Paul Kelly: A view from the nosebleed seats

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By Elliot Worsell

Liverpool lightweight Paul ‘Tellys’ Kelly never planned on being a fighter. He didn’t expect his combat whim to get this far. He was more than content to just be a UFC fan. He didn’t even need to be Octagonside. So long as he was watching the sport he loved to watch, Kelly was satisfied with his event t-shirt and fight programme.

One day that all changed. No longer content with his seat in the bleachers, Kelly – upon watching Randy Couture – wanted to get a better look at what he saw.

“I was a fan of Randy and the UFC before I even contemplated fighting myself,” explains Kelly. “I used to watch all of Randy’s fights back in the day and never intended to fight myself. I was just a massive fan of Randy and loved the sport. He inspired me to visit a local gym and try a bit of wrestling. A few years later and I’m in the UFC and fighting on the same event as Randy.”

Now a solid fixture in the emerging Brit Pack movement within the UFC, Kelly has switched from fan to fighter. Previously accustomed to watching Couture from the comforts of his armchair, Kelly now acts as the appetiser ahead of ‘The Natural’s main course at UFC 105 in Manchester, England.

“I never get pictures or autographs from fellow fighters, but I’ll have to get a picture with Randy,” admits Kelly, 10-1 in his own mixed martial arts career.

“Randy’s a legend and I’ve never missed one of his fights. You’ll be very hard pressed to ever find a boring Randy Couture fight. He is always involved in entertaining wars, whether he’s winning or losing them. I couldn’t ask for a better role model.”

Previously a source of entertainment, Couture now acts as inspiration for the 24-year-old Kelly. He’s someone to look up to and emulate. Kelly, like Couture, is all about the fans. After all, he was once one of them. In fact, press him on it today, and he’ll assure you he still is one of them.

“Some fighters get carried away with themselves when they reach the UFC and they start to think it’s all just about them,” explains Kelly. “It’s really not about us. We’re part of the entertainment for the crowd. The crowd are there for us and we are there for the crowd.

“Us fighters go out there with the intention of putting on a show and entertaining the people who have spent their hard earned wages to watch the UFC. They’re paying us to do our jobs and that’s why I’ll never, ever turn down a fan request or the chance to meet fans. This sport wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the love and support of the fans.”

Kelly admits his ability to entertain his public is often dependent on the willingness of the opponent. For example, he remains disappointed with his latest outing, a UFC 99 decision win over Roli Delgado in June. Despite bagging his first win at lightweight, Kelly wasn’t pleased with the course the fight took. A messy and scrappy affair with both men jostling for position and never finding it, Kelly, as a fan, would have booed his own fight that night.

“My last fight was a nightmare,” admits Paul. “Delgado was so awkward to fight. I was chasing him down and falling into unnecessary clinches. It got very messy and he kept taking my back. It was a good fight to take because it allowed me to experience going in against a different style and also proving my submission defence. It was one of those nasty experiences that you just need to get through and have your arm raised at the end of it.

Despite the lack of buzz generated from his three rounds with Delgado, Kelly remains pleased with both the result and his own ability to make lightweight and perform for 15 minutes. When you have to cut a whopping 19 pounds in one day, you’re thankful to walk, let alone battle it out inside the Octagon for a quarter of an hour.

“Competing at lightweight for the first time was a very steep learning curve for me as a fighter,” says Kelly. “I like to fight at a high pace and I like to go all-out for 15 minutes in every fight. However, I was wary of doing that as a lightweight, simply because I didn’t know how much was left in the tank. I held back a little bit in the Delgado fight, both in terms of power, speed and also game plan. I didn’t go all-out to break his will.

”I cut 19 pounds in my last day before weighing in. We did the weight cut right and I was working with the best guys in the business but, in the back of my mind, I was never quite sure how much fuel I’d have left for the fight itself. I thought I might explode into a movement and then suddenly gas out.”

This much was evident in the opening act with Delgado. Sloppy by his usual standards, Kelly was trying to hit fifth gear, but the gear stick wouldn’t find it.

“I’ve watched that fight back a thousand times and I think Delgado actually won the first seven and maybe eight minutes of the contest,” admits the always-honest lightweight. “It kills me to say that, but it’s the truth. From that point on, though, I believe I took over the fight, scored the knockdown and then finished the strongest. If I was drained or gassed, I wouldn’t have been able to finish the fight like that.

“It was a learning experience for me and I now know I can make lightweight and fight for 15 minutes as a lightweight. That gives me a lot of confidence for future fights. I now know that I can make the cut and then push the pace in the fight.”

That news bodes well for UFC fans, yet may prove ominous for future opponents. After all, when Kelly’s on-song, he’s an exciting brawler, best represented in three-round wars with Paul Taylor and Troy Mandaloniz. With the fear of the weight cut behind him, Kelly promises to ‘let it all hang out’ against German Dennis Siver at UFC 105.

“If Dennis comes to fight, it will make for another great war,” insists Kelly. “He’s too small to be running around and moving. He’ll be there in my face, looking to make a war with me. I also know Dennis can bang as well, which will be interesting. He’s a former kick-boxer and a very dangerous guy on his feet. I’d love to have an absolute tear-up with Dennis.”

Interestingly, both Kelly and Siver shared a card and sauna time at UFC 99. Kelly huffed and puffed past Delgado, while Siver clinically finished Dale Hartt inside the first round.

“I really like Siver as a person,” continues Kelly. “I’ve met him a few times and have previously done an autograph signing with him. We also cut weight together in the sauna when we both fought in Germany. I like the guy and haven’t got a bad word to say about him. He’s a really good ambassador for our sport in Germany and it will be pleasure taking him on.”

Kelly admits this friendly stance is something that has put him in trouble before. His sole career defeat – a submission loss to Marcus Davis – still perturbs the Liverpudlian, as he insists he was far too respectful of the ‘Irish Hand Grenade’s skills and reputation.

Conversely, when Kelly approached subsequent fights with Mandaloniz and Delgado, he upped the anger and animosity and got in their faces. It was both his way of dealing with the Davis setback and a minor adjustment in pre-fight mentality.

“All I’m looking for in this fight with Siver is a good, proper tear-up,” says Kelly. “I know I’ve always got a job with the UFC if I can continually excite the fans. Nothing else matters to me.

“I want to be seen as a British Wanderlei Silva. MMA fans mob Wanderlei wherever he goes. Everybody loves Wanderlei because he’s consistently put on exciting fights for years. He never disappoints, whether he’s winning or losing. I’d pay to watch Wanderlei fight every day of the week.”

While ‘The Axe Murderer’ can’t seem to buy a win these days, Kelly is on a roll of two back-to-back Octagon victories. He’ll look to complete the hat-trick against Siver, 14-6, who also happens to be coming off two standout UFC wins, one via Knockout of the Night (against Nate Mohr at UFC 93) and the other by submission.

A studious fan in his spare time, Kelly is wary of the threat Siver boasts.

“I think Dennis is a really effective fighter and very underestimated,” assesses Kelly. “He’s only lost to Gray Maynard and Melvin Guillard, who are two of the best lightweights in the UFC today. He’s also beaten ‘Judo’ Jim Wallhead, who is one of the top fighters currently competing in Britain.

“As far as skills go, Dennis has got really good kickboxing and judo. He’s also got some underrated submissions. He’s not a black belt or anything, but he can still pull out good submissions when the opportunity presents itself. Dennis won’t work his subs or use leverage; he just explodes into them with his strength and power.”

Mutual respect or not, Kelly maintains a fierce winning mentality. Despite proclamations of ‘doing it for the fans’, Kelly is still a winner at heart.

“I truly see Dennis struggling with my wrestling,” says the 24-year-old. “He’s got judo throws, which can be hard to deal with, but I believe I’ll be the stronger in the clinch and in the wrestling. If he’s forced to stay on his feet, I believe I’ll dominate him standing. Then, if the fight does go to the ground, it may be my chance to finish by submission or ground-and-pound. There are lots of ways I can win this fight.”

Never argue with a fan. If there’s something they don’t know, it’s not worth knowing. As a fan and fighter, Paul Kelly is a dangerous proposition for anyone.