Conor McGregor or Spike O’Sullivan – Team Hogan reach out for Irish IBO Defence
Team Dennis Hogan are serious about trying to fight Conor McGregor and have reached out to the UFC star in a bid to make an IBO light middleweight world title fight.
Hogan’s new management team, led by Steve Scanlan, are aware a ‘Notorious’ bout is unlikely but are taking an ‘if you don’t ask, you can’t receive’ approach to a potential all-Irish fight with a difference.
‘The Hurricane’s’ management have also started dialogue with Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan and believes a Kildare-Cork clash would be easy to make.
“We have been in touch with both Spike and Conor’s team,” Scanlon told Irish-boxing.com.
“Spike’s team will move heaven and earth to make this fight, so that is a much easier fight to make happen but we are just working through everything.
“If we don’t fight Connor, which obviously is a long shot, but crazier things have happened, then we will 100% be fighting Spike in Ireland.”
As soon as he claimed the IBO strap with victory over Sam Eggington earlier this month, Brisbane-based Hogan revealed a desire to fight at home. Celtic Warrior Gym fighter O’Sullivan had already expressed a keenness to share the ring with his fellow respected veteran and was the first name on fan lips.
It now appears that high profile all-Irish meeting will happen, unless an unlikely fight with McGregor is made.
Looking back rather than forward Scanlon was keen to rejoice in Hogan’s win and suggested winning the purse bids to ensure it was promoted in Australia rather than England may have proved vital.
“It was a great win,” he adds.
“I really thought Dennis fought out of his skin and controlled the whole fight. I am still perplexed by one judge giving it a draw, so I’m just over the moon that we got the fight here in Australia and not in England because that result may have been different if we were over there.”
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Dennis Hogan recieving his IBO world light middleweight title.
The smile says it all. pic.twitter.com/bokjvTypbB
Scanlon, a close friend to the former DDP promoted two-weight world title challenger, confirmed the fight with the Brit was a win-or-retire clash that meant everything to the popular Kildare man.
He felt defeat would have been cruel and now rejoices knowing when Hogan does bow out he will do so content with what all he has achieved.
“I have been mates with Dennis for around 10 years so I have seen the highs and lows he has gone through. Saturday meant the world to me because I just knew all his dreams and aspirations hinged on those 36 minutes. If Dennis lost that was the end of his career and he just didn’t deserve to go out that way in my opinion.”
