Irish flyweight Patrick Holohan will have a chance to return to the win column in the UFC, and he will have that chance in front of the largest collection of Irish-Americans in the U.S. of A when he faces Shane Howell this January in Boston.
The news was originally announced Wednesday in a UFC release, according to MMA journalist Ariel Helwani:
“It’ll be Dublin in Boston.” says @PaddyHolohanMMA about his matchup at #UFCBoston on Jan 18th. pic.twitter.com/rob37jVZm4
— UFC United Kingdom (@UFC_UK) November 5, 2014
Holohan (10-1) was undefeated going into his UFC debut last summer and earned a stirring chokeout of Josh Sampo (in Holohan‘s native Dublin no less). His second Octagon fight didn’t have quite such a storybook ending, as he lost by decision in October to unheralded Chris Kelades.
“I’m so happy to be a part of the UFC card in Boston,” Holohan said in a statement from the UFC. “We are going to recreate the same atmosphere we had in Dublin; it’ll be Dublin in Boston. As I always say to the fans, I’m one of them and I know with the Boston crowd it will be the same, like home away from home. I know I’m the job to start that party over in Boston.”
This is a chance for the Irishman to restart his ascent up the ranks of the UFC’s comparatively thin flyweight division. Holohan, mainly a grappler, should be the early favorite to defeat Howell. Howell, a native of Oklahoma, lost his own UFC debut to Ray Borg back in June. It’s worth nothing that Holohan was a substantial favorite over Kelades as well.
The UFC fight card in Boston will be headlined by another popular Irish fighter, Conor McGregor, who will take on Dennis Siver in the evening’s main event. McGregor and Holohan both train at SBG Ireland, the gym that is rapidly becoming the MMA mecca for Irish and other fighters and is also home to standouts like Cathal Pendred, Aisling Daly and Gunnar Nelson.
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