CIARAN CLARKE is fully focused on his next opponent when Bellator returns to Dublin in February.
The Drogheda brawler is looking to build on a stellar 2022 – where he won both his fights – to move to 6-0 as a professional.
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Speaking exclusively to SunSport and reflecting on the past year, he said: “I suppose looking back I was very happy to get the two wins.
“Obviously I suppose the middle part of the year would have been the summer and I was planning to hopefully get one in between them (two wins) – maybe abroad – but just the way it worked out.
“So, hopefully next year I’d love to get the February one out of the way – please God get the win – another one in the summer and then I think they’re looking at two shows every year in Dublin so that’s great.
“Two in Dublin – one at the start of the year and one at the end – and in between somewhere abroad – I’d love a timeline like that.”
Keir Harvie, 5-2-1, is up next for the Irishman at Bellator 291 next February and having seen him around the European circuit – Clarke is confident he can get the win.
He said: “Out of all my professional fights, it’s the most footage I could find on someone so that was great.
“I did know a bit about him beforehand anyway, just from the circuit.
“Obviously the same weight-class, fights in Europe so I’d imagine I was going to bump into him at some point so I kind of knew a bit about him.
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“He’s going to go in there to make a statement in Dublin for Bellator but from what I’ve watched of him – I’m happy enough.
“I think a win over Harvie really sets me up for the summer – maybe a fight in the states or maybe something else for Bellator in Europe – that’s the plan anyway so as I said, I have to beat Harvie first of all and that’s all I’m focused on at the minute.”
This Friday, a documentary charting Clarke’s rise through the MMA ranks will be premiered at the Barbican in Drogheda – with all proceeds going to sosad.ie.
Clarke partnered up with Jamie Sherry from Manifest Media who is producing the documentary and admitted he took some persuading at first.
Clarke said: “Jamie Sherry – he basically did a video on me last year and he was buzzing with it – he was very happy with it. He got a great response and he’s delighted with it.
And, given the success of the first video – the pair decided to work together again.
“I was ‘humming and hawing’ about the idea at the start about doing the documentary – if it was coming up to my fight – he’d have to follow me for 15 weeks and I’d be very regimental and stuff and the time when you’d be recovering from sessions – I’d be more of an introvert myself – I’d like to be on my own and chill out and that kind of a thing but it was a bit of a change for me but to be honest, actually getting to know Jamie, I became friends with him and got close to him and stuff so that was a benefit from it.”
Tickets to see Relentless can be bought here.
Tickets for Bellator 291 can be bought here.