I blame Conor McGregor for the fact that my initial instinct upon seeing the headline 'Paddy Holohan Announces His Retirement From MMA' was to expect some mischief, but upon realising that his retirement was genuine, I was absolutely gutted.
He wasn't likely to dethrone Demetrious Johnson as the UFC flyweight champion, but one thing that was an absolute guarantee was that he would give every single ounce of effort that he possibly could when he stepped into the octagon. He claimed some impressive wins, put in some stellar performances, and won the hearts of every MMA fan in Ireland and a few beyond as well.
As upset as I am that I won't get to see him drape the tricolour over his back and walk out to a roaring arena again, I am so happy that I was present to watch his last fight. Although it didn't go his way against Louis Smolka, he gave everything he had and nobody left that arena thinking they had not gotten their money's worth.
Here are some of my favourite moments from the UFC career of Paddy Holohan:
The most Irish post-fight interview ever:
Where else could we start? After what has proven to be his last fight, Paddy's initial reaction was perfect:
Educating the UFC's YouTube channel as to just how important tea is:
And of course his tea themed interview with Ariel Helani:
This one is a lot longer, but well worth it:
Easily the best MMA t-shirt ever seen:
It just does not get better than this...
His fantastic submission win on his UFC debut in Dublin:
An unforgettable moment of an unforgettable night. Listen to the roar:
The time he ran into Ricard Lamas who had been talking shite about Conor:
Making it very clear that you don't just war with one member of SBG:
Another fantastic interview, this time with Robin Black over a few pints:
His incredible entrance as the main event at UFC Dublin 2015:
Hairs on the back of the neck stuff...
This absolutely beautiful photo with John Kavanagh.
After defeat in the main-event at Dublin, Paddy was exhausted and disappointed, and Sportsfile photographers were on hand to capture Kavanagh consoling his fighter on behalf of everyone in attendance.
It's been a pleasure, Paddy. We'll surely see more of him, as it is quite clear that he has a long career as a coach ahead of him.
? I lose a great fighter but gain an amazing coach, time for the next chapter https://t.co/wNh2fZ0G5v
— Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) April 25, 2016
Paddy Holohan; an honest fighter, a hugely entertaining man. Although his persona in the octagon was 'The Hooligan', a more appropriate moniker would have been 'The Gentleman'.
