Ranking the 10 Irish MMA Fighters Poised to Break out Next

With his rise toward the top of the 145-pound division, Conor McGregor has put Irish MMA on the map.

McGregor's biggest impact on Irish MMA may not be felt for years, when younger Irish athletes who enter MMA competition hoping to follow in his footsteps make their way up the ladder. 

That said, McGregor's success has had an immediate effect on Irish MMA as well. Other Irish fighters are beginning to receive much more attention than they had previously, and the number of Irish individuals on the UFC roster has risen extremely quickly.

While it's very possible no currently active Irish fighters will be able to reach the heights McGregor has, there are some who do have big potential. Here are the 10 Irish fighters most likely to break out next.

10. Damien Rooney

@TheRageRooney via Twitter.com

A Cage Warriors veteran, Damien Rooney has gained some solid experience against opponents who went on to compete inside the Octagon.

Rooney carried a 7-1-1 record into a November 2010 bout with Neil Seery, who defeated him in a decision. Only two bouts later, Rooney ran into Patrick Holohan and had a much less competitive bout, as he was stopped with a head kick in the opening round.

Considering Seery and Holohan are now making noise in the UFC flyweight division, Rooney has had his chances to stand out as a prospect the UFC should consider signing.

While he's coming off of a loss in his most recent outing, Rooney has the potential to string some wins together. If he does so under the Cage Warriors banner, the 30-year-old Rooney is going to get some looks from bigger promotions and could make a run at the big leagues before he begins declining.

9. Philip Mulpeter

@HoneyBadgerMMA via Twitter.com

Pictured second from the right in the above photo, Philip Mulpeter has surrounded himself with excellent company. Training with McGregor, Holohan, Cathal Pendred and others at SBG Ireland, Mulpeter has the instruction and training partners needed to reach his full potential.

With a 7-4 record, Mulpeter definitely has some room to grow. However, The Honeybadger seems to learn from his losses, having never lost more than two fights in a row.

His past four bouts coming under the Cage Warriors banner, Mulpeter has the right platform. Now, he just needs to string some wins together in order to catch the eye of the UFC or other major organizations.

8. Ryan Roddy

Another Cage Warriors veteran, Ryan Roddy is only 25 years old and has the
potential to develop into a big-league fighter.

In eight fights, Roddy has only lost to another noteworthy Irishman, Paul
Redmond.

With two straight victories, Roddy has rebounded from that loss well. Now he
is looking for a win over a well-known veteran in order to earn signing
consideration from bigger shows.

7. Chris Fields

@ChrisFieldsMMA via Twitter.com

At 31 years old, Chris Fields is one of the more experienced fighters on this list, but he still has the potential to earn his way into the Octagon.

Fields was a contestant on TUF 19, where he lost via close decision to Matt Van Buren in the quarterfinals. While Fields didn't get an official UFC bout after the show, he could be on the promotion's shortlist of fighters to call when a replacement is needed.

Training at SBG Ireland, Fields will most certainly be ready to go when that call does come, and it could come soon if he wins his upcoming bout at BAMMA 18 impressively.

6. Paul Redmond

UFC.com

With wins over the aforementioned Roddy and Mulpeter, Paul Redmond is one of the more talented Irish prospects in MMA.

As a result, the UFC came calling recently. At 28 years old, Redmond will make his Octagon debut against Mirsad Bektic. He's a big underdog in the matchup, but Redmond could take a huge step forward with a win.

With five knockouts and four submissions in 10 MMA wins, Redmond is a well-rounded finisher. Time will tell whether he is able to continue as such against UFC competition.

5. Cathal Pendred

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Cathal Pendred came into TUF 19 as a favorite to win the competition. However, he disappointed with a narrow decision loss to eventual tournament winner Eddie Gordon in the semifinals.

Born in Boston, Pendred is the only fighter on this list who was not born in Ireland. However, he now lives overseas and trains at SPG Ireland with most of the best fighters in the country.

Since TUF 19, Pendred has gone undefeated in three UFC appearances, but his most recent decision win over Sean Spencer was heavily debated.

Whether he deserved that win or not, Pendred does have some big potential at 27 years old. The Punisher is amazingly tough and possesses some solid grappling. If his striking can catch up, Pendred might make a significant run up the welterweight ladder.

4. Neil Seery

UFC.com

With a 14-10 record, Seery has had some ups and downs in his career, but the Irishman appears to be hitting his stride inside the Octagon.

In March 2014, Seery was tasked with fighting Brad Pickett on short notice, a rough test for one's UFC debut. While he didn't win, Seery passed with flying colors, as he put on one of the most entertaining fights in 2014 despite being a massive underdog.

Seery picked up his first UFC win in July with a decision victory over Phil Harris. Now, he finds himself in an interesting striking matchup with Chris Beal. Should he come away with a win in that one, the Irishman could expect another shot at a Top 15 125-pounder.

3. Paddy Holohan

UFC.com

With a 2-1 record inside the Octagon, Paddy Holohan is arguably the second most accomplished Irish UFC fighter competing with the organization right now.

At UFC Fight Night 59, The Hooligan cruised to a decision win over Shane Howell, showcasing his grappling in the process. At 26 years old, the best is still to come from Holohan, who is in a flyweight division where one can rise to the top relatively quickly.

Holohan definitely needs to improve his striking in order to reach the next level. However, training at SBG Ireland, Holohan has the right people around him to become as good as he possibly can.

2. Aisling Daly

UFC.com

It could be argued that Aisling Daly has already realized her full potential in the women's strawweight division.

However, with the weight class still developing under the UFC banner, the door is wide open for Daly to make a run at a title shot. At the moment, it may only take one or two big wins for any fighter to earn a crack at the 115-pound championship.

While she wasn't able to go all the way on TUF 20, which determined the inaugural UFC strawweight titleholder, Daly reached the quarterfinals before being eliminated by former Invicta FC champion Jessica Penne.

Given her excellent ground game, which has helped her to wins over Jessica Eye and Alex Chambers, Daly could very well become one of the best in her division with the right matchups.

1. Joseph Duffy

The last man to defeat McGregor, Joseph Duffy may have a higher ceiling than any Irishman in MMA.

His UFC signing was delayed by a surprising loss to Ivan Musardo in an October 2011 Cage Warriors title bout, but Duffy's time has come now. In March, Duffy will make his Octagon debut against Vagner Rocha at UFC 185.

Duffy also owns a win over Norman Parke, so his win over McGregor was no fluke by any means. This guy is a serious talent and should make some noise in the UFC 155-pound division.