Kavanagh was aboard the aircraft, set to travel from Gran Canaria, Spain, to Dublin, Ireland on Monday evening when the incident transpired. In video footage circulating online, Kavanagh can be seen in a physical altercation with two agents of the Civil Guard.

Footage shows Kavanagh striking the officers in a scuffle, though the short clip does not depict how the fracas broke out.

Video footage of the incident involving Irish MMA fighter, Sinead Kavanagh.

Spanish police on boarded a Ryanair flight from Gran Canaria to Dublin earlier this week. pic.twitter.com/83X5W9dNgm

— Kirk_Loco (@TezTruth81) November 26, 2025

A report by the Spanish language Atlantico Hoy claimed that takeoff was delayed due to the fighter, who allegedly displayed a “violent attitude” towards crew members.

When the Civil Guard arrived to remove Kavanagh from the plane, things took a physically violent turn.

Kavanagh was taken into custody, but later freed under a “provisional release” following a court appearance the following day in Telde, Spain. The incident remains under investigation.

Sinead Kavanagh has yet to publicly comment on the matter.

A member of SBG Ireland alongside the likes of Conor McGregor and Gunnar Nelson, Kavanagh (9-7) challenged for Bellator’s women’s 145lb title in 2021, losing via knockout at the hands of Cris Cyborg. The 39-year old last competed in June of 2024, when she was submitted by fellow Bellator alumni Arlene Blencowe.

Kavanagh holds notable wins over Olga Rubin, Katharina Lehner, Janay Harding, Leah McCourt, and UFC vet Zarah Fairn dos Santos.

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And so it was the PFL bringing Bellator Dublin to town, with a welterweight title fight in the main event, where Jason Jackson would look to defend his belt against unbeaten Dagestani Ramazad Kuramagomedov.

Also on the card, the debut of free agent signing Paul Hughes, a former Cage Warriors featherweight champ looking to make an impact on a bigger stand. For his coming out party, he’d been booked against the always reliable Bobby King.

Sinead Kavanagh, meanwhile, found herself in a rematch with Arlene Blencowe, looking to avenge a loss and possibly secure a title shot against women’s featherweight powerhouse Cris Cyborg.

Where to Watch Bellator Dublin

Saturday, June 22, 2024 finds Bellator MMA once again at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, with the card airing on HBO MAX in the U.S., and on Fight Network in Canada. Full results can be found below. The action gets underway at 12PM ET, 9AM PT.

Bellator Dublin: Jackson vs. Kuramagomedov Results

Main Card

Welterweight: Ramazan Kuramagomedov def. Jason Jackson (c) by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) – for the Bellator MMA welterweight championship
Lightweight: Paul Hughes def. Bobby King by TKO, Round 2, 4:50
Women’s Featherweight: Arlene Blencowe def. Sinead Kavanagh by submission (guillotine choke), Round 2, 3:02
Middleweight: Dalton Rosta def. Norbert Növényi Jr. by majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Lightweight: Darragh Kelly def. Mathias Poiron by technical submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 1:29
Bantamweight: Kasum Kasumov def. Matheus Mattos by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) – Number one contender’s bout

Preliminary Card

Featherweight: Nathan Kelly def. Jose Sanchez by submission (front choke), Round 1, 3:42
Featherweight: Khasan Magomedsharipov vs. Tyler Mathison by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Bantamweight: Sarvarjon Khamidov vs. Marcirley Alves by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Bantamweight: Shinobu Ota def. Roger Blanque by submission (north-south choke), Round 1, 2:18
Women’s Featherweight: Michelle Montague def. Karolina Sobek by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:41
Flyweight: Nate Kelly def. Paul Nolan by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 1:49 – Amateur bout

The post Bellator Dublin: Jackson vs. Kuramagomedov Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

That title fight sees Jason Jackson making the first defense of his 170lb crown, after winning the belt in an upset over Yaroslav Amosov last year. “The Ass-Kicking Machine” was faced with unbeaten Russian Ramazan Kuramagomedov for his first assignment as champ, with the challenger earning back-to-back wins under the Bellator banner in 2023.

In the co-main event, hot free agent signing Paul Hughes debuted against Bobby King, while Sinead Kavanagh looked to claim another shot at gold in a rematch with three-time title challenger Arlene Blencowe.

Weigh-ins for the event took place Friday, June 21, 2024 in Dublin, results can be found below.

Bellator Dublin: Jackson vs. Kuramagomedov Weigh-In Results

Main Card

Welterweight: Jason Jackson (c) (169.9) vs. Ramazan Kuramagomedov (169.8) – for the Bellator MMA welterweight championship
Lightweight: Paul Hughes (155.7) vs. Bobby King (156)
Women’s Featherweight: Sinead Kavanagh (146) vs. Arlene Blencowe (145.4)
Middleweight: Norbert Növényi Jr. (185.8) vs. Dalton Rosta (185.1)
Lightweight: Darragh Kelly (155.7) vs. Mathias Poiron (155.1)
Bantamweight: Kasum Kasumov (135.9) vs. Matheus Mattos (136)

Preliminary Card

Featherweight: Khasan Magomedsharipov (145.8) vs. Tyler Mathison (146)
Bantamweight: Sarvarjon Khamidov (136) vs. Marcirley Alves (135.1)
Bantamweight: Shinobu Ota (135.6) vs. Roger Blanque (132.9)
Featherweight: Nathan Kelly (145) vs. Jose Sanchez (148.8)*
Women’s Featherweight: Michelle Montague (143.7) vs. Karolina Sobek (145.9)
Flyweight: Nate Kelly (126) vs. Paul Nolan (125)

* – Catchweight fight at 148

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Ahead of her first fight of 2024, Kavanagh told Cageside Press that following the McCourt fight calling through, “I took a few weeks off, and then I got back to it. The fight in March, I thought it wasn’t going to happen anyway. I didn’t think she was going to fight me again after that performance I did the first time. I literally left her on one leg.”

Sinead Kavanagh is no stranger to rematches. She fought Janay Harding twice. McCourt would have been a rematch. Now, the Irish featherweight has gone from McCourt, to Arlene Blencowe, a multi-time Bellator MMA title challenger who she first faced in 2017, losing a split decision. In many ways, the fight may be an upgrade, given the number of times Australia’s Blencowe has challenged for Bellator gold.

“She’s fought for the title four times, fought Cyborg twice, went five rounds with Cyborg. She is not an easy opponent,” noted Kavanagh (Blencowe has technically challenged for gold in the promotion three times, and won a regional title outside it). “If I can do this, and I win here, and I know I can do this, I’m straight here to the title. I knocked Leah off, even though she didn’t deserve to fight for the title, because she lost against me, she lost against Cat [Zingano]. So yeah, I’m back up there for the title.”

“We fought in 2017, me and Arlene did, and it went to a split decision loss. I did think I won that fight. I was not so lucky on one of the judges’ cards, but did think I won that. I think the both of us have improved since that. I think we’re one of the best in that division, the two of us are. She’s tough, she’s like me, I’m tough. We can throw down, and I think she has come a long way from where she started, and me also. So I’m really looking forward to this one.”

Kavanagh believes that ultimately, a win over Blencowe will land her a much-desired rematch with featherweight champ Cris Cyborg.

“Who else is better to beat Arlene and get the title shot? I think that’s the way it goes here. Beat Arelene, and go for the title shot. I will call out Cyborg, and I want that rematch for sure. I think ‘KO’ deserves another chance at the title shot.”

As for how long she might have to sit, with Cyborg expected to face Larissa Pacheco next, Kavanagh suggested she’s willing to wait. “[Cyborg]’s the biggest name in MMA. She’s a monster. Yeah, I do want that, and I will wait around. [Michael] Chandler can wait two years, I’m sure I can wait a few months.”

Let’s hope Kavanagh doesn’t go through the roller coaster Chandler has with Conor McGregor.

Watch our full interview with Bellator Dublin’s Sinead Kavanagh above.

The post Sinead Kavanagh’s Plan for Bellator Dublin: “Beat Arlene,” “Call Out Cyborg” appeared first on Cageside Press.

As previously reported, the event is set to be headlined by Corey Anderson vs. Karl Moore, competing for the promotion’s vacant light heavyweight title. On Monday, promotion officials confirmed that fight via press release while announcing the rematch between McCourt and Kavanagh, who first met in 2022.

McCourt is currently ranked #1 in Bellator’s women’s featherweight division. Kavanagh sits at #6.

Leah McCourt (8-3) was last in action this past October, when she stopped Sara McMann, a former UFC title challenger and Olympic silver medalist, by TKO inside of a round. “The Curse,” who lives in Belfast, is 2-2 across her last four fights, with a victory over Dayana Silva and losses to Cat Zingano, and Kavanagh in the pair’s first meeting.

Ireland’s Sinead Kavanagh (9-6) boasts an identical 2-2 record across her own last four fights dating back to a failed title bid against Cris Cyborg in November 2021. Following that, she picked up wins over McCourt and Janay Harding before losing to Sara Collins in a close split decision last September.

Bellator 302 will take place on March 22 at The SSE Arena, Belfast in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The card will be the first of eight planned events for the promotion in 2024, which the PFL are branding as the Bellator Champions Series.

“After the landmark acquisition of Bellator, the Professional Fighters League is excited to officially announce a new era of MMA with the launch of the ‘Bellator Champions Series‘ global franchise,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray in Monday’s press release. “‘The Bellator Champions Series’ will feature reigning Bellator Champion fighters defending their titles against the best fighters in the world from the start studded Bellator roster.  Fans will have access to the best competition and the most innovate formats in MMA distributed by leaders in sport including DAZN.”

The post Bellator 302 in Belfast Adds Leah McCourt vs. Sinead Kavanagh 2 appeared first on Cageside Press.

“KO” Kavanagh is looking to make it three wins on the bounce which would be the first time she has picked up three consecutive victories since 2016. Her last few wins have came against Leah McCourt and Janay Harding and it was rumoured that she was promised a title shot after her win over McCourt in February of last year.

Despite that, she will have to get through Judo specialist Sara Collins first. Collins’ Bellator debut came back in March where she pulled off an upset win over Pam Sorenson.

Regardless of Collins being a Judo specialist, Kavanagh believes that her fights over Leah McCourt and Janay Harding will have done enough for her to be well prepared against the Australian come Saturday night.

“I’ve fought girls like Sara before, she’s pretty much Judo style they kind of do the same things don’t they, I’m well prepared for this.

“She’s a southpaw she’s going to be difficult when she goes for that grab. I think I have well prepared for that and for what she does,” Kavanagh said at the Bellator 299 media day.

Collins is coming in undefeated in her professional career, but this is something that Kavanagh believes could hinder her in this fight as she may think she’s ‘unstoppable’.

“You think you’re unstoppable but you have to learn there’s levels to this game and I’m that level up. I’m here to stop her. She’s going to come here thinking she rules the roost with cocky behaviour but whatever,” Sinead said.

Check out the full Bellator 299 media day with Sinead Kavanagh above.

The post Bellator 299: Sinead Kavanagh Believes Undefeated Mindset Naivety Could Hinder Sara Collins appeared first on Cageside Press.

SBG Ireland’s Kavanagh (9-5) should have the local crowd behind her when she takes on Sara Collins (4-0) in a women’s featherweight match-up at Bellator 299. The event takes place September 23, 2023, airing on Showtime in the U.S.

Kavanagh, a teammate of Conor McGregor, is 4-1 in her past five fights, with the lone loss coming in a failed bid to capture the Bellator MMA women’s featherweight championship against Cris Cyborg.

Australia’s Collins made her promotional debut in her last fight, beating veteran featherweight Pam “Bam” Sorenson.

Bellator officials announced the fight via press release on Thursday, along with five other newly revealed match-ups for Bellator 299.

Those additional fights see British light heavyweight Luke Trainer (7-1) welcome promotional newcomer Laurynas “Captain Lithuania” Urbonavicius (14-1) to the Bellator cage, while Scottish lightweight Mark Ewen (4-0) makes his promotional debut against fellow newcomer Noah Gugnon (1-1) of France. At featherweight, a pair of undefeated prospects collide as Kenny “Black Diamond” Mokhonoana (5-0) goes up against Welshman Josh O’Connor (4-0).

Rounding out the new additions, Italy’s Chiara “Beasty Barbie” Penco (8-3) takes on Mackenzie “Mack Judo” Stiller (1-0), fresh off a win over Maria Henderson in a women’s strawweight match-up, while another Italian talent, Nicolo “The Monkey King” Solli (5-1) faces France’s Romain Debienne (9-4) at welterweight.

Bellator 299 is set to be headlined by a previously announced middleweight fight as Johnny Eblen defends his title against England’s Fabian Edwards. The card as announced to date consists of the following match-ups:

• Johnny Eblen (c) vs. Fabian Edwards — for the Bellator MMA middleweight championship
• Brian Moore vs. Otto Rodrigues
• Mads Burnell vs. Daniel Weichel
• Sinead Kavanagh vs. Sara Collins
• Luke Trainer vs. Laurynas Urbonavicius
• Mark Ewen vs. Noah Gugnon
• Kenny Mokhonoana vs. Josh O’Connor
• Chiara Penco vs. Mackenzie Stiller
• Nicolo Solli vs. Romain Debienne

The post Bellator 299 in Dublin, Ireland Gets Six More Fights Including Kavanagh vs. Collins appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kavanagh had been victim to the aforementioned cut, meaning the pair had never got their round two — making their second contest an unofficial continuation of sorts. At the 3Arena, Kavanagh had home field advantage in her native Ireland — and made the most of it in the end.

The two combatants remained on their feet for the entirety of round one, engaging in numerous striking exchanges though with neither fighter landing anything of much significance.

Kavanagh found her range early into the second frame, dropping Harding momentarily before she eventually weathered the storm. Following a very close first round, Kavanagh took the second decisively.

Harding threw a wide array of kicks throughout the fight, though her improved striking was not enough to deter Kavanagh from taking care of unfinished business, winning the bout by unanimous decision.

What a meaningful win for Sinead Kavanagh!#Bellator291’s Main Card is LIVE on @showtime@BellatorMMA #Bellator @sineadkavanagh0 https://t.co/ebN9VRftbk

— All the Smoke Fight (@ats_fight) February 25, 2023

It’s back to the drawing board for Harding who falls to (6-7) with the loss, while Kavanagh moves to (9-5), cementing herself firmly in the mix for a potential title opportunity with Cris Cyborg.

Official Result: Sinead Kavanagh def. Janay Harding by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

The post Bellator 291: Sinead Kavanagh Gets Revenge in Rematch with Janay Harding appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Tuesday, promotion officials announced via social media that September 23, 2022 would mark their next visit to the Irish capital. Appearances by Sinead Kavanagh and Peter Queally were also revealed, although neither fighter has an opponent at this point.

As with Bellator’s previous trips to Dublin, the event will be held at the 3Arena. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

🇮🇪 𝑫𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒏, 𝒘𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌@sineadkavanagh0 and @peterqueally are confirmed for Bellator MMA's return to the @3ArenaDublin on Friday, September 23rd!

Tickets are on sale Friday, March 25th, with an Exclusive Pre-sale this Thursday. #BellatorDublin pic.twitter.com/6fwTjRGb1b

— Bellator Europe (@Bellator_Europe) March 22, 2022

Kavanagh (8-5) was briefly attached to a rematch with Cris Cyborg following Bellator 275 in February. Although the Irish featherweight appeared to suffer a leg injury in her fight with Leah McCourt, it was announced during the broadcast that she would be next in line for the champ.

However, the promotion instead opted to book Cyborg against Arlene Blencowe this April. No official word has been given as to what precipitated the change in plans, but the injury seems a strong possibility.

Queally (13-6-1) last competed in November 2021, losing a shot at the then-vacant lightweight title opposite Patricky Pitbull. The fight was an immediate rematch of their first meeting, which Queally won via doctor’s stoppage when a cut was opened up on Brazil’s Pitbull.

The post Bellator’s Return to Dublin Set for September 23, Kavanagh, Queally to Appear appeared first on Cageside Press.

The PRIDE, Strikeforce, and UFC veteran finished challenger Austin Vanderford in just under 90 seconds to secure the second title defense of his second reign in the promotion.

For Mousasi, talk will now turn to the idea of a super fight, up a weight class, perhaps with Yoel Romero should he defeat Melvin Manhoef in May. Should he remain at middleweight at least for the time being, the winner of #4 ranked Fabian Edwards vs. Lyoto Machida is an option. Mousasi and Machida’s career series is currently tied 1-1.

In the co-main event Friday, an unlikely title challenger emerged. Despite losing her fight against Cris Cyborg last year, Sinead Kavanagh has been promised a rematch after winning a three-round decision against the surging Leah McCourt. The move is a puzzling one, given Kavanagh lost definitively to Cyborg, and given that the champ has not fought since their first meeting. But with Cat Zingano paired up against Pam Sorenson, Kavanagh was apparently the next best option.

Full results from Friday’s Bellator 275 and a gallery of highlights can be found below.

Bellator 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford Results

Main Card

Gegard Mousasi (c) def. Austin Vanderford by TKO, Round 1, 1:25 – for the Bellator middleweight championship
Sinead Kavanagh def. Leah McCourt by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Ciaran Clarke def. Abou Tounkara by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 1, 5:00
Khasan Magomedsharipov def. Jose Sanchez by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Jornel Lugo def. Brian Moore by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary Card

Brett Johns def. Khurshed Kakhorov by TKO, Round 3, 3:00
Davy Gallon def. Charlie Leary by TKO, Round 2, 3:01
Stephanie Page def. Danni McCormack by TKO, Round 1, 1:46
Darragh Kelly def. Junior Morgan by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 1:47
Vladimir Tokov def. Daniele Scatizzi by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Gokhan Saricam def. Kirill Sidelnikov by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Nathan Kelly def. Scott Pedersen by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Lee Hammond def. Jamie Hay by TKO (punches), Round 1, 3:32

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