Before he faces Gasan Umalatov at UFC Fight Nigh Stockholm on October 4th, rising Irish welterweight Cathal Pendred talked to The Metro.
A teenager rugby player who won the prestigious Leinster Schools Cup, Pendred was a contemporary of professionals like Cian Healy and Eoin O’Malley, and can count Luke Fitzgerald among his opponents.
However, despite the unusual route to MMA, he says his personal transition to fight in the Octagon felt natural.
‘MMA combined all the aspects I loved from rugby,’ he tells me.
‘I loved the one-on-one. I would pick out a guy on the opposition team and aim to beat him, to spoil his game.’
Full Interview in Metro.co.uk.
