Photo by David Algranati/TheFightPhotos

Imagine: you’re an amateur boxer, an Irish-American from New York City, and you’re given the opportunity to turn professional at The Theater at Madison Square Garden one day before St. Patrick’s Day on a card that bills itself as “The Biggest Irish Boxing Card in New York City History.” If you’re Sean O’Bradaigh, you don’t have to imagine it; that’s his impending reality as he prepares to enter the paid ranks on the undercard of Callum Walsh’s clash with Dean Sutherland on Sunday evening. While watching the bulk of the card will require a subscription to UFC Fight Pass, O’Bradaigh’s professional bow, against fellow debutant Jose Manuel Florentine, will be streamed on the Fight Pass YouTube channel, free of charge.

O’Bradaigh recognizes it is a golden opportunity – one that, in fact, persuaded him it was time to take a step up from the amateur ranks.

“It's all thanks to my manager, David McGinley, who I met two years ago at the Irish nationals,” O’Bradaigh explained to BoxingScene this week. “We stayed in touch. He's been very helpful, creating opportunities for me.  I was speaking to him at the beginning of the year, first week of January, and I said, ‘Did you see that Callum Walsh card at the Garden on St. Patty's?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, don't worry, I'm already working on it. So, he worked his magic, and somehow, you know, had [promoter Tom Loeffler’s] contact info and made it work.”

Of course, boxers turn professional all the time, even if not all get to do so on such an attractive stage. What elevates O’Bradaigh’s story, however, is the fact that he is that rarest of breeds: a boxing college graduate. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty unusual,” O’Bradaigh acknowledges. “My parents didn't want me to box. They still don't. But when I was finishing high school, I told my parents I wanted to not go to college and pursue boxing fully. And they said, ‘You're crazy. Why would you ever do that?’ And so, I promised them that I would go to college, and I purposely picked a college that was in a big city, because at the time, my goal was to make the 2024 Olympics and I needed to be in a city for that. I couldn't be in a school like Amherst or somewhere in the middle of nowhere where I knew I wouldn’t be able to box. So, I picked NYU. I studied real estate finance. I finished my classes in December, and at the beginning of college I told myself that I would push the amateur career as much as possible, and if I had the opportunity to turn pro, I'd take it. And if not, I'd just use my degree and work a ‘regular’ job. But, yeah, it's been amazing.”

Entirely reasonably, his parents – a banker Irishman from Dublin and an actress from Belgium – remain deeply conflicted about their son’s journey.

“My parents have very mixed feelings,” O’Bradaigh continues. “They're both excited for me because I'm fulfilling my dream, but also they're worried about my health and what happens if things don't work out.” 

His amateur career saw him win the Ring Masters Championship (formerly the NY Golden Gloves) in the 165-pound novice class in 2023 and contested the 2024 176 pound open final but fell short of his goal to compete in Paris. He was contemplating which direction to follow next when the chance to turn pro on Sunday’s card helped make his decision for him.

“My goal was always to make the national team, which I didn't make, and I was bummed out about that,” he says. “But I also told myself I would, stop my amateur career at the end of college. Maybe I would have [without this opportunity], it's hard to say. Maybe I would have continued. Maybe I would have stopped boxing. Maybe I would have just turned pfox on another card, I don't know, but things were written perfectly.”

O’Bradaigh’s boxing journey began when he was 12 years old, set in motion by watching Ireland’s most notorious prizefighter.

“My dad's Irish friend came to stay with us in New York [in January 2015], and he said, ‘You guys have to watch this Irish guy fighting tonight.’ And so, I fell asleep on the couch, and they woke me up at midnight, and I looked up, and it was Conor McGregor walking out for his fight against Dennis Siver. And he walked out with a strut. They were supposed to touch gloves, and his opponent didn't want to touch gloves, so McGregor put up two middle fingers, which you can see through MMA gloves and then knocked him out. And I just thought, ‘That's the coolest thing I've ever seen. I want to learn how to do that.’ So, I started training. And then six months into training in MMA, the boxing coach was like, ‘Screw this MMA stuff. You should just stick to boxing.’ And then I went to a boxing gym six months in, and I was 14.  And six months after I started training, I sparked this kid who was 15 when I was 14, and I just beat the shit out of him. I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I'm pretty good at this.’”

Which is not to say that everything has been smooth sailing.

“I’ve had a lot of damage to my nose since I started boxing, which I don't like,” he admits. “It’s funny, because some people don't get that. Some people just have the type of nose that they never really screw up. But I've deviated my septum, broken my nose and all that, and I can't breathe through my nose very well. It’s one of those things where you don't think it's going to happen, and then it happens, so you're like, ‘Well, it already happened, so I might as well continue.’”

That’s just the kind of talk to make an anxious mother wince; but, says O’Bradaigh, he fully expects his parents to be ringside, even if his mother is unlikely actually to be watching.

“My mom just puts her face in her palm, but I convinced her to come. Every time I tell her, 'You're going to miss the most important day of my life.’ And she goes, ‘You said that last time.’ And I'm like, ‘Yeah, that's the whole point. It keeps getting more and more important.’ I hope when I fight for a world title, she'll be there.”

Kieran Mulvaney has written, broadcast and podcast about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He presently co-hosts the “Fighter Health Podcast” with Dr. Margaret Goodman. He also writes regularly for National Geographic, has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, and is at his happiest hanging out with wild polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com