Live MMA in the Octogen - exciting first-ever promotion coming to Tipperary

Live MMA is coming to county Tipperary for the first time ever on Saturday, February 26 with an exciting day-long promotion of the mixed martial arts sport planned.
The Park Hotel in Clonmel will host Premier Fighting Championship I, showcasing a sport that is increasingly gaining in popularity everywhere.
The event, featuring both men’s and women’s contests, is being promoted by three local men, Colin Meagher, Niall Sunderland and Eoin McGrath, and will be broken up into two separate programmes.
A Cadets event will be run in the morning from 9 am to 1 pm catering for young exponents of the art, while the afternoon programme for adult match-ups will see doors open at 3pm, with the first bout planned for 4 o’clock.
While approximately 80% of the adult fighters on the night are affiliated to the local SBG gym at Ard Gaoithe, there will also be some of the top-ranked fighters on the island of Ireland coming from as far afield as Belfast, Drogheda and Dublin as well as Cork, Waterford and Kilkenny. It presents those interested in the sport in this region with an unique opportunity to see live MMA action in an Octagon, as such a promotion has never been staged before in county Tipperary.
The popularity of the sport at all age levels has mushroomed since it first rooted in this country in the 2000s, and in Clonmel alone there is a months-long waiting list for Cadets to join the SBG franchised gym. The sport, a combination of boxing, kickboxing, Brazilian jiu jitsu, striking and wrestling, is also proving very popular with young women and perhaps will become even more so into the future, following recent events.

WIMP TO WARRIOR
A special feature of this maiden promotion will be the Wimp to Warrior bouts, which will kick off the afternoon schedule. The opponents in these match-ups are complete beginners who have just undergone a 20-weeks programme, training 5-6 days per week from 6 to 7.30am daily. It will be their first experience of action inside the cage.
Later in the evening the programme will grow in intensity with fights at different weight levels. Some top-ranked local fighters such as Dean Lowe, Frank Meagher, Aaron McCormack and Marco Cardillo will enter the arena, all having previously represented Ireland on the world stage at IMMAF World Championship events.
The headline fight at the conclusion of the evening will feature local contender Alex Connolly, who only recently fought for the Cage Legacy Welterweight Belt and will be fighting in a title eliminator on the night.
There is a strictly enforced tiered ruleset for MMA fights from novice up to the professional level, which most people would be familiar with a la Conor McGregor fights in the UFC. For this first promotion at least the majority of the fights will be held at the preceding levels of novice and amateur grade, with plans to add pro fights to the cards for further events later in the year.
At the novice grade participants must wear shin pads and no use of knees or elbows is permitted, while striking on the ground is also outlawed.

Up a notch at amateur level, fighters are not allowed to knee to the head and also the use of elbows and heel hooks is barred.
Fighter safety is of paramount importance and the most exacting safety standards are adhered to for all of these fights. Strict conditions are enforced by the IMMAA and Safemma.ie and all fighters must have recent MRI and blood test approval certification before being allowed to participate. On top of that there is a pre and post fight medical examination by a doctor.
And of course there will be paramedics and an ambulance service also available on the night, which hopefully will not be required.

TICKETS ON SALE
Tickets for the event, which has a capacity of 350-400 are a mixture of seated and standing. There will also be seating for some six VIP tables around the Octagon for what promises to be a thrilling day and night for MMA. Tickets are now on sale via Eventbrite.
To round off the event, after the cage has been cleared, there’ll be a disco until late.