The UFC Future is Bright for Neil Seery
On Saturday night, Irish Mixed Martial Artist Neil Seery brought London’s O2 arena to a standstill when he fought Brad Pickett at UFC Fight Night 37. Today, “2 Tap” went back to his full-time job at a warehouse. Seery is just the third Irishman to ever fight on the biggest stage in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). UFC president Dana White confirmed that Seery has an immediate future in the promotion saying;
“I look forward to seeing him fight again”.
After Ian McCall pulled out two weeks’ before his fight with Pickett due to injury, a replacement had to be found. A social media campaign by Irish MMA fans prompted Dana White to sign Seery. Who made a name for himself fighting at the British MMA promotion Cage Warriors. Twitter users posted tweets to White’s account using the hashtag #2Tap4UFC which resulted in Seery being offered a four-fight contract with the UFC.
Dana White Loved The Neil Seery Debut
The Dubliner’s exceptional promotional debut received plaudits from fans and fighters alike. Pickett used his superior wrestling to score four takedowns to earn a decision victory. However, Seery was dominant on the feet and out-struck his opponent for the duration of the fight. The 15-minute brawl brought the crowd to its feet and many felt was deserving of the Fight of the Night bonus worth $50,000. Seery sounded his appreciation via Twitter after the fight. He tweeted;
“Loved every minute of it, thanks for the support.”
At the post-fight press conference, Dana White commended Seery’s performance “He looked unbelievable tonight, he didn’t gas out. He was going from the first round to the last round, to the bell.” White admitted that he was “very glad” to have signed Seery and conceded;
“I should have signed him for ten fights”.
Pickett was also full of praise of the Irishman’s ability. Particularly his defensive prowess on the ground. “My hat’s off to Neil Seery, he was very tough. When it got to the floor, I was thinking I was going to submit him. He was keeping it very defensive. He just held on and just didn’t give me many opportunities.” After his impressive debut, Irish fans can look forward to the prospect. Of seeing Seery fighting in front of a home crowd when the UFC comes to the O2 in Dublin on July 19.