Soldierboy selected for ultimate challenge
DOUGLASDALE - Six years of highs and lows in the cage have culminated in Douglasdale's Garreth 'Soldierboy' McLellan being chosen to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
UFC is the biggest mixed martial arts spectacle in existence and McLellan has been chosen as one of next year’s athletes.
The trip to the top has been a long and testing one. McLellan made his entrance into the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) hexagon at the age of 26 after a career in rugby did not work out as he’d hoped. After an untarnished amateur record, he made his first professional appearance at the EFC 1 and the rest is history. Soldierboy is now a name synonymous with EFC and McLellan is the current EFC Africa Middleweight champion after fighting his way back from double knee surgery, beating three other fighters and eventually defeating Jeremy Smith to win back the belt.
In his new endeavour, McLellan will be testing himself in what is considered the most competitive and testing mixed martial arts environment there is, the UFC. The UFC in the US was the very first competition of its kind that really pushed mixed martial arts into the spotlight. With a massive viewership and great entertainment value, its set to take over boxing as the most viewed combat sport in the US.
This opportunity now gives McLellan a shot at testing himself against the best in the world on a truly global stage. The date and venue has yet to be confirmed, but one thing’s for sure, next year could be the biggest year yet of McLellan’s career.
