PFL Sign Conor McGregor protégé Nate 'The Great’ Kelly to Fight on 3Arena Card

Nate who goes by ‘Nate the Great Kelly’ first rose to public attention as a child for asking UFC owner Dana White for “an advance on his first paycheck” to fund his attendance at a UFC fight. Kelly has continued chasing this dream ever since.  

Speaking with Sportsboom.com Nate said: “I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and I’m ready to take it with both hands and blow the roof off of the 3arena in December. This opportunity has been built off of years of hard work and dedication in the gym and I’m ready to showcase my skills on a huge stage “

Nate who started competing at just four years old, training with stars such as Conor McGregor along the way, added: “Years of hard work is paying off and the sacrifices made along the way will all be worth it when I walk out into my hometown into the 3Arena. Every fighter dreams of this. I’m excited for what’s to come at this stage in my career.”

Speaking with Sportsboom about his journey he said: “I've been in this game a long time. Since four years of age kickboxing, 7 years of age, Brazilian jujitsu at SBG, so 15 years experience total.  

“Somehow, I feel like I just have something that people gravitate towards. Ever since I'm a kid, we've all seen the interviews have when I'm little, some people won’t recognise me now, but I've been in this game a long time and whatever I do always seems to get clicks or attentions for the right or the wrong reasons, but I feel like I have something that I can't really explain but people. Like to gravitate towards.”

When asked if he had any fighters he was inspired by along the way he said: “Yeah, of course. The obvious answer would be Conor. Conor McGregor was in the gym with the kids, so by seeing his rise from coming in when he was only at cage warriors and only starting out his career and the levels that he's reached it’s an inspiration for all younger fighters in the game. So he'd definitely be one of my inspirations.”

While he may be a kickboxing world champion Nate is adamant that he is not “just a striker” adding that he has been “wrestling and grappling” in MMA since age seven.

However, Nate told Sportsboom he didn’t initially get into the game because he loved it. “I started my kickboxing at four because my family was worried for me. I kept fighting on the streets and even when playing football on the pitch so my family noticed I needed an outlet and the next thing you know it’s something I’ve loved doing for 15 years now.

“It’s funny because if you were to look at me then and look at me now, you probably think that kid grew up to be something criminal or something crazy, but I don't know where I'd be without martial arts. It definitely helped me in all aspects of my life. Relationships, family, everything. I feel like a much better person ever since, even though I started young, I feel like I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am now without martial arts. So it's exciting news that one of the leading MMA organisations have taken me on board and are going to help me build and grow my amateur career and going to start in the 3arena,” Nate told Sportsboom.

“It’s a big dream for all Irish fighters from all ages. Some people's end goals is to fight in the 3arena and for me to be probably the youngest MMA fighter, it's crazy and I'm just excited to build on that, then get the win in the 3arena and then keep building on that and then eventually when I go pro to be able to sign with the PFL as well is amazing opportunity, long time coming.”

Nate said that his short-term goal “is to just keep improving every day” and “elevate” his game. “Stay in the gym, stay disciplined, and then fight as much as possible. Stay as active as possible. Get as many amateur fights and then start making some money.”

Meanwhile, his long-term goal is the same goal he has had since he was a kid. “When I first walked into kickboxing, I wanted to be the best kickboxer in the world and then when I transitioned over to MMA and jujitsu, I wanted to be the best mixed martial artist in the world. And that goal has never changed. So I want to be the best mixed martial artist in the world.”

Speaking about his opportunity with PFL Nate said that he is “very grateful”. He added, “people may think that I'm lucky but it's been built on years of hard work, being constantly in the gym 24/7. I have given my life to this game since I was four years of age and it's nice now to see that I am reaping the rewards of hard work. It's not luck. it's none of that. It's I've worked hard my entire life and it's nice to see an opportunity, a big opportunity like this come my way.  

“I'm very, very grateful, as people may say, ‘Oh, he's this kid from the press conference‘ or ‘he's a talker‘ or he is whatever they may say, it's me versus another man inside the Octagon and then I need to let the performance speak for itself. And I feel like now I am constantly elevating every single day. I've got the best team around me in SBG. I have got the best coaches around me with John Kavanagh and the other lads. I have got good people around me and I feel like on December 8th the performance will speak for itself.

“We will get the experience in with the amateurs, see how quickly I steamroll through everyone in that. And then we'll hopefully be aiming in the next two years or so to go pro, and then it's only going to go from there.”