Top 5: Fighters on the rise at PFL Belfast
DarraghKelly filled the void left by compatriot Paul Hughesand did so with a smile on his face.The undefeated SBG Ireland standout will put his perfect 9-0 record on theline as a late-notice substitution for the Professional Fighters League when he takes Hughes place at thetop of the ticket and squares off with Jay-JayWilson in the PFL Belfast main event on Thursday at the SSE Arena in NorthernIreland. Kelly, 28, boasts seven finishes among his nine careervictories. He last saw action at PFL Europe 3, where he dispatchedBakhtiyarAbdulloev with a rear-naked choke in the first round of theirSept. 26 pairing. Kelly trains under JohnKavanagh, the same man who oversaw ConorMcGregors rise to power in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Wilson, meanwhile, enters the cage with high hopes of his own. The28-year-old New Zealand native has rattled off three wins acrosshis past four appearances, a decision loss to the unbeaten ArchieColgan at PFL Champions Series 3 in October his only misstep.Wilson has secured eight of his 11 professional victories byknockout, technical knockout or submission, five of them inside oneround.The 12-fight lineup at PFL Belfast features several fighters on therise, with Kelly and Wilson at or near the front of the line. Threeothers to monitor:EoinSheridanWelterweight | 4-0 (2-0 PFL)Sheridan carries a fair amount of hype. The 6-foot-5 SBG Irelandrep returns to the PFL stage for the first time in nearly a yearwhen he locks horns with Chris Mixanin a three-round welterweight prelim. Sheridan, 31, last competedon Oct. 18, when he took care of Felipe daSilva Maia with a first-round rear-naked choke under theAcademy Fighters Championship banner. The Sheriff spars regularlywith the aforementioned McGregor. Mixan figures to provide hissternest test to date. The 27-year-old Floridian steps onto thebattlefield on the heels of back-to-back victories over Joey Hart andKendly St.Louis.A high-stakeslightweight clash headlines PFL Belfast: Tune in Thursday, April 16at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.CiaranClarkeBantamweight | 10-0 (0-0 PFL)Perhaps absence made the heart grow fonder in Clarkes case. Theundefeated Irishman closes the book on a 579-day period ofinactivity and draws his draws his first assignment in the PFL whenhe confronts former Hexagone MMA champion DeanGarnett at 135 pounds as part of the undercard. Clarke has notfought since he outpointed TuomasGronvall to a unanimous decision at a BellatorMMA show on Sept. 14, 2024. Fully recovered from the kneeinjury that sidelined him for more than a year, the Drogheda,Ireland, native has nailed down exactly half (five) of his 10career victories by submission. Garnett, 37, now stands in hispath. The Team McHale export finds himself on the rebound followinga 44-second technical knockout loss to BarisAdiguzel at PFL Lyon on Dec. 13.OmranChaabanWelterweight | 9-1 (0-0 PFL)Chaaban could do no more on the regional scenes in Europe in theMiddle East. The Team KF Martial Arts prospect makes hisanticipated promotional debut when he toes the line againstChequina Noso Pedro in a three-round welterweight prelim.Chaaban, 25, last suited up on July 23, when he needed just 46seconds to cast aside WellingtonMadeira with leg kicks at a UAE Warriors event. It was hisfourth first-round finish as a pro. In Pedro, he faces a Brave Combat Federation alum who operates out of the BA Armycamp in Holland. The 32-year-old Angolan last strapped on thegloves at PFL Europe 2, where he was awarded a unanimous verdictover KhamzatAbaev on July 5.
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