TUF 19 vets Cathal Pendred and Mike King face off in Ireland
Two former teammates under coach B.J. Penn from season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter will meet at the upcoming UFC Fight Night card in Dublin, Ireland when home country favorite Cathal Pendred meets Mike King on July 19.
UFC officials announced the bout on Thursday.
Pendred (13-2) was one of the most hyped fighters to appear on the reality show after a year long social networking campaign to get the attention of the UFC after fighting a list of top opponents while competing primarily out of Europe. With wins over several UFC veterans including Nicholas Musoke, David Bielkheden and Che Mills, Pendred is expected to be a great addition to the UFC roster while making his official debut in his backyard of Ireland.
"It will be an amazing feeling," Pendred said in a press release. "I have been representing Ireland on the international stage of MMA for a few years. We might not wear a green jersey, but we walk to the octagon with the tri-color wrapped around us with pride. We will be representing our nation on the biggest stage in our sport. Ireland didn´t qualify for the World Cup this summer, so July 19th will be our World Cup."
Facing Pendred in July will be Ohio native Mike King (5-0), who made waves when he debuted on The Ultimate Fighter with a three round war against fellow TUF veteran Nordine Taleb. King was knocked out of the competition by New York's own Eddie Gordon, who was also responsible for eliminating Pendred in the semifinals in an episode that aired on Wednesday night.
Now King will look to prove his worth by facing Pendred in his home country on July 19 as part of the UFC's return to Ireland.
