Meet the loved-up couple training together to become Ireland's next MMA stars

Sunday World

19 hours ago

Logan Peters and Nicole Geddis train together six days a week, as well as working as baristas and studying
Nicole have made huge sacrifices in her social live to pursue her cage dream
Nicole says the sport has become her whole world
Logan has had three novice and one amateur fight, but Nicole's opponent at Wrath Combat Champions had to pull out
MMA fighters Logan Peters and Nicole Geddis are loved up and lethal.
The couple are emerging talents in the mixed martial arts scene and are hoping to make it all the way in the gruelling sport.
And they're fiercely focused on the demands of MMA, sparring together at Fight Academy in Belfast, where rising star Paul Hughes trains.
'I like to learn from Nicole's boxing because I think she's very good at punching people,' says Logan (20). 'She's the better striker and I'm the better grappler.'
The pair met through MMA and were best friends before they became a couple eight months ago.
They train together six days a week, as well as working as baristas and studying. Logan is heading into the final year of a degree in computer games design at Ulster University and Nicole's just completed an English degree at Queen's.
Nicole in fighting form
He started out in jiu jitsu and judo in Carrickfergus from the age of five until 14, and played rugby until he was 18.
Nicole (22), from Dromore, found her fighting fitness in muay Thai, or Thai boxing, two years ago, before going travelling.
'In April 2024 I went back to it and it just stuck. I haven't been able to leave it,' she says.
'There are ups and downs, like training when you don't want to train, but it's become my whole world. I'm quite an anxious person in everyday life so it puts me out of my comfort zone.'
She was set to make her novice debut next month at Wrath Combat Champions in the Stormont Hotel on June 21 but faced disappointment when her opponent had to pull out after breaking her nose during training.
'There will be something in the near future for me but unfortunately the girl I was due to fight had to pull out with a broken nose.'
That prospect of injury is no deterrent to Nicole, who often spars with Logan. 'Being punched in the face is not as bad as you think,' she says.
'Logan is a wee bit scared to hit me in the face too hard. Other sparrers aren't afraid to go for the head and it gets your adrenaline pumping. It gets you back in the fight.'
Logan has had three novice and one amateur fight, but Nicole's opponent at Wrath Combat Champions had to pull out
The fighter also disapproves if she thinks Logan has let her win.
'If I ever get the better of him it's always in the back of my head that's he let me. I could spar with Logan and get a massive ego and then spar with someone else and get beaten up,' she says.
'It's about perfecting technique,' says Logan. 'We are each other's main training partners.
'And because we're boyfriend and girlfriend there can be a bit of craic. I'll do a silly move on her or she'll do a silly move on me.
'We're not trying to kill each other.'
The pair have to combine the skills of martial arts like kick boxing and jiu jitsu as well as wrestling and boxing.
Logan, who has had three novice fights and one amateur contest, and will fight at Wrath next month, says mastering MMA requires all the disciplines.
'In training we'll do one day jiu jitsu grappling, next day striking, next day wrestling. There are so many different elements.
'If you are a boxer and you come up against a wrestler he will try and take you down,' he says.
'It's better to be slightly good at everything than really good at one thing.'
Logan Peters and Nicole Geddis train together six days a week
News in 90 June 4th
The pair have made huge sacrifices in their social lives to pursue their cage dream, as well as studying, working, and sticking to a rigorous high protein and low carb diet.
Before a fight Logan will also have to drop weight to 66kg with a demanding routine which involves cutting carbs, water loading and then limiting water.
'You have to make hard choices, but if you don't there is someone else out there who will,' he says. Going into a fight he says it's all about self-belief for the sportsman.
'When you're making the walk in, for me confidence is key, going in with your head held high.
'In my first ever fight the guy wanted to do the fight.
'The second guy wanted to fight me. The third guy wanted to kill me.'
The pair want to go all the way in the sport, which has produced notable local champions including Leah McCourt from Saintfield, who won a European title in 2015 and became International MMA featherweight world champion in 2016.
Logan has also trained with Paul Hughes from Derry, a former Cage Warriors featherweight champion, who's now moved up to lightweight.
At a homecoming bout in the SSE Arena recently Hughes defeated his opponent, Bruno Miranda in 42 seconds.
'I've done a few classes with him and he really put me through my paces.
'Being able to see how these guys train it make you want to get better. We're seeing what he's doing and it's pushing us on.
'He is as good as everybody says he is. He's a local hero to us,' says Logan.