UFC will see – 3Arena regular Thomas Carty plans to show Dana White and co what hype is bout
Thomas Carty will be back in party-starting mode on another big card this Friday night fully aware how fortunate he is to be a 3Arena regular.
The popular Dublin heavyweight becomes the most active boxer at the Docklands venue when he populates the Callum Walsh homecoming card at the arena on Friday night.
His eight-round clash with the potentially tricky Jonathan Exequiel Vergara is his third at a venue that was at one stage dormant in terms of boxing.
As Ireland’s leading heavyweight and a boxer from Dublin who generates excitement and intrigue aplenty, it’s a no-brainer for the UFC and 360 Promotions to have him on the card.
However, Carty still feels somewhat lucky. Not that he is surprised to be sought after, more so he’s surprised there have been so many big cards in his home county.
“It’s amazing,” says the Celtic Warrior Gym fighter. “There was a stage when I thought I’d never fight in Ireland at all. It didn’t look like any shows were happening, so we are in a great era now in boxing, especially in Dublin with regular shows. It’s building momentum and everything is about momentum.”
Promoters like Eddie Hearn of Matchroom have seen the potential in the southpaw, as has his manager and sometimes sparring partner Dillian Whyte.
However, Friday offers a chance to impress Dana White and co as well as a fresh American audience via the UFC Fight Pass broadcast.
“We are all getting an opportunity on a big card and fair play to Callum Walsh for bringing such a big organisation back to Dublin. As we’ve seen over the years that isn’t always easy to do. So Thank you to him,” comments the BUI Celtic Champion.
The Paschal Collins trained Dublin 7 puncher is two from two at the 3Arena and celebrated two knockout victories at the venue. First, he accounted for Scot Jay McFarlane in a high-profile title fight at the venue before stopping Dan Garber on the Taylor-Cameron II bill.
He plans to keep that knockout run going against Argentine opposition on a Friday, promising to get straight to the point in a venue known as The Point to boxing fans. “A win by first or second-round knockout,” he says making a prediction.
A victory would see the 28-year-old, who has only been brought the distance once, move to 9-0 in the most watched and lucrative division.
The big punching lefy has a following and standing akin to heavyweights much further along in their journey and thus could be handed a short cut to bigger fights.
However, the boxing savvy and promotionally aware heavy is big fight keen but is educated on the dangers that come with rushing into things.
“Not to say I’m not going to take any chances. But it took me a while to build to what I have here and what I have is a potentially very lucrative position to be in, so I’m not going to make any silly or impatient mistakes,” he tells the Rocky Road podcast.
“I want to fight more regularly but I’m not desperate to fight because desperation is a bad place to be in boxing.”
