MMA: My night aboard the UFC juggernaut

Over the last few years, as mixed martial arts juggernaut UFC has continued to expand into new frontiers, not every fan of the polarising fight brand has been completely happy.

Despite Dana White's company moving from staging cards entirely in the US as a 1990s underground phenomenon to what is now a truly global roadshow with 40 to 50 events each year across every continent on the globe, there remains a grumbling belief from some that these expansion cards are hardly on the same level as the star-studded events staged stateside.

I made the short trip over to Dublin, Ireland or a card which could perhaps have been considered proof of these conspiracy theories that UFC doesn't care that much about overseas markets - and that was before it lost its top two fights within a fortnight of the show.

Second from the top was due to be a heavyweight bout with potential UFC Heavyweight Championship title implications between Stipe Miocic and Ben Rothwell. However, Miocic pulled out of the fight on October 14th citing injury. Subsequently, Rothwell was removed from the card the following day after the promotion deemed that a suitable opponent could not be arranged on short notice.

Then, just days before Fight Night, Ireland's own Joe Duffy was withdrawn from his main event fight with a concussion. Dustin Poirer, his scheduled opponent, was of course not going to be able to take a random replacement at such notice - especially when Duffy's injury removed the all-important 'home hero' element from the main.

Instead, Paddy Holohan's main-card bout with Louis Smolka of Hawaii was chosen to close out the show - and a sizeable contingent of fans wondered if there was even any point to the card taking place at all on October 24.

By the early hours of the morning, the verdict was in - yes, the show was absolutely right to go on.

UFC Fight Night: Holohan vs Smolka was a success thanks to two key elements, and the first was the crowd. Dublin's passionate sporting fanbase were pumped for some more live UFC action; the third time the company had arrived in town. The amount of enthusiasm and interest afforded a relatively-minor card that lost its top two fights was not lost on White, who was quoted as saying at the post-event press conference by a UFC UK official that Dublin was "his favourite fight town".

Though every fight was met with a rapturous response - especially anything involving British talent and especially when the show's four Irish fighters emerged from the changing rooms - nothing could match the sheer electricity inside the 3Arena as Dublin's own Aisling Daly immediately took a fast-paced stand-up fight to Brazil's Ericka Almeida in Dublin's first women's UFC contest, doing well to counter Almeida's submission attempts with even more offense to claim a historic decision win and endear herself not just to her own, but to the global viewing audience on subscription service UFC Fight Pass.

And that's where the Dublin card proved itself important in a second sense. Due to television deal issues in a number of markets, the event was given the green light to be shown in its entirety, live on Fight Pass. Of course, new content being first shown via cloud subscription channels is the evolution of television. From the likes of Orange Is The New Black on Netflix to the decision to run almost every live wrestling show on the WWE Network, we are heading in the direction where 99% of content will come via cloud broadcasts within a matter of years. Between that and the crop of up-and-coming fighters who enhanced their reputations that night via Fight Pass, the Dublin Fight Night was the embodiment of what stands at the heart of Dana White's business model: the future.

Though of course the UFC bigwigs have a firm eye on the bottom line and will always want to turn a profit, the nature of their global expansion - as well as them selecting Reebok for a huge clothing partnership - shows the depth of their dealings. This isn't about turning a quick buck, this is about ensuring Ultimate Fighting Championship remains a strong brand for as long as possible, with roots entrenched deep across the globe and business partners as passionate about quality as they are.

Those who scoffed at the Dublin event as being 'weak' or 'insulting' to European fight fanatics - even before the top two fights were cancelled - aren't really looking at the bigger picture. The city and the lesser-known fighters that night played a crucial role in UFC's business plan on Saturday night, one which proves there is more to the company than its very top stars - and nothing underscores that more so than one of those aforementioned stars - Ireland's own Conor McGregor - being front row throughout, reacting to each fight as the biggest fan boy in the world.

Though the show ended on a sombre note for the locals, as Holohan was trapped and tapped out by Smolka in round two of their three-round main event, their makeshift starring roles on the evening were more than just a quick fix replacement. They were proof that the UFC is worth checking out regardless of whose name is on the marquee, and regardless of where in the world they've set up the famous Octagon cage this particular week.

Reebok has announced a partnership with Conor McGregor's hometown gym – the Straight Blast Gym and will be supplying them with Reebok Training Kit and Equipment. Reebok's Combat Training Kit is available for sale at www.reebok.co.uk.