Bellator star Ciarán Clarke admits that there are still times when he has to pinch himself when he thinks of how far he has come in such a short space of time.
The 27-year-old has risen through the ranks to become one of the top Irish MMA stars in the country. On February 25th, Clarke will once again step into the Bellator Cage at the 3 Arena in front of 9,000 screaming fans.
To say this was on the cards for the Drogheda man at the beginning of his journey is an understatement. Four years into his professional career, the Yellowbatter brawler still can’t quite fathom just how far he has come.
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“When I got the first main card slot, that was really one of those (pinch me) moments," Clarke says.
“Daryl - my brother - the two of us were going to media days and Yoel Romero was there and all these hotshots. Olympians and World Champions and you’re like ‘No way, this is unbelievable.’ It’s brilliant.
“You look back on where you’ve come from, how far you’ve come and where you are now, you remind yourself that you deserve it, to cherish it and take the opportunities with both hands.”
Since turning professional, Clarke has done things the hard way.
Take his last fight with Rafael Hudson as an example. Having taken hundreds of supporters with him from his hometown, Clarke found himself dropped to the canvas in the very first round.
While he's only been in the pro ranks since 2019, Clarke has been fighting since 2012. A veteran in amateur circles, Clarke has been in plenty of tough spots, and he was able to use those oodles of experience to navigate these tough waters.
“Professionally, I’d say it was the most hurt I was.
“He got me and to be fair I recovered very quickly. Again, I’ve been through these wars as they call them at amateur. I’ve had tough fights and took my knocks there trust me. It definitely prepared me for those moments and it shows.”
With that win last September, the Featherweight moved to 6-0 in Bellator. A pristine record is a rarity in the fight world.
Put simply, everyone eventually loses.
Clarke would be forgiven then for talking up his flawless record. But the Bellator star does the exact opposite.
“I’ll be 100% honest, I don’t see myself as undefeated, because I had 13 wins at amateur and 11 losses.
“It was just constant fighting the best guys and I am very proud of that because I was taking the risks.
“Genuinely, my mentality is I’m zero and zero. I always have that underdog mentality. It’s just that constant battle of are you good enough and all these natural things.
Talk to any of Clarke’s peers and they’ll tell you that the underdog mentality he eludes to is something he has exuded his entire life.
His SBG teammates are effusive in their praise of him. The commend his work ethic, humility and his ability to be a good teammate.
In a sport that all too often gets bogged down in macho nonsense, it’s refreshing to hear people speak of a person's character first and foremost, rather than their ability to inflict punishment.
“I had that documentary recently and I only saw the finished product on the night. There were interviews with the likes of Will Fleury, John Byrne, Richie Smullen, John Kavanagh, and my other coaches.
“When you see that’s what they think of you, it’s great. The bigger part of it as well, when it’s all said and done with this sport, it’s how you’ve made people feel and how good of a person you were.
“I think if I took a different attitude to the sport - which wouldn’t be me anyway - people might see you in a much different light. And not that you should be hell bent on what other people think of you.
“For them to be saying such good things about myself and my skill-set, it’s just unbelievable to hear”
Four weeks out from the fight, Clarke could be seen running the roads of Drogheda and is banking on his conditioning to help him get the job done on February 25th.
"My performances, sometimes they don’t reflect the training that I put into the fight. This time, I really want to show the improvements.
"Because I know I can go in there and it could be over in a round or two if I really focus and if everything comes together. But again, it’s fighting, we don’t know. It could be harder than the last one, it could be easier.
"All I know is I’m prepared, and I can see it going late 2nd round early 3rd round. I feel my pressure and style give me the rounds and then I can take the win."
*****
Tickets to BELLATOR 291: Amosov vs. Storley 2, taking place at Dublin’s 3Arena on Saturday, February 25, are available from Ticketmaster.ie and Bellator.com
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