and Kyoji Horiguchi.

5. Charlie Ward

Charlie Ward is an Irish MMA fighter who currently competes in the Bellator MMA middleweight division. He has been a professional competitor since 2014 and previously competed for the UFC. He was defeated in back-to-back fights by Abdul Razak Alhassan and Galore Bofando. After being released, he signed with Bellator and has compiled an impressive record since joining the promotion.

6. Paul Hughes

Ireland’s Paul Hughes capped off a fantastic year by capturing the Cage Warriors interim featherweight title against French MMA sensation Morgan Charriere at Cage Warriors 128 last October. The fight against the French YouTube star was named the promotion’s ‘Fight of the Year,’ as well as the UFC Fight Pass streaming service.

Back in 2017, the 145-pound standout made his professional debut against Adam Gustab. The FAI fighter is almost certain to be signed by the UFC if he defeats England’s Jordan Vucenic in the rematch to unify the Cage Warriors’ featherweight division. The slick and polished striker has excellent grappling and would make an impact in the UFC if given the chance. One of Ireland’s greatest combat talents since Notorious Conor.

7. Paddy Holohan

Photograph of Irish Mixed Martial Artist and Sinn F茅in politician Paddy Holohan in 2019 photo by Sinn F茅in –

Irish retired mixed martial artist Patrick “Paddy” Holohan is most known for his time spent competing in the flyweight category of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Despite only having five fights with the company, he is one of the most successful Irish UFC competitors.

Before joining the UFC, he established himself by amassing a 9-0-1 record while largely competing in Ireland. During his time in the UFC, he went 3-2 and beat Josh Sampo, Shane Howell, and Vaughan Lee. Due to a rare blood illness, Holohan declared his retirement from competition in 2016.

8. Aisling Daly

Aisling Daly, an Irish professional mixed martial artist who is now retired, last competed in the women’s strawweight division of the UFC. Daly started competing in MMA professionally in 2007. Her professional record was 16鈥�6. At 115 or 125 pounds, she was once hailed as one of the top female grapplers.

She participated in The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned season, but she was forced to give up mixed martial arts after testing for a brain haemorrhage revealed a medical condition.

9. Ian Garry

Since making his professional MMA debut in 2019, the fighter has been drawing attention to the Irish scene, and in 2022, his stock is expected to soar. At UFC 268 in November, one of the biggest events of the year at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden, Dublin’s Garry had a fantastic UFC debut.

After accumulating an undefeated 7-0 record on his way to defeating Jack Grant for the Cage Warriors 170lbs title at Cage Warriors 125 in June, the 24-year-old fighter was signed by Dana White. He then capped off a remarkable year by knocking out Jordan Williams in the first round.

Garry only made his amateur debut in 2017 and switched to the professional ranks in 2019, so it’s incredible how quickly he rose to fame. Considering how far he has gone in such a short period, he is a supreme talent, and there is still more room for improvement as he trains in the United States with some of the finest in the world.

10. Rhys McKee

Rhys McKee at CAGE Warrior 100 photo by MMAnytt –

Rhys McKee is of Northern Ireland descent. He has a professional MMA record of 11-4. He has finished all 11 of his opponents by knockout or submission. McKee made his UFC debut in 2020 but lost back-to-back fights.

He currently fights for Cage Warriors. In all honesty, it has been a rollercoaster 18 months for the two-time UFC veteran who was harshly released by the world’s top MMA promotion after two consecutive losses to the highly anticipated Swedish/Chechen welterweight Khamzat Chimaev and American Alex Morono.

However, McKee has time on his side; the 26-year-old fighter recovered after re-signing with Cage Warriors and sent a message to the UFC hierarchy after putting on a striking clinic to defeat Aleksi M盲ntykivi by way of a stoppage at Cage Warriors 129. After Ian Garry relinquished the championship to join the UFC, he is the Cage Warriors’ most sought-after welterweight, and one would anticipate McKee to fight for the title next time out.

Before you go, take a quick look at some of the best boxers from Britain to ever enter the ring.