More than two years after Conor McGregor announced the Irish 'takeover' of the UFC, it is another big night for Irish MMA inside the 3 Arena at Dublin's docklands.
BAMMA, arguably the biggest MMA promotion in Europe, have given a platform for some of the best Irish and European mixed martial arts talent outside of the UFC to showcase their talents. The next wave of Irish MMA is already upon us, with several massive prospects from Ireland and abroad scheduled to compete on Saturday night.
It is highly likely that several fighters who feature on this card will end up fighting on the biggest stage in mixed martial arts before too long and this is your chance to see them in person.
Remember, Conor McGregor fought on stages like this half a dozen times before becoming the biggest star in the sport.
Below are five fighters from the BAMMA 26 card worth keeping an eye on.
Paul Redmond
'Redser' (above) is one of the evergreen figures in Irish MMA. The Team Ryano fighter had a very difficult two-fight run in the UFC in 2015, making his debut on short notice at featherweight and losing a decision to highly-touted prospect Mirsad Bektic. Redmond's second fight in the UFC saw him face hometown fighter Rob Whiteford in Glasgow - a difficult proposition, whichever way you look at it.
Redmond returns to the cage at BAMMA 26 for his first fight since parting ways with the UFC where he will look to make an impact against Northern Ireland's Chris Stringer and a win will move him closer to getting back to playing with the big boys.
Ryan Curtis
Ryan 'Chaos' Curtis is one of the most highly-regarded prospects in Irish MMA. The flyweight, who trains under the tutelage of Owen Roddy at SBG Charlestown, has been tipped as a future UFC fighter for a couple of years now and will look to add another finish to his perfect 3-0 record so far when he faces Shamsul Haque at BAMMA 26.
Curtis recently upped roots and spent two weeks training with Team Alpha Male in Sacramento and will be looking to show off some of his new tricks inside the cage on Saturday night. This guy is very much one to watch.
Dave Fogarty
The man with the best nickname in MMA, 'Yogurty' Dave Fogarty placed second in the world amateur championships in Las Vegas during the summer and will tonight fight in front of an Irish crowd for the very first time.
Yogurty is a unique figure within the sport, in that he is both a fighter and a member of the media. He is, in fact, BAMMA's official photographer but we assume he has been given the night off from his responsibilities outside of the cage. Fogarty, a flyweight, mixes solid striking with absolutely wonderful jiu-jitsu and a win against Barry Hanna in their amateur bout would be another solid step on the path to turning pro.
Peter Queally
In a parallel universe Peter Queally is already a member of the UFC. The SBG Ireland member (and sparring partner of a certain Conor McGregor) was in line to face Tim Means at UFC 202 last month as a replacement for the injured Sean Strickland but visa issues prevented the fight from taking place. With UFC Belfast just around the corner, it's very likely that a win against Joe McColgan will mean this is Queally's last fight outside of the big show.
Andy Young
When injuries and missed weight robbed the card of some of its more high profile match-ups a new main event was required - and Andy Young is the beneficiary. Undefeated in his last three bouts, Young will scrap with German Rany Saadeh with the promotion's flyweight championship on the line. Two fast, exciting fighters are on show here and you can be sure that sparks will fly.
For ticket information, visit BAMMA.com
