Irish MMA star Will Fleury dreaming of 3Arena show as he prepares for world title fight

Irish MMA star Will Fleury dreams of a homecoming show as he looks to end 2024 as a world champion.

Fleury, 35, takes on Karlos Vemola for the OKTAGON MMA Light-heavyweight World Title on Sunday 29th December, at Prague’s O2 Arena.

The Tipperary man has enjoyed two stoppage victories since joining OKTAGON and has his sights firmly set on a Dublin show.

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Fleury said: “Look, I would love to bring a show back to the 3Arena. That's kind of been one of my goals with OKTAGON so far.

“Doing a big show in Ireland would be incredible… That's a long-term goal of mine. And in the meantime, look, OKTAGON MMA has some incredible stadiums in Germany.

"But from an emotional point of view for me, I have fought in the 3Arena before, and I would love to do it one more time and even like that would be a beautiful swansong for my career.

"That's something I focus on a lot is, how am I going to make that happen? How am I going to make that real?

“So, making that a reality is a big part of there's a lot of reasons why I want to smash a lot of guys, and that's one of the reasons I really want to go out there and be as dominant as I want to be.”

For now Fleury is not looking beyond 39-year-old Vemola, although he believes he has already won the mental battle.

“He’s (Vemola) obviously used to talking a bit of s***, whatever, but it doesn't feel like the real belief is there. When I looked into his eyes those few times, I just felt like, man, your energy isn't here.

“He’s definitely a tough fighter and if you're not on your game, he's definitely got the ability to do you.

"He's way more experienced than I am in terms of big arena shows and fights.

"This is his whole f****** legacy but deep down I was just like, s***, man. I want this so much more than you. And I know you can feel that, too.”

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