‘Ten-plus years of work’ – Darby on earning UFC contract
'Ten-plus years of work' – Darby on earning UFC contract. "I was just sitting there thinking to myself, well, that's 10-plus years of work all coming to fruition," Darby told BBC Sport NI.
What happened
Dublin mixed martial artist Adam Darby says more than a decade of hard work came "to fruition" after becoming the first Irish fighter to earn a UFC contract through Dana White's Contender Series. Darby was one of five fighters awarded UFC contracts on the night, completing an arduous journey which included a 20-second defeat by Mush Aslani and a 17-month absence because of a serious hand injury. "It's inspiring to think somebody watching me in five or 10 years' time in the UFC might say, 'I saw Adam Darby do it so I knew I could do it,'" he said.
" All 12 gigawatts of new supply for those two years "is in some form of contracting," he said. Darby (8-1) secured his place on the UFC roster with an impressive TKO victory over American Patrick Rivera (13-5) in Las Vegas on 1 September. "Liverpool's Liam McCracken also competed on the card but missed out on a UFC contract after suffering a knockout defeat by Silvestre Sanchez in a thrilling lightweight contest. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Darby has eight wins and one defeat from nine professional bouts 'One life, one chance, UFC or nothing'The former Cage Warriors fighter's journey started when his father enrolled him in kickboxing, but upon discovering MMA, he was hooked.
The wider picture
"That was me for the rest of my life, and now here we are over 10 years later and I'm a professional UFC fighter. "That conviction was evident in a note Darby wrote in 2018 and shared on social media following his Contender Series victory. "You have to set some goals and put the work in to get to where you want to be. "A greater obstacle followed when Darby suffered serious hand and finger injuries before Cage Warriors 170 bout in March 2024, requiring multiple operations and 17 months away from competition.
"I snapped my finger in half, I broke my hand, I had to have multiple surgeries to get it back right," Darby said. "I was told, 'You probably won't fight again, you won't be able to punch with that. '"That was two and a half years ago, and here I am now. "Image source, Patrick DarbyImage caption, Darby suffered a broken hand in March 2024 before returning to the cage after a 17-month absence in April 2025Darby hopes his achievement can inspire another generation of Irish fighters to follow him into the UFC.
The fighters before us worked multiple jobs their whole career, now everybody is training full-time," he said.
What has been reported
"Having spent more than a decade trying to reach the promotion, Darby is now targeting his UFC debut before the end of the year. The S & P 500 fell after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points , the first hike in overnight borrowing costs in more than three years. The nation's inflation rate has been running hotter than 2% for many years. Japan is Starbucks' largest international company-operated market — with 1,883 stores at the end of last fiscal year — and was called as a source of strength in the company's July earnings call.
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The welterweight dominated Rivera before the bout ended in the third round via doctor stoppage. The Dubliner had controlled the contest against Rivera but was hoping the fight would continue long enough for him to secure a more emphatic finish.
What happens next
"I was saying to the referee, 'Don't stop it, he's good, he's good,'" he said. "I knew he was done, but I wanted a highlight-reel finish. The ref recognised the damage he was taking and pulled the plug on it. "I went in there to put on a show, and I think I delivered. "Once I had my first day in MMA, that was it," he said. ""Visualisation is very important, but you can't sit in your bedroom looking in the mirror saying, 'I'm the best of the best,' and not training and backing it up," he said.
"But the Clongriffin fighter, who is currently on a seven-fight winning streak, encountered several setbacks in pursuit of his UFC dream.
The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across bbc.co.uk, cnbc.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.