Darragh Kelly happy to take 'one step back for two forward'

Darragh Kelly believes he will keep climbing the Bellator rankings after his latest pro win on Saturday.

Kelly stopped Dorval Jordan at the 3Arena to maintain his unbeaten start to life in the pro game.

A unanimous decision win over Kye Stevens in September was met with reality by the 'Moville Mauler'.

In the weeks and months since, Kelly worked hard in fight simulations at SBG in Dublin and also at a recent training camp in Iceland.

“I was very happy how I patched up the holes in my game,” Kelly said having stopped Jordan at 1:58 in the second round.

“I spent a lot of time working on my weak points. In all my fights down the years, I was doing the same thing.

“Recently, I've been going into my fight simulations and telling myself: 'Right, I'm not going to grapple once'.

“It almost feels as if I've had to go one step back to take two steps forward. I feel like I've put in the hard work and I'm going to keep climbing now. I feel like I'm more rounded than I was six months ago. I want to keep improving.”

It might not have been the most impressive win of his career, but it was a vital one for Kelly.

So, too, the performance. A controlled 12 minutes or so in the cage offered the 24-year-old a chance to redeem his own mind. The judges agreed, clearly, Kelly having been well ahead – 20-18 on two and 20-17 on the other – when the bout was stopped.

“I landed on my back, but I didn't rush back to my feet,” Kelly said after a bout that played out mainly on the floor.

“I felt like I could threaten him with a few submissions off my back. Maybe I wasted too much time in the triangle and gave him an opportunity.

“I knew my mistakes and was calm. John (Kavanagh, his coach) talked me through a few things and I knew that he would fade over time.”

“In the last fight, I sprinted from bell to bell. That will test anyone's gas tank. It's good to know that the weight cut hasn't affected my cardio.”