A fighter from Belfast is hoping that success on the world stage can help to inspire young people back in his hometown.
Paddy McCorry from west Belfast is a middleweight mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter with a professional record of four wins and one loss but has gained prominence with stunning finishes – the MMA term for ending a fight by stopping your opponent from being able to continue.
His next step is Las Vegas, where he hopes to emulate the success of fighters from Belfast who made the step up to global stardom.
In the US city, McCorry will feature on The Ultimate fighter TV series, which amasses thousands of viewers globally.
He currently trains at Fight Academy Ireland gym based in Belfast which has been home to multiple world champions in MMA.
“I aim to have a great impact on my community in West Belfast,” he told BBC News NI
“If I can even inspire a handful of kids from my area then that’s enough for me.”
The show features professional MMA fighters living together and follows them as they train and compete against each other for a six-figure contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Many winners of the show have gone on to compete for UFC championships with some becoming UFC champions.
The UFC is for many MMA fighters the holy grail of promotions, with the sports most talented fighters going head to head in front of global audiences.
McCorry acknowledged the success that Belfast born fighters have had on the world stage.
Earlier in May boxer Anthony Cacace was met by crowds of friends, family and supporters as he returned home with his IBF Super Featherwight title to West Belfast last week.
“If you look at fighters such as Cacace winning world titles amongst others… I think Belfast is pound for pound the hardest place on the planet when you look at how small our country is and the fighters it breeds,” McCorry said.
He said his experience on the show was a rollercoaster and he only knew that he had been picked to go on the show three days before he flew to Las Vegas to begin filming.
Adam McGarrity, a coach at McCorry’s gym, said he was inspirational for young fighters.
“Some as young as four are attending sessions, as well as those only getting started in the sport who really look up to him,” he said.
