Little over a month ago, in front of a sold out SSE Arena in Belfast was to be Neil Seery's swansong. As things rarely go to plan in the mixed martial arts world, the fight was postponed due to the fact his opponent, Ian McCall (13-5-1) came down with an illness.
Thankfully, 'Uncle Creepy' is back to full health and both fighters have signed the bout agreement which will see them face off at the Barclays Centre, Brooklyn on February 11th 2017.
This will be Seery's seventh and final fight under the UFC banner, boasting a record of three wins and three losses. In a professional career which has spanned almost twelve years, the Dubliner is truly one of the pioneers of Irish mixed martial arts.
While, Brooklyn is not quite as fitting as Belfast, Seery (16-12) will appreciate the fact that he will hang the gloves up on a world stage nevertheless.
Glad we're getting re-do of Ian McCall vs Neil Seery at #UFC208, but obviously not the same for Seery; who was set to retire closer to home.
— Andreas M. Georgiou (@andremgeorgiou) December 14, 2016
As for Ian McCall, Northern Ireland proved to be yet another infuriating experience for him as it was the third successive time in which the Californian's fight was cancelled for one reason or another.
It will be McCall's first time competing in 742 days when he (hopefully) enters the octagon in New York. He will aim to regain the form which once saw him draw on the judges scorecards with the current P4P champion, Demetrious Johnson.
The two respective fighters will be in good company on the night as Holly Holm will bid for glory against Cyborg Jus, eh, Germaine de Randamie for the inaugural women's featherweight title match up. Speaking of which, José Aldo and Max Holloway are strongly rumoured to headline the card in a unification bout. Lightheavyweight's Glover Teixeira and Jared Cannonier are also expected to feature on the night.
