Image credit: UAE Warriors
Irish Prospect John Mitchell Aiming to be First Cork Man in UFC
Undefeated Irish prospect John Mitchell (3-0) has his sights set on becoming the first fighter from his native county of Cork to grace the UFC Octagon. The 26-year-old lightweight spoke with MyMMANews about his goals in MMA ahead of his fight versus Ntelis Konstantinos (6-1) on UAE Warriors 24.
“Since day one, it’s been to be the first Cork man in the UFC,” Mitchell explained to MyMMANews.
After a successful amateur MMA career, Mitchell caught the eyes of many on the Irish scene in his pro debut at Cage Warriors 110. The Corkonian won a hard-fought Unanimous Decision over Team Ryano’s Eric Nolan in what was a barnburner matchup in front of Mitchell’s hometown Neptune Stadium crowd.
Still a member of his original MMA Cork team, Mitchell moved to the United Arab Emirates during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he believes the training he has been receiving since starting at MTK Strong MMA has triggered an evolution in his fight game.
“My training has been amazing in Dubai. I feel like a completely different athlete and person since making the move. I believe I’m more then ready to take on elite competition now!”
While Mitchell now lives and trains in Dubai, he hasn’t forgotten his roots both in Ireland and at MMA Cork. When he steps inside the UAE Warriors cage in Abu Dhabi, it is those back home who he feels he represents most:
“Ireland. Cork. My Coaches. My Team. I also want to represent my friends and family, who believe in me and push me to be better.”
When it comes to standing out from the crowd of prospects that have been consistently rising from the island of Ireland, Mitchell isn’t worried. In his mind, his fighting will do the talking and draw the attention of the UFC brass in time:
“I just focus on me. I’m going to keep taking on big challenges and winning big fights. I’m always in exciting fights, and I wear my heart on my sleeve every fight.”
Future aspirations will need to wait for now, as John Mitchell encounters his most experienced opponent in his pro career to date in Ntelis Konstantinos.
UAE Warriors 24 kicks off at 3pm GMT (10AM ET) tomorrow, Friday 29th October, LIVE on UFC Fight Pass.
