DUBLIN, Ireland — On the preliminary portion of UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs Brandao, former rugby standout and TUF 19 star Cathal Pendred faced off with solid prospect Mike King in what would turn out to be a dramatic encounter.
Pendred’s career highlight prior to signing with the UFC was fighting in front of the Irish faithful for the Cage Warriors title and it was his stint with the English upstart promotion that readied him for the feared adrenalin dump that often accompanies a UFC debut.
King knew he was in for a tough night when he was greeted with an earful of boos from the Irish fans at eh O2 Arena as he approached the Octagon. However, when the cage door closed he began dominating Pendred and nearly finished the fight in the first round. Pendred somehow survived and fatigue set in for King before the hometown fighter bounced back with an amazing come-from-behind submission win.
Pendred was successful in his UFC debut, but going forward he must move to his more natural weight class and compete in the welterweight division where an array of interesting fights wait for him. If he does fancy one last middleweight fight, a rematch with TUF 19 winner Eddie Gordon would be interesting since the pair’s bout on TUF 19 ended in rather controversial fashion with Pendred losing a split decision.
Perhaps the UFC won’t deem a rematch with Gordon necessary and instead push him towards a fight at 170 pounds. Pendred could take on the winner of Jordan Mein vs Brandon Thatch since both fighters bring forth a similar style — both gifted strikers on the rise and either of them would give Pendred an opportunity to show just how dominant he can be at welterweight.
Pendred is a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States, which means fighting in North America is a realistic option. He has spoken at length of his desire to fight in America.
While many will be impressed by the heart Pendred showed against King, more will be eager to see if his poor first round was a sign of things to come. Being heavily hyped means Pendred has a target on his back and in the UFC’s welterweight division many fighters will have their eyes on the Irishman.
