'Our most famous person from our country apart from Bono is an MMA fighter'

Irish Daily Mirror

15-05-2025

Denis Frimpong believes Conor McGregor's fame is a huge reason for the growth of MMA in Ireland.
A decade ago, McGregor was the biggest star in the World's premier MMA organisation, the UFC. Years before he morphed into an alcohol salesman and wannabe political commentator, the Dubliner was putting MMA on the map in this country.
McGregor was the first Irish MMA star to really make a name for himself in the sport at the elite level. When he was at his peak, many of today's top Irish fighters such as Ian Garry and Paul Hughes were just starting to dip their toes into the sport as teenagers.
Almost a decade on from his last MMA win of significance, McGregor is still the undisputed biggest name in the sport, especially here in Ireland. But while he sits on the sidelines, the current generation of Irish stars are achieving superstardom.
"We have got what I call a culture of excellence in terms of MMA, where our biggest sports star, possibly our most famous person from our country, maybe apart Bono, is an MMA fighter," says Frimpong, who faces Arijan Topallaj at Oktagon 71 in Munich this weekend.
"In terms of sports, there's no bigger sports star than Conor McGregor from Ireland ever, probably.
"If our biggest sports stars an MMA fighter, it makes sense that our biggest sport should be MMA. And I think slowly we're working our way towards that."
Continuing, he says: "It's the fastest growing sport.
"You know, athletes, natural athletes that might have potentially gone down the rugby route, or down the boxing route, or down the Gaelic football route now are maybe going into MMA and I think that is developing the sport and the level of talent in our country, which I think is a really good thing.
"I think that we are per capita, one of the most successful countries in the world, as far as MMA goes."
With McGregor's exile from the sport showing no signs of ending, there is a gap at the top of the market for the next great Irish superstar to take the mantle, and Frimpong believes there is a clear frontrunner.
"I think Paul Hughes is, I'll be honest, you know, I'm not that egotistical to think that I'm going to be next in line.
"Paul Hughes is definitely ahead of me. Paul Hughes has been putting the work in for years. So he should be next up, and he's paving the way for myself, you know, and the rest of us behind him."
But while he believes Hughes will be the next top star, he thinks Irish MMA should look to other countries and how they help each other get better like a team.
"I think the rising tide lifts all ships. I don't think Irish fighters we should be competing with each other, thinking 'I'm the top Irish star or he's the top Irish star.'
"I would like to train with Paul Hughes. I would like to get some rounds in, get some work in. Share ideas with him. I don't see him as a rival. I see him as a as a countryman and as as someone that I can work together with.
"You see all these Dagestani fighters, probably the most successful fighters at the moment in terms of a nation. They don't really fight each other, you know, they help each other.
"They avoid fighting each other where they can, and they all train together. So I think that's the culture that we should be building in Ireland, and I think that's the only way that we will maintain our position in where we are in the sport."