It's been a rough couple of months in the fight game for Ian McCall.
For the second time in a span of just six weeks, the man they call 'Uncle Creepy' has had a fight scratched from a UFC card at the eleventh hour. McCall, one of the world top ranked flyweight fighters, was set to make his first UFC appearance since January 2015 on this weekend's UFC 203 card in Cleveland, Ohio - but found out last night that an illness suffered by his scheduled opponent Ray Borg means that the fight was cancelled and McCall was removed from the card.
Just a month and a half ago, McCall's return fight with Justin Scoggins was also shelved after Scoggins revealed he wouldn't be able to make the contracted weight of 126lbs. McCall is hoping that the third time will be a charm for him and has cast his gaze towards one of Ireland's favourite fighting sons. And the response he received makes us think that this may actually be a go-er.
McCall's campaigned for a match-up with Neil Seery on his Instagram earlier today:
How about I come back to Ireland and put on a show with Neil Seery.
He has since doubled-down on this in an interview today with Ariel Helwani.
Ian @Unclecreepymma McCall tells me he'd like to fight @NeilSeeryMMA in Belfast. "I know he'll at least show up to fight & I love Ireland."
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 8, 2016
I'm game as fuck and I come to fight @seanshelby https://t.co/RMpjjFDOwb
— Neil 2 Tap Seery (@NeilSeeryMMA) September 8, 2016
The UFC's return to Northern Ireland would be a perfect fit for a fight of this calibre, especially for two fighters who have made no secret of their respect for each other and enjoy nothing more than putting on exciting fights. Seery and McCall were both on the card for the UFC's Dublin show in July 2014 and both made it known that they respected each other's fighting style. That respect would go out the window, for 15 minutes or so at least, should the two flyweight sluggers stand across the cage from each other in Belfast next November.
Gunnar Nelson is currently scheduled to headline the card against South Korean fighter Dong Hyun Kim, which will take place inside the SSE Arena in Belfast on November 19th, and it is expected several Irish fighters may also join the card with Artem Lobov, Joe Duffy and a potential debut for Peter Queally also on the cards.
