A Boston-born son of Irish parents who lived most of his life in Dublin, Ireland, Cathal Pendred was a serious rugby player who had little time for much else, including his growing interest in mixed martial arts. Then, after finishing his secondary school career with one of the country's top rugby programs, Pendred found himself staying with a friend in San Diego for a year. There, MMA was hard to escape.
"There were gyms all over the place," Pendred told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "We went into one and did a bit of training. I didn't have the money to do it too seriously at the time, but when I moved back home to Ireland, I found a gym close by."
Since, the 23-year-old has quickly collected a 7-2 record and this past week signed a new five-fight contract with Cage Warriors to expand his set of opponents outside of Ireland.
Considered a top – if not the top – welterweight in Ireland, Pendred faces Vlad Malko at a Cage Warriors 42 show on Saturday in Cork City, Ireland. From there, Pendred hopes to expand throughout the United Kingdom and, eventually, into the United States.
But first, he'll have to finish his degree in analytical science, influenced by an interest in forensics gained from his family's law-enforcement and military history and a double-dipping of school and career he learned from his policeman-turned-lawyer father.
So, while studying, Pendred has been preparing for a fight that could continue his reputation in Ireland while helping him build for what he hopes will be more in the future.
"I need to get these five wins, finish college so I can focus on training and fighting, and go from there," Pendred said. "I think it can only help my career when I can focus only on MMA."
Focus on rugby
Pendred was born in Boston while his father, who had been a policeman in Ireland before earning his law degree during his off hours, was offered a job there as an attorney. The family lived in Boston until Pendred was 4 years old, when it returned to Dublin.
Because of his father's experience, Pendred said he learned about working a job and educating yourself at the same time.
"He told me about getting up at 5 in the morning, starting his shift, working all day as a detective, then going to his classes," Pendred said. "Or he would get up early to make the early classes and then work at night. It was tough for him."
Pendred was an active kid, and when he entered his secondary school (basically high school), he quickly learned how important the rugby team was to the community.
He had not previously played the sport, but he tried out. Within a few years, he was on the best team in the school, which played in front of big crowds and even made some appearances on television.
"I think the training we had to do is helping me now," Pendred said. "It was five or six days a week, and it was a serious commitment. Some of the moves are also similar to grappling, so it gave me a start there."
Pendred had always liked martial arts, and he enjoyed watching MMA bouts that were broadcast on a British cable channel. But he didn't make the move to begin training until he was walking around San Diego and found a few classes to take.
Once he returned from that trip, he was ready to get more serious.
Ground and pound
Pendred set up in a local Dublin gym and began his MMA training in Ireland. Within six months, he took his first semi-pro fight, and he won in the first round.
But, the semi-pro fights didn't fit his strengths.
"There was a rule at the time that you couldn't hit someone in the head if they were on the ground, so there was no ground and pound," Pendred said. "That didn't really fit my style. I thought I would be a better professional."
He called up John Kavanagh, one of the most respected MMA figures in Ireland who runs a high-level gym. Pendred moved to Kavanagh's gym, and within six months, he was a professional fighter.
In his first pro fight, in February 2009, Pendred earned a ground-and-pound victory in 38 seconds.
"I guess it was a good idea," he said.
Pendred lost his second fight by third-round submission before winning five straight. The third in that winning streak was one of his most challenging, against Liam Shannon in July 2010.
The other fighters were telling Pendred that the surface was slippery, which changed the way he fought and hurt his usual positioning. Both were sliding when throwing hard shots.
Pendred won by decision, but he didn't feel very good about the fight. They scheduled a rematch, and this past March, Pendred beat Shannon in the third round to validate the earlier win.
It was another example of adapting to surroundings, which Pendred has done throughout his life, from joining the school rugby team to picking up classes in gym-heavy San Diego to becoming a skilled MMA fighter.
Soon, he hopes, he'll be able to show those skills to U.S. crowds.
"I was born there, so I won't have any trouble with visas," he said. "I've trained in San Jose. And I know Irish boxers have great support when they fight over there, so I'd like to have the experience."
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