Nathan Kelly opens up on Bellator and PFL $1m possibilities after main event success in Dublin
- Seb Sternik
- 12 December 2023
Nathan Kelly revealed he is open to competing in the PFL’s $1m tournament after beating Dimitry Solimeis last Friday night.
Kelly picked up a first-round submission victory over the Frenchman in the main event of PFL Europe finals in Dublin.
The 26-year-old is on a nine-fight winning streak, with his last four coming on PFL cards.
The Irishman was not part of the inaugural PFL Europe tournament in 2023, though he could appear in the $1m global tournament over in the United States.
“There’s been so many plans thrown my way and things have changed,” said Kelly when asked about his next step.
“I don’t know. All I can do is control each fight, win each fight, go back to the gym and see what they offer me.
“I’m open to discuss whatever. Obviously, I want to get into the million-dollar tournament if I can, but even if they gave me a fight on Bellator, I wouldn’t give a s**t. Give me fights, let me fight. Once I’m active, I’m happy.”
Kelly has been on a rollercoaster ride over the last few years. The Irish fighter started his pro career with back-to-back defeats and struggled with his mental health.
In a short space of time, Kelly went from stacking the shelves at Aldi to linking up with John Kavanagh and fighting for PFL at Madison Square Garden last August.
“It’s unreal,” he said. “I feel like it’s all happened so fast, I feel it all happened in a blink of an eye.
“Before I know it, I’m headlining a card at 3Arena. I’m just taking it all in my stride. I’m really proud of myself. From being such a shy and anxious kid to being a confident lad headlining 3Arena.
“It’s a real full circle moment and I’m just really proud of myself.”
When asked about his newly found confidence, Kelly added: “Sometimes you’re reserved when other people are around. It’s one of these things.
“I’ve read a lot of books and it’s one of the things I learned is when you realise you don’t care what anyone else thinks, the easier life becomes.
“I just don’t give a f**k what anyone thinks, I’m just doing my own thing. People might like it, people might not like it. But I’m just being me.”
