Bellator 275 - Mousasi vs. Vanderford (Feb 25th) 🇨🇮

[Scott Malbranque]

Bit late on this lads, but have been up to me plums in it all, all week.

That was a great night, to be fair (as the wee yins would say). We’d even better seats this time out, and were sat beside Kiefer Crosbie (who’s actually a wee pet), Andy the cut man (who’s probably the funniest chap I’ve ever met in my life), Brian Moore’s manager and who I think was Jose Sanchez’s da.
McGregor was about 10 meters away from us for the night and he was absolutely out of his bollocks. Came over to talk to Crosbie and had a chat with us, but can’t make eye contact (I put that down to the sheer amount of faces he must see in his life), but he was dancing away saying “Fuckin’ savage tune this, lads, yeah? Yeah?” Then he shook my hand and insisted he knew me from Drimnagh, so I just played along as he was obviously on the Persil and there’d be no telling the lad nothing other than what he decided was fact.
My nephew and wee lad got photos with him, so they were made up, and he was genuinely very friendly to them.
The fucking size of him. Like, seriously, big cannonball juice delts on him and he was walking with that hench, hunchback gorilla walk all night, but had time for everyone seemingly, so I genuinely can’t tee off on the chap.

The show itself was really good, for a really bang average card on paper

We got in late this time, because I was scrambling to get out of work, so we made it just in time for the Darragh Kelly fight, and the atmosphere in the Point (3 Arena) for that was unreal. He has something about him and he’s a big good looking lad, full of confidence, and apparently according to those I was sitting with, he’s the real deal. But again, we’ve all heard that so many times.

I had no clue who Danni McCormack was when I saw the name pop up. Was stumped. Then I saw the face and was like “She’s the image of Danni Neilan…that’s mad” and then I twigged it just as the words left my mouth and had the fuckin humiliation of Kiefer Crosbie leaning in and telling me that she changed her name after she got married. Nothing I could say back but “Ah…that’s grand, isn’t it?”

Charlie Leary went against Davy Gallon next. I only knew Gallon was the bloke who beat Mousah who Queally pulled out on. Anyway, Crosbie was cheering for Leary, so that was nice.

Brett Johns brought a load of Welsh with him, right behind us and they were all sound and great buzz to be around, so we were cheering for Johns like he was one of our own, just because those lads were so much fun. Delighted he got the finish too, because the fight itself was shite.

Brian Moore’s walkout was great, except for the nobs screaming “Sinn Féin” and “IRA” during the chorus of Fields of Athenry. Was grand in the pub in the 90s when you were a kid, but fucks sake, International television, lads.
Waiting Moore’s manager near give himself a hernia for 15 minutes was bizarre. He genuinely cares so much for that lad and was lovely to see, in a weird way. Still can’t get over the scoring of it. I was convinced Moore edged it, but to hear a 30-27 to Logu was bizarre.
I don’t know if the telly picked it up, but when Lugo was exiting the cage (they exited right in front of us) he actually apologised to Moore’s manager. Madness.

I fucked off for the guts of the Magomedshapirov/Sanchez one – because I knew what was coming – to the bar. Left at about one minute into round one. Came back one minute into round 3 and I think they were still in the same spot. Would say if there wasn’t time restrictions, they’d probably still be in that position. So I talked to Maybe Sanchez’s Da and he said that Sanchez was just happy to be where he was on the card. Not sure if someone else pulled out, but I never heard of Sanchez and it was a weird place to have that kind of fight, on that kind of card. 

Ciaran Clarke looks great in every fight I’ve seen him in. I know he has a rep of being a bit of a “ball sniffer”, but he’s a ferocious little pitbull sort and he’s got some chin on him. Delighted for him to get another win.

During the interval here, Jose Sanchez arrives out, still in his scrap jocks, no top and a staple in his head, and he sits down on the floor beside us and talks to Maybe Da. He shakes my hand and smiles and goes back to talking to the elder chap. Then he hands me his gloves. Two blue Bellator mitts in my hand. I was so confused and my heart went a flutter and I thanked him, said “Wow” or something akin to that a few times and gave him the biggest hug ever. I assumed he was giving me his gloves as some respectful Mexican gesture for keeping his da company, chatting gik and buying him a couple of drinks. But nope. That humiliating, cringing, poxy bastard devil on my shoulder all night reared it’s swine head again and I was asked if I could get McGregor to sign the gloves for him. The lads beside me are dead. I’m dead inside.
His Potential Da must have saw me chatting for a bit to McG and assumed I knew the lad, or something. So I turned to Kiefer Crosibie and Andy the Cut Man (that’s all I knew these lads) and asked them to dig me out and I explained what had just happened. They’re dead. I’m dead inside. To be fair though, they got both gloves signed for him, and wee Sanchez walked off so happy, never once turning his gaze from down at the gloves.

Now, the Kavanagh/McCourt fight. Anyone who knows me, knows how much of a fan of Kavanagh I am. She’s humble, sound and someone you literally would have to kill (or spark, in Cyborg’s case) to stop her coming forward.
McCourt got a nice round of respectful applause, but we were all rooting for Kavanagh, no mistake. State of that walkout music though. Apparently she was asked to walkout to Zombie, but she turned that down. I’d say the roof would have come off the place had she done that, but given the week that was in it too, mightn’t have been appropriate.
I have to say, it was absolutely fascinating to be beside Crosbie for this one. He said to us before the fight that her knee was goosed and he thinks she done her ACL but wouldn’t say anything, so to see what unfolded was mental. I’ve done me ACL myself, so I knew the second she went back on it, it was gone. Crosbies’ pots were gone altogether and he was shouting instructions at the top of his lungs to her, and she was listening. She looked over to him more than her own corner. Just felt so genuinely privileged to be that close to what was going on in this fight.
But yeah, to see Kavanagh show that kind of heart and fight – at the risk of sounding cheesy and clichéd – was incredible, and the tension in that arena was phenomenal…palpable, or whatever adjective (PLAY!) you want to put on it.
When it went to the cards, poor Crosbie and Cut Man Andy were in a shite heap and when Kavanagh was announced the winner, we all leapt all over each other like Ireland just won a penno shoot out in a tournament. Was something else.
You can actually see Kavanagh go straight to Crosbie when she’s carried from the cage and gives him a hug. Was lovely. And a big smile and thanks from her to all of us for cheering and supporting. I was all welled up. Very emotional.
Then I watched it back on the telly to see how it played out at home, and it wasn’t the same. But live, it was a pleasure to be a part of.

THEN, the main event. Vanderfords corner was in front of us beside the exit gate from the cage, and  so was Paige VanZant’s arse, in tracksuit bottoms. She took a pic with the two lads, which again, was lovely and was smiles for everyone and anyone. The boy sat down and literally stared at her bum for as long as he could and I twigged it, said it to him and he said “When am I ever going to see Paige VanZants arse in person again, Da?” So couldn’t argue. The Welsh lad behind us took a video of her when his missus went to the jacks and turned to us and said “Secure Folder, boys” and fucked off.

Was surprised to hear the chorus of boos for Vanderford, as he’s a likeable sort, but there we were. Then Mousasi bizarrely, unexpectedly, hilariously…but beautifully walked out to Sweet Caroline and had the whole crowd firmly in his corner.
Charlie Ward was stood at the railing in front of us and I was just laughing with the boy at the security guard asking him to sit down. Ward literally just looked at him, turned back to the fight and the poor fella just sidled off with his bollocks firmly in Charlie Ward’s pocket.

Missed the finish because I was too busy chortling away at that.

Then we left and there was a few fights scattered about outside the 3 Arena.
Dublin, that. Par for...

 

 

[wandshogun09]

30 minutes ago, Scott Malbranque said:

“When am I ever going to see Paige VanZants arse in person again, Da?”

A good question well put. Good lad. Nice to hear you all had a great night. 

[Egg Shen]

great post @Scott Malbranque