The Punisher versus Doomsday.
No, we’re not pitching you an idea for the hottest action movie of 2015. We’re talking about Cathal Pendred’s second fight in just four weeks.
The Dubliner accepted a bout with John Howard on just 18 days notice due to the switch-up of the main card of UFC 189 and while many would be complaining about a lack of preparation time, Pendred is itching to get back into the octagon just a month after his unanimous decision victory over Augusto Montano in Mexico.
“The camp has gone great,” Pendred said. “The majority of my training actually came from my preparation for UFC 188 last month.
“I was training at altitude for that fight and that left me in the best shape of my life to the point where, when I came home, I actually found it hard to get tired in training.
“I had a couple of reasons for wanting to fight again so soon after Montano. I had invested a lot of money in that fight and, in truth, I didn’t take any damage so I knew my body was ready to go.
“I also knew about the Dublin card on October 24th and that the UFC would want me to fight at that event so if I didn’t fight again this summer, it would mean that I would have a really long layoff between fights which is something I don’t want.
“To be honest, I was also left disappointed by the fight in Mexico because it was the last thing I was expecting.
“I was hoping for an aggressive opponent who would come forward and trade which couldn’t have been further away from what actually happened.”
Pendred is hoping for a more exciting fight this time around and, with John Howard, he’s not going to get an opponent who runs from the action.
The Punisher admits that he likes to have a bit of a gameplan but doesn’t marry himself to a specific strategy given the unpredictable nature of the fight game.
“You have a few ideas,” Pendred explained.” You look at a little bit of footage and get a few thoughts in your head as to what might work and where his weaknesses might be but you can’t stick rigidly to a gameplan if it’s not working. Anything can happen when you’ve got two 170lbers trying to knock each other out so you have to expect the unexpected.”
Pendred has quietly been going about his business since his UFC debut against Mike King last July but he’s suddenly racked up a pretty impressive record and a win over Doomsday will leave him 5-0 in the UFC, the same record as that of SBG teammate Conor McGregor.
“I’ll be seeking a top 15 guy next,” Pendred said. “It only helps my cause that my next fight is in Dublin so I’ll definitely be looking for a ranked opponent come October.
“I’ll be the only guy in the UFC to go 5-0 in a year but people are still sleeping on me, not that it bothers me.
“People have been underestimating me for my entire career so it’s nothing that worries me too much. I’ve been underdog for 80%-90% of my fights yet I haven’t lost since 2010.
“I may not be as overtly confident as Conor is but I’m really confident in my own abilities. I don’t pay too much attention to what people say about me. I just focus on fighting and surrounding myself with the people that matter to me – my family, friends and teammates.”
Cathal Pendred is one of the biggest Irish stars on the UFC roster now and with the unlikelihood of McGregor featuring on October’s Dublin card, that leaves a spot open for another Irish fighter to take the main event slot.
“I wouldn’t get my hopes up too much but it’s definitely a possibility to main event the Dublin card.
“A lot of people are saying that the UFC don’t want Conor in the 3Arena because he’s such a big draw and I’d agree that it’s unlikely but it was great to hear him really campaign to get on that card. He’ll do all he can to make it.
“But if he doesn’t and the UFC are saving him for a bigger venue, then the top end of the October event will, you’d think, feature myself, Gunnar (Nelson) and Paddy (Holohan).
Pendred’s five fights in twelve months make him one of the most active fighters in the promotion and it’s no accident that the 27-year-old isn’t taking any breaks from competition.
“It’s just a new way of thinking really,” Pendred said. “Usually fighters train really hard for a fight and then after the fight, they take their foot off the gas. They go out with the lads and have a few pints. They eat shit food.
“But when you consistently have a fight booked within the next two months, then you don’t have to do the miserable part of getting back into shape.
“I haven’t had the chance to lose focus because I’ve pretty much been in camp non-stop recently.
“That’s probably what happened with fighters like Donald Cerrone who also loves getting in there as regularly as possible.
“We, as fighters, have a short shelf life so why wouldn’t you try to fight as often as possible to make the best career imaginable? That’s my thinking anyway.”
Watch UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor on Sunday, July 12th live on BT Sport 1 (part of the Setanta Pack in Ireland) from 1am BST, or catch the Early Prelims from midnight exclusively on UFC Fight Pass
