MARK DEVLIN

Teenager is determined to carve out a successful MMA career

A teenage MMA fighter has set his sights on the big time after a stellar start to his career in the ring.

Barrhead’s Sean Clancy Jr, 18, who is unbeaten in four amateur fights, says the sport very much runs in the family.

The scrapper was introduced to fighting by his bouncer dad who wanted him to learn self-defence at just two-years old.

Sean says his achievements cannot be overlooked, and admits that the feeling of being a fighter never loses its magic.

Sean admitted: “I’m buzzing. I’ve always wanted to be a fighter, so when you see people on Facebook, for example, saying ‘He’s won another fight’, it really is one of the things I can say I’m most proud of.

“After every single one of my fights, I do the exact same thing where I just sit there, with a beer or something, and take a moment to think, ‘Here, I’m a pure fighter by the way!, it’s great.”

He added: “I think the only fight in which I haven’t been sick before walking out was my fourth, and most recent fight.

“I was terrified leading up to my amateur debut, but I got the job done. I got him in a bad position and just went for the head, it was a TKO in the first round.”

Sean hails from a family full of budding fighters. Five brothers all with a love for MMA could spell disaster around a house, but for the Clancys it creates an environment in which they thrive off of each other.

He said: “My brothers are absolute monsters. My wee brother, Logan, will give me some of the hardest rounds I can endure in sparring which is brilliant. And my other brother, Stephen, is just so talented in his own right, he joined Higher Level‘s gym before me.

“Having brothers that fight and a dad, who is a strength and conditioning coach, there with me over lockdown has been invaluable.”