Creggan’s ‘Juggernaut’ Conal McBrearty is hungry for more!

There is no waiting around for Conal McBrearty who wants to maintain his unbelievable momentum, which continued with the defence of his Irish Welterweight title last weekend.

The 21-year-old defeated Jordan Dempsey in Strabane last Saturday, the current ISKA 70kg champion to retain his 67kg title, winning on points after a hard-hitting and energetic contest between two talented fighters.

It was the first defence of his title, and the latest challenge on a road which has taken Conal from a curious 11-year-old Creggan boy to a multi-time kickboxing champion within a decade.

Last year, Conal’s star really began to shine when he won three Irish titles in the space of just five months.

Starting with the AKC Irish title in December 2022, Conal wasted no time in adding the WKU All-Ireland title just four months later. The treble was completed when he won the ISKA Irish title in April. It would have been easy for Conal to sit and bask in his remarkable achievements, but the ambitious 21-year-old became even more determined, and he has spent the last 14 months travelling and competing, gaining more wins and more experience with each passing fight.

That culminated in last week’s fight with Dempsey, one which he believes went exactly to plan.

“We trained for a hard fight against a long-range opponent and we went in, we closed the distance and we got the work for five rounds and it paid off,” he said.

“It was a points victory, after the five rounds. He was such a tough competitor, so I wasn't saying I was going to have an easy job knocking him out, so we went with the decision. I was definitely happy with that, and I actually envisioned this scenario playing out, the five rounds. Everything that I envisioned actually came true, so I was happy with that.”

Conal didn’t wait around last year when he won the three titles, and he keeps himself in prime condition to ensure he is ready whenever another opportunity comes around.

“Well, Sean (McGill), my coach, he always knows best,” he insisted. “He likes to keep me active year-round, and since then we've competed internationally, in Germany; we've been fighting at the world championships, we've fought Four Nations, I think since then we've probably had about ten fights, so that includes the national competition, so I definitely do like keeping busy, probably one of the most active fighters in Europe probably and that's the way I prefer it.”

The physical toll of such a busy schedule would challenge any competitor in any sport, but Conal thrives on the demands of a sport he has become obsessed with.

“Sean’s got a nickname for me, ‘The Juggernaut’, and it seems to be fitting to my condition,” he laughed.

“This is sort of way I prefer it though, because I don't want it to be one of these ones where I'm 35, 40, looking back and saying, “Why did I not pull the trigger when I had it?”, you know what I mean. I'm going for it now, and we're doing everything, down to a tee, everything sports specific, diet, training doing to a tee, and the competition down to a tee, so it's paying off.”

Ambitious

Getting to the top and staying at the top are two completely different things altogether, especially in a sport such as this. But for Conal, there is actually a third option – international titles. He believes in his ability, and believes that he can strive to get to the very, very top.

“That's the first defence of the ISKA Welterweight title done,” he explained. “I've been holding that title now for two years, and I hope now to contend for European or World, and until that happens, I'll hold on to that title. If I won the World title, or if I won the European title, I think it automatically vacates. I know that the title will be in good hands when I'm done with it.”

“I have to be patient, and just keep training, keep working, keep a head down, and whenever the opportunities for fights come up, I'll be ready for them.”

“I'll be training all throughout the summer, staying in shape. In terms of competition, I'll leave that up to my coach, Sean. He knows best, but I'll be ready for anything, and we're for certain going to Vienna in October, for the World Championships, for more international competition, gold medals this year.”

Having experienced the international scene in Germany last year, Conal is eager for more, knowing he can only get better the more he broadens his horizons.

“It really is a different level,” he acknowledged. “We all speak the universal language of combat, but you know, it's really different, between different nationalities and stuff like that. The experience of international competition is unmatched.”

“After the World Championships, I’d love to hopefully fight for a world title. Outside the sport too, finding different cultures within the sport, stuff like that there too, different nationalities and training other competitors and stuff like that too.”

As well as having personal ambitions, Conal also has ambitions for his city, and the Creggan man would like nothing more than to bring a top-level kickboxing show back to Derry in the near future.

“As of now, I'm in a really hungry state,” he said. “I'm just hungry for competition, and proving to myself, and the people of Derry that World Championship kickboxing can come back again to Derry, and I hope they'll be able to do it.”

“One of my all-time goals is to headline a world title fight in Derry, bring world championship kickboxing back to Derry where it was 10, 11 years ago. It's well overdue now, and everybody in the country of Ireland knows that Derry is a true fighting city for kickboxing. I’m really determined to do so, no matter how long it takes.”