Craig O’Brien isn’t one for paying attention to spoiler alert warnings. 

The Inner City Dub says he is fully aware of how his fight with Edward Donovan will play out at the 3Arena this weekend – and is more than happy to share with those who will watch in person or live on UFC Fight Pass around the world. 

‘The Iron’ says he’s filmed the pilot, seen the trailer, and is adamant the fight between the Limerick man and himself will make for an entertaining watch. 

Amazingly, the former Irish champion sparred his opponent in the build-up to their BUI Celtic light middleweight title fight. The Celtic Warrior Gym success story was initially penciled in to fight bill topper Callum Walsh on the card and used southpaw Donovan in prep for that proposed match-up. 

However, he couldn’t get sanctioned for the Cork main event fighter’s WBC International title and as a result had to look for a different opponent. 

He found one in European underage medal winner ‘The Dominator’ who he knows his style gels with. 

“It’s funny because Edward came up to spar me to help me get ready for Callum before that fell through,” he said.  “You want to fight good fights on a big card like this. You want to be in a fight with a bit of interest and meaning, so I’m delighted with it. He’s a great fighter. We shared the ring sparring recently, so I know already and he knows it’s going to be a great fight. The crowd are in for a treat. I know what he does, he knows what I do. People are in for a cracking fight 100 percent. It’s going to be a cracking eight round fight.

Fight Preview: O'Brien vs Donovan

O’Brien is confident that his fight with Donovan will be a thrilling spectacle. He highlights the fact that they have sparred before, giving them both insight into each other’s fighting styles. This familiarity, O’Brien believes, will translate into a captivating and unpredictable fight for the spectators. The two fighters’ contrasting styles are sure to make for an interesting match-up, with O’Brien’s aggressive approach likely to clash with Donovan’s more measured style.

O'Brien's Fight Plans

The recent University graduate doesn’t just want to just deliver entertainment for his loyal Inner City following, the 34-year-old plans to deliver a win to set up a big finish to his career. 

“The plan is to get in there get the win and push on from there.”Like stablemate Thomas Carty, Emmet Brennan and debutant Gareth Dowling, O’Brien hails from Dublin’s Inner City, so fighting at the 3Arena has real significance. 

“It’s a bit of a dream come true to be honest. I’ve fought in the stadium and many a good venue around Ireland and the UK but this is different it’s a big one and at home. I’m buzzing to fighting at home in Dublin and at the 3Arena,” he adds before explaining he was close to headlining at the venue. 

A Near Miss With Callum Walsh

O’Brien’s fight against Donovan was not his original plan. He had originally been scheduled to fight Callum Walsh for the WBC International title. The fight was already agreed upon and the details finalized, but things took an unexpected turn when O'Brien was unable to get sanctioned for the title fight. This forced him to find a new opponent, leading to the matchup with Donovan.

“Paschal [Collins] text me and asked me if I knew anything about Callum Walsh. I said ‘I know of him of course’ and he asked if I’d fight him. I said and we agreed to fight for his [WBC] International title over 10 rounds. We agreed everything and it was all good to go. Then there was a bit of stall, things went quiet and it turned out I couldn’t get sanctioned for the his title, so we have a different fight.”

Fighting at Home

The upcoming fight at the 3Arena holds special significance for O'Brien, who hails from Dublin’s Inner City. Fighting in his hometown is a dream come true for the boxer, who has fought in various venues across Ireland and the UK but considers this fight a particularly important one. O'Brien's excitement and anticipation for the fight are palpable as he expresses his eagerness to perform for his hometown crowd.

Spoiler Alert: A Night of Thrilling Action

Craig O'Brien's prediction for the fight with Edward Donovan is clear: a “cracking” eight-round bout that will leave spectators on the edge of their seats. With both fighters familiar with each other's styles and the high stakes of the fight, it's safe to say that this match-up promises to be an electrifying and unpredictable clash.