Irish MMA fighter Darragh Kelly facing a massive step up in Wembley debut
Darragh Kelly takes on undefeated Ukranian fighter Dmytrii Hrytsenko in London this weekend.
Darragh Kelly’s Road to Wembley journey is almost complete as he gears up for his biggest challenge yet when he faces undefeated Dmytrii Hrytsenko next weekend in London.
Fighting at the Wembley Arena on Saturday night as part of the Bellator Champions Series, the Moville Mauler knows nothing will come easy against his Ukrainian opponent.
“It's another step up again so I'm really jumping up a level compared to my usual level of competition,” Kelly tells the Irish Mirror
“He's definitely a striker but he wouldn't be a knockout artist. He would outpunch you over the three rounds. He's a real technical striker and really clean, his offense and defence is on point.
“I think he has good wrestling defence so it's a very good test. This is a massive fight to take. I'm not sure where it will leave me but it will put a lot more eyes on my name for sure.”
With over 100 family and friends making the journey to London, Kelly is looking forward to an away day at Wembley Arena.
“I think the capacity is 12,500. I'm the first fight of the night so I won't be seeing 12,500 but because I'm the first fight I get to come back and enjoy it all after so I'm looking forward to that.
“This is my first professional fight fighting abroad so it's going to be new and exciting. I love fighting in the 3Arena in Dublin but it is nice to be doing something exciting and new.
“It's going to be more memories made to look back on. I'll go over and get familiar with it now.
“There are more traveling over to this one than the last Dublin fight so there is something new and exciting for them all.”
Now 6-0, Kelly says he is beginning to find his feet in the professional game and says experience is the key.
”You think you have it all figured out and I could say now I have it all figured out but a couple of years time I could look back that I didn't really.
“The more experience you have you learn every fight. I think I'm putting it together now, I feel like my striking is dangerous and I'm technically sound offensively and defensively.
“Before I didn't have that, it was mainly just grappling, I might have my striking to set up my takedowns but now I'm very well-rounded. The more you go on you'll keep improving.”
Darragh Kelly takes on Dmytrii Hrytsenko on Saturday 14 September in the Bellator Champions Series.
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