At just 18 years of age, Nate Kelly is already a veteran. Barely an adult, the youngster has spent a lifetime in the fighting world. A self-professed “crazy kid” for whom trouble seemed to follow, Kelly needed a place where he could positively harness his aggression. It was then, at the ripe old age of four, that his mother enrolled him in a local kickboxing class.
Fourteen years have passed, and the Tallaght man already has more accolades to his name than even the most grizzled competitors - 16 National championships, European titles and medals of all colours at all levels. If he were to stop fighting today, he’d have a trophy cabinet overflowing with silverware.
But all that pales in comparison to his most recent title, the under-18 World Kickboxing Championship gold medal. An achievement fourteen years in the making and a title that Kelly still can’t quite believe is his.
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" Maybe in a few more weeks it will sink in, but it’s still an unbelievable feeling. It’s definitely the biggest achievement of my career so far," said Kelly.
“All the hard work over the years feels like it’s finally paid off now that I’ve gotten the big goal that I’ve always been working towards. ”
Great things have long been destined for Kelly. Long before he interrupted the Conor McGregor v Jose Aldo press conference in Dublin, the then eleven-year-old had already been honing his craft for almost as long as McGregor.
But it was on that day in 2015, Kelly stole the show from ‘The Notorious,’ when he famously asked UFC president Dana White for an advance on his first paycheck so that he could go to America to watch the fight.
He said: “I think that now I’m older people are recognising that I’m not just some loud kid with a ponytail and a mic at a press conference. It was never really about getting up and getting fame or anything like that, I just wanted to go to Vegas.”
While it was never the intention, fame did follow for the then-child. An appearance on RTE’s The Late Late show soon followed as did a slew of radio obligations. Today, the 18-year-old boasts a whopping 50,000 followers on Instagram. For many, this fame would go to one’s head, but Kelly is keen to not let this happen.
He explained: “For me, it’s the motivation of where I want to go and I’m nowhere near that now. I know that I can’t let any of the success or the followers go to my head, because as soon as you do that, boom! It’s gone in a second.
“I need to stay motivated because I’m nowhere near my end goals. I just need to keep going and eventually, that will come.”
Kelly splits his time between Tallaght Martial Arts and Straight Blast Gym (SBG). The prodigy has been a member of SBG for eleven years and has rubbed shoulders with the best Irish MMA has to offer. He’s also been subjected to the teachings of one of the forefathers of the sport in Ireland, John Kavanagh.
He added: “John’s my head coach. I train with John every morning Monday - Friday. John’s unbelievable, not even as a coach but in life as a person and the lessons he’s taught me and the experience that he’s given me.”
For any other 18-year-old, the prospect of getting on the mats with a star like McGregor would be a daunting one. Not for Kelly. The youngster has been around McGregor virtually his whole life. A quick trawl through Kelly’s social media shows the two posing for pictures long before McGregor became the most recognisable star in the sport.
He said: “I’ve known Conor for years now even a bit before he was in the UFC. He's always been very good to me. Even after my fights, he’s always sending me tips. I owe a lot to Conor for opening the door for me.
“I think everyone does in Irish MMA and MMA in general. He’s the reason why we can do more now and make a name for ourselves.”
For as long as he can remember, he has been itching to get to grips with some of the big names in the gym and learn from being inside the cage with them. After training every day, the Tallaght star would “annoy” the adult stars and try with all his might to grapple with them.
As an adult, Kelly is now free to train with whomever he likes. He’s also free to fight other adults, a prospect that could come to fruition shortly.
“I’m 18 now so I’m going to be looking to make my debut soon, but I’ll leave everyone waiting.
“It’s probably the most anticipated debut in Irish MMA. End of the year, maybe the start of next year I’ll be making the debut”
For a young man with such an impressive list of honours, it will come as no surprise to learn that Kelly has his whole future laid out in his mind. Nothing too crazy mind, just have some fun, make a bit of money and, you know, become an MMA World Champion.
“I just want to stay on a roll. I have a lot of options and I’m just going to take my time. We’ll stay on a roll, get the experience in, get the few fights under the belt, and then we’re going straight to the top.
“UFC Champion hopefully, or anywhere that’s going to pay me the big bucks!”
Thus far, everything Kelly has touched has turned to gold. With an underage career done and dusted that genuinely rivals any 18-year-old fighter in the world, the possibilities are endless. Possessing a boatload of ability (and confidence), perhaps stardom awaits Nate ‘The Great’ Kelly.
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