UFC Fight Night 76: Dublin still has much to look forward to despite withdrawals, writes Dan Hardy

EXCLUSIVE COLUMN: This week, British UFC welterweight and UFC commentator, Dan Hardy, takes a look at what the Irish fans have to look forward to at the event in Dublin this weekend

Conor McGregor in Dublin ahead of UFC Fight Night (GETTY IMAGES)

It’s been a turbulent couple of weeks for UFC Fight Night 76. Initially featuring two intriguing bouts, a heavyweight contest between Ben Rothwell and Stipe Miocic, and a lightweight main event with Joe Duffy squaring off against Dustin Poirier. After losing one half of the co-main event due to injury we all hoped that would be the end of the bad luck. Then at the beginning of fight week Joe Duffy was withdrawn after sustaining a concussion in training. Fortunately, the rest of the card is stacked with home-grown and European talent, and we still have plenty of exciting fights to look forward to.

The last event the UFC held in Dublin was over a year ago, and since then Ireland has established itself as a strong entity on the international Mixed Martial Arts scene. The movement has been lead by the current interim featherweight champion, Conor McGregor, but on that last fight night in Dublin he wasn’t the only Irish star to stir a reaction from the crowd. Opening the card we had a UFC debutant by the name of Paddy Holohan. A team mate of McGregor and student of SBG coach, John Kavanagh.

In all of the live events I’ve attended, I’ve never heard the first fighter on the card ignite the fans in attendance like Holohan. It took him less than two minutes to stop his opponent and give his team a good start to their night. Following that we saw Cathal Pendred come back from behind to subdue a foe with a considerable size and strength advantage. Over the past year both of these athletes have made waves in their respective divisions, showing the heart demonstrated in their debut bouts and an ever evolving skill set.

This weekend both fighters will return to competition on home soil and hope to make Fight Night 76 another historic event. Paddy, a fan favorite from the beginning, now finds himself at the opposite end of the card. He and his opponent, talented Hawaiian Louis Smolka, step into the main event spot. Both guys are coming in off two impressive victories, and will recognize this opportunity to capitalize on the misfortune of other fighters and headline a very memorable card. The winner will be within striking distance of the top fifteen and can expect a very tough test, should they get past the one in front of them.

Similar in style and build, neither fighter will hold much of a physical advantage and a technical contest could be very closely matched. Both guys are skilled on the mat, able to finish a good percentage of their fights with a variety of submissions. Smolka I would expect to want the fight at range, utilizing a well-rounded striking game. It would make sense for Paddy to crowd him and use his natural tenacity and crowd support to sway the fight in his favor. If media duties are anything to go by, both fighters have embraced this added attention and are making the most of their new main event bout.

Holohan’s team mate, Pendred, will be taking on British newcomer, Tom Breese. After only needing a round in his debut, Breese will look to be the first man to stop Pendred in the UFC. Sporting an unbeaten record in eight professional bouts, and never needing all three rounds, Pendred could be the man to take him the distance. Notoriously hard to put away, Cathal will give Breese all he can handle and no space in which to do it. We also have Aisling Daly fighting on home soil in the UFC for the first time, due to her being in the Ultimate Fighter house during the last Dublin show. It will be a great motivator for her to share the card with her SBG family.

I could write about every fight on the card, each one is competitive and exciting. The co-main is now Norman Parke and Reza Madadi, looking to settle a long-standing internet grudge and has seen them both exchange words via social networks. Neil Seery is also back, taking on Jon Delos Reyes, and British fighters, Scott Askham, Stevie Ray, Rob Whiteford and Darren Till will also be hunting for an impressive victory. The last event we held in Dublin broke records, and helped introduce some new talent to UFC fans. This event will be no different and we have twenty determined fighters looking to steal the show and give the fans a night remember.

Catch all the action from UFC Dublin live on UFC Fight Pass.