Two-time world champion Andy Young will step into the ring for the first time in three years next month as he takes on Scott Malone as part of the CW 140 event at the SSE Arena.

It will be the first ever Cage Warriors event in Belfast and the 32-year-old couldn’t contain his excitement at being involved in such a momentous occasion, “I feel so privileged and so grateful to be not only competing again but to make my return in my home city at the SSE Arena” he said.

“I imagine it’s going to sell out no problem the Belfast fans love MMA so it’s going to be great to perform in front of them and that just adds to the excitement. It’s been a long three years, but it is going to be one of the best comebacks to make. I have a different mindset going into the fight, but I’m just so excited to get back make the use of this opportunity to do my best.”

The Newtonards fighter will not be overawed by the experience or tentative about re-entering the ring after his hiatus, having already enjoyed many big nights before in his stellar career. “The experience I have had is so invaluable. I have fought in the SSE Arena three times so I’m used to the whole thing and for me I use a lot of visualization tools and I can already feel myself being in the arena and absorbing all the energy and enjoying the whole process so the experience will really help me and be one of my strongest assets.

“There is not really going to be a focus on nerves or fear of ring rust its more about the excitement at fighting and having the atmosphere there. With regards to the thought of added pressure being at home, pressure makes diamonds, I feel like it’s just going to bring out the best in me and I’m super excited to get stuck in.”

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Whilst he hasn’t fought since suffering a loss to Englishman Sam Creasy in 2019, Young has stayed involved in the sport, opening his own gym Hybrid MMA in Bangor, and organising his own mixed martial arts events. He believes that these experiences outside the ring have made him more eager to return.

“I feel that I’ve been so immersed in the sport still that I feel like I haven’t left it at all. When I see my younger students getting in there and competing and watching from the sidelines it starts to trigger that little bit of hunger and spark in you to want to go back in and compete. It’s been great watching them improve and having them there to motivate me. You want to show them what the higher levels look like, what it takes to reach them and that you must really perform at your best to do so, and I hope to try and lead by example.”

Young has been training hard for his first fight in three years after taking a break to explore other ventures outside of the ring.

A win would justify Young’s decision to return to competitive action, but his main focus is on putting in a performance to be proud of. “I’ve had wins which I have felt really down about after it as I feel I’ve held back or I just haven’t performed as well as I could have, and I’ve also had losses where I’ve been disappointed to lose but felt good about my performance.

With this fight I just want to go in and perform, the check list for me is really to have fun and just do my best and if I do that, I’ll be happy. Win or lose it doesn’t really matter, the fact I know now I can step back from a sport if I need to and just coach full time, I don’t have that same worry or extra pressure. I’m now fighting because I want to.”

His flyweight clash against Scott Malone on June 25th was originally set to take place last year, but Young was forced to pull out through injury and he feels that the delay has helped him to be better prepared to face the Scottish fighter.

“The fight was scheduled for August, but it was a disaster from start to finish with the training camp. I got injured, my training partners got injured and about halfway into it I thought my injuries might have healed up but then I ended up getting COVID and injured again, it was just a nightmare. The fight was meant to take place, but this is just a better time no, and this is a full and proper training camp. I am sore and beat up but I’m loving it and I will be as prepared as I can be for this fight.

Scott is a good and worthy opponent, high level judo, good experience himself, but this is his first fight at flyweight and dropping down a weight division is going to be a factor for him. Hopefully he comes in fit and healthy, I want the best Scott Malone I can fight. I make weight easy; I’ve always got great cardio and I just really want to show that engine in this fight. Scott is very well rounded, but I think the pace, pressure and me having that hometown advantage will make it really difficult for him and I’m hoping for a good win in this fight.”

Young doesn’t want this fight to be a flash in the pan with regards his return to the ring, and he is hopeful that a victory next month can be the first step to challenging again for a world title.

“I think this is the avenue to become a world champion again. Cage Warriors always put on a great show and I’m grateful to be back on it. This is hopefully going to be a total resurgence of my career and I’m glad to be back on the ladder again. I hold wins over some of the top guys in Cage Warriors and I want to win and put on a great performance to show not only am I back, but I’m back better than ever. I want to get streamlined to go right back to the top and I would love to get that third world title.”

Whilst he acknowledges that it will be hard to top defeating Dominque Wooding to clinch the world title in front of the home crowd in 2017, he still maintains that a win on his return would rank highly with his achievements in his career, “There are a lot of different things I am fighting for right now so to get that win in front of the home crowd would be incredible. It would mean a lot to me, my friends and family, and it would be up there with one of my best nights. I’m going to put a good performance in for everyone and just have fun.”

Lauren McCann is the Scoop’s Sport Editor and an English and Spanish student at Queen’s University Belfast.

Andy Young Set to Make Long Awaited Comeback at Cage Warriors Belfast Event