'Moville Mauler' Darragh Kelly eyes title tilt ahead of Belfast headliner

Darragh Kelly says that title shots could be imminent if the ‘Moville Mauler’ defeats Jay Jay Wilson on Thursday night.

Kelly headlines the PFL Belfast show at the SSE Arena in Belfast when facing dangerous New Zealander Wilson. 

Paul Hughes, PFL’s number 4-ranked lightweight, was due to headline against Wilson, but injury forced his withdrawal.

Kelly, originally due to square up to Sergio Cossio on the bill, what stepped into the void.

“I’ve seen now the level of interest, even from sponsors, and the opportunities that a main event slot brings,” the 27-year-old Kelly said. “If I beat Jay Jay, it will come thick and fast. One more win, maybe at the end of the summer, I could get a title shot.

“If I had got Cossio out of the way, it was going to be in fights like this anyway.

“Slightly more activity might be good, but it’s good and I’m hearing the plans that they have. Jay Jay is the number 6 guy and has been right there - this is where you’ll get the best version out of me.”

Kelly is 9-0 as a pro and could face a tough test against Wilson, who is 11-2, in what will be the Donegal man’s first headline act.

He said: “On paper, he might be the slight favourite. In my head I’m the favourite.

“I feel like it’s such an opportunity and I feel blessed to be getting the chance. We had a few weeks of preparation at the start of the year for Jay Jay. We did a lot of work for the other guy that could cover Jay Jay so that work definitely isn’t wasted either. I didn’t know it was going to be the main event. I half guessed it, but I didn’t know for sure.”

Kelly learned of his big chance during a recent Clan Wars event in Belfast, where he was cornering his brother, Ryan.

“I felt nothing but excitement initially,” he said. “I had to pull myself back and think about it properly. I didn’t have to do too much thinking. I was originally meant to fight Jay Jay. They told me in October and that was to be a co-main event, but then they switched the script. 

 “I tried to level with myself and keep a calm head and think things through, but within about 30 seconds, I already made my mind up, like ‘This was going ahead, this was happening.'”

Read next: Donegal Boxing Board launches Peter O’Donnell Box Cup in tribute to ‘Mr Boxing’

Kelly joined PFL after it bought the now-defunct Bellator MMA in 2023. 

In September, Kelly, who is number 8 in the PFL lightweight rankings, bagged a first round stoppage of Bakhtiyor Abduloev in the Zenith Nantes Metropole arena in France.

Kelly needed only two minutes and 27 seconds to take out Abduloev having stopped Mike Hamel in the third round in Kansas back in June of last year.

He said: “I think this is a good opportunity for people to see the torch being passed. I’m the right guy for the job. I’m coming in and I’m going to put on a show for the fans who are coming.”

Kelly was backed by scores from across Inishowen who travelled to France for the fight and they will now get to see their man in a close-to-home fight.

After winning in France, Kelly said: “The support from home is massive. I missed that when I fought in America.”

‘The Maori Kid’ Wilson is a 28-year-old who lost to Archie Colgan by decision last October in Dubai.