Unleashing Fury: Paul Buckley's Incredible Pro Debut

Paul Buckley has taken the Irish MMA scene by storm, marking his professional debut at Caged Steel on December 12, 2023, ending the fight in spectacular fashion in round three. We caught up with this prodigious talent to delve into his journey into mixed martial arts, his past victories, and more!

From Rugby to MMA

"I played rugby from about age 10 to 19 and quit then because it was too challenging to train properly while doing MMA. I had always been interested in joining MMA, but I didn't have the time due to rugby. Then, one summer, my younger brother joined, so I joined the next day to ensure he wouldn't gain an edge over me."

"I initially joined MMA just for fun and immediately fell in love with it. I had always been interested in it while growing up. It wasn't too challenging; there was plenty of work to do, but I enjoyed it, so it wasn't a problem. The main thing I gained was a strong mindset and the ability to handle pressure."

Proving Himself in the Cage

On his first fight in 2 years against Sammy McCambley: "That was my first fight in 2 years because I was on an Erasmus in Italy, and then after that, there was COVID-19. Sitting on a loss for that long truly drove me during training and motivated me to improve. I developed a lot in those two years and wanted to showcase it."

On training at MMA Cork: "The incredible coaching from Arann and the experience shared by the guys who preceded me made everything much easier when it came to fights. Additionally, the guys who have been coming up in the last few years are all similar in weight to me, so we're all pushing each other. Being competitive in training is making us much better."

The Pro Debut

On taking the fight at Caged Steel on short notice: "I hadn't fought since June or July before that, so the entire time I was looking for a fight and had been consistently improving. When the opportunity finally came, I had levelled up since the last fight and was more than ready to go."

"I had made loads of improvements, mainly by taking my time and staying composed early in the fight, which allowed me to get the timing down and become more aggressive as the fight progressed. I was as fit as I've ever been for the fight, so I knew I had more than enough energy to maintain a high pace until it reached its distance."

John Mitchell, a 5-time Irish MMA Champion, identified Paul as one of Ireland's top prospects. Keep an eye on Paul Buckley in 2024 — he's a rising star!