Thanks, I will have to look into that fight! I need to start following up on Irish MMA a bit more. With guys like Conor and Duffy I'm excited about what the future could potentially hold!
Tuke, Gallagher, Cian Cowley and Frans Mlambo are probably as of now, 4 of the 'brightest prospects' coming out of Ireland.
Tuke is probably more known for his stand up, but his ground game is good. Has good power and accuracy in his shots. He's still young - I think he's 20, 21. If he gets a bit more exposure, he'll probably come across like Conor, but he doesn't like that comparison. He's just confident. There was a documentary over here in Ireland and it showed him doing a coaching session which looked very impressive for someone that young. He's not all about getting in to the UFC as fast as he can.
Gallagher is a solid grappler and is improving his striking. He's from the north of Ireland and left school early to train down at SBG full time when he was 15, IIRC. Even when he was in school he'd travel roughly 90 miles down to Dublin to do training, back to school and then back down to Dublin for evening sessions. He's being almost pro you could say in his mid-teens. When Conor was fighting Mendes, he fought in the IMAAF's but had to pull out injured.
Cowley is a Thai Boxer who hits hard. He's only recently moved over to MMA within the last year. He got a bronze this year at the IMAAF's but only because he had to pull out injured. He runs his own Thai Boxing gym and is still only 21. He's over in Vegas now with Conor.
Mlambo won a gold at the IMAAF's last year. He's a long, rangy striker and another one who hits hard. He took a pro fight on short notice in Japan where his opponent pretty much dominated him in the grappling. I believe he fights in kickboxing as well and there's video out there of some of his fights - his KO power looks vicious. Think he's a little older than the other 3.
At the IMAAF's this year Ireland topped the medal table. Fighter's from SBG, Team Ryano and a couple of other small gyms were part of the team.
There's probably other lads out there, but most likely the next generation of fighters will come from SBG and Team Ryano, but they'll probably be a lot more rounded than the first wave who made it to the UFC. I think Bellator will slowly build Gallagher up and get him more experience. I'm sure part of the reason they signed him is because he's Irish and trains out of SBG - but he's too good for the local circuit.
You'll see video of them on youtube.
I know some folk were upset with Duffy when he said that the standard of MMA in Ireland wasn't good enough when he and Conor were coming up on the local scene. He was probably right, but it rubbed some folk up the wrong way. And he based himself in Wales which is hardly a hot bed of MMA.
