Paschal Collins to work corner for big UFC fight

Top Irish boxing trainer Paschal Collins will be working next weekend, but not in a boxing ring.

The Cabra coach will be part of the corner team for an MMA fighter at the big UFC Fight Night 127 card at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday March 17th.

Collins will be working with Conor McGregor coach John Kavanagh for Welsh fighter John Phillips who tops the preliminary card on UFC Fight Pass. The middleweight (185lbs) takes on Charles Byrd in his first fight with the promotion.

The Swansea 32-year-old has a strong record, with 21 wins (18 knockouts and 3 submissions) and 6 losses.

Phillips is based in Dublin at the Straight Blast Gym and regularly spars Collins-trained Wexford heavyweight Niall Kennedy [11(7)-0]

‘Kid Dynamite’ Byrd has a 9-4 record and will be making his UFC debut following a submission win over Randall Wallace in Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender series last year.

Collins and Kavanagh have a long association. Flagship SBG fighter McGregor regularly sparred at the Celtic Warriors Gym in Corduff in the past, and the gym boss acted as a consultant ahead of the mega-money clash with Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas last Summer.

The boxing coach curently trains Kennedy, Spike O’Sullivan, Stephen Ormond, Ray Moylette, Allan Phelan, and Bernard Roe – as well as Craig O’Brien who claimed the Irish light middleweight title at the weekend.

Really excited to be working with @JohnPhillipsmma for his @ufc Debut in London March 17th & to be helping out in the corner with @John_Kavanagh makes it even more exciting 👌Can’t Wait @fighter_ie @danawhite @carrtogram @TheNotoriousMMA @offtheball 👊☘️ pic.twitter.com/UZPdsMZ4Vv

— Packie Collins (@packycollins) March 7, 2018