‘Sharper’ Darragh Kelly ready for delayed pro debut

Darragh Kelly has vowed to make Junior Morgan ‘pay’ when the Moville man finally goes to the cage for his professional debut.

Inishowen mixed martial artist Kelly faces Morgan as part of the Bellator 275 card at the 3Arena on Friday night.

Kelly and Morgan were due to face off in November, but a concussion sustained by the Englishman the night before saw the planned bout shelved.

The 23-year-old Kelly, 9-0 as an amateur, believes he has upped the ante as he readies for his long-awaited showdown. Kelly weighed in at 145lbs on Thursday morning with Morgan touching the scales at 156lbs.

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“It’s dragged on and the plan is to make him pay,” Kelly told Donegal Live.

“I’m ready to go, finally. It’s been a long time coming. I’ve added a few new tools. I like the game plan better this time. It has changed slightly and there are a few new tools in the box.

“I feel sharper. I’m fully fit and raring to go. The hard work is done. Now, it’s time to go do it.”

Kelly is trained by John Kavanagh, who coaches Irish MMA superstar Conor McGregor, at the Straight Blast Gym in Dublin.

He has recently begun working with a new striking coach, Justin Johnston.

Ahead of the November date, Kelly’s preparations were disrupted by cut below his eye, which nicked a nerve. This time, he has a full camp at SBG behind him.

“I got the head straight after the fight was cancelled and got right back at it,” Kelly said.

“I didn’t take the foot off the pedal at all.

“I’ve been training really hard. Even over Christmas, the fight was in the back of my head all the time.”

Darragh Kelly preparing for his big fight

Morgan is 3-0 as a professional, but he hasn’t fought since a September 2019 win over Fabrice Yagoue.

Kelly gets a chance on the big stage again on Friday with Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Sport to show the card from 6pm.

The lightweight bout between Kelly and Morgan is sixth on the list, while the Bellator MMA YouTube channel will also show the entire show live.

The card will feature a high-profile all-Irish fight between Sinead Kavanagh (7-5) and Leah McCourt (6-1) in a featherweight bout.

The night will be headlined by middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi, who is currently number 3 in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings, defending his middleweight world title against the undefeated Austin Vanderford.

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“What really bothered me with the cancellation was that I felt that maybe I had missed my chance of a big night,” Kelly said. “I didn’t know Bellator would be back in Ireland so quickly.

“I thought then that my debut would be on some small, local show or some anonymous place.

“I feel now as if it’s all coming right. I’m really looking forward to Friday. I’m calm, but I’m excited. I’m in a good space now and I can’t wait for the big crowd.”

A 200-strong army of support is expected in the 3Arena to cheer Kelly on as he steps into the octagon for the first time as a professional.

He sad: “Nothing much changes for me, I train two or three times a day and get two fight simulations in a week,

“This week now, it’s about staying sharp, light, quick sessions, getting a sweat on and the lungs opened.”