This is an early candidate for Twitter feud of the year
Irish MMA fans were treated to a massively entertaining war of words between two Irish fighters this weekend. The action kicked off when Derry welterweight Tommy Quinn sent out a tweet imploring the public to pressure the UFC to sign more Irish athletes to their roster.
https://twitter.com/tommyq89/status/553602430886486018
Quinn cited Conor McGregor, Norman Parke and Neil Seery as the catalysts for the recent influx of Irish fighters into the world's largest MMA promotion. He asked the public to get behind fighters such as Paul Redmond, Tommy McCafferty,Ryan Roddy, Alan Philpott and, naturally enough, himself and start a campaign to get them signed up by Uncle Dana.
However, Artem Lobov, who trains under John Kavanagh at Dublin's Straight Blast Gym seemed to take offence to not being named in Quinn's post. The featherweight implied that Quinn's lack of fights in recent years means that he was undeserving of a UFC contract.
https://twitter.com/prospectkiller/status/553605444959490048
An MMA scribe tried to insert some humour into the clearly tense situation. Unfortunately for the writer, it came at the the expense of Lobov. Another Irishman, Peter Queally entered into the fray. Queally contested that Quinn, who fights out of Newcastle, England, was some sort of a turncoat.
https://twitter.com/powerhousemma/status/553610782806913024
https://twitter.com/peterqueally/status/553638412864192515
https://twitter.com/prospectkiller/status/553640710864650240
https://twitter.com/tommyq89/status/553647940989112321
The journo, perhaps foolishly, brought up the fact that the first Irish fighter to be signed to the promotion, Tom Egan, is now based in the States. Queally came back with a below the belt burn to put him in his place. The Ultimate Fighter 19 contestant, Chris 'The Killing' Fields thoroughly enjoyed the retort.
https://twitter.com/powerhousemma/status/553639295559675904
https://twitter.com/peterqueally/status/553640800920551425
https://twitter.com/chrisfieldsmma/status/553650529961000960
While all this was going on, Quinn and Lobov continued to slug it out. Cue hilarity.
https://twitter.com/tommyq89/status/553606559637733376
https://twitter.com/prospectkiller/status/553608093062668288
https://twitter.com/tommyq89/status/553609101201383424
https://twitter.com/prospectkiller/status/553609343107870720
https://twitter.com/prospectkiller/status/553609735032033280
https://twitter.com/tommyq89/status/553610452346085377
https://twitter.com/tommyq89/status/553612540585189377
https://twitter.com/chrisfieldsmma/status/553615028868628480
https://twitter.com/MMAFERGUSON1/status/553616554324426752
https://twitter.com/FergOFMMA/status/553617036711305216
https://twitter.com/tommyq89/status/553617277846028288
https://twitter.com/prospectkiller/status/553621068284702720
https://twitter.com/tommyq89/status/553621305304817664
https://twitter.com/prospectkiller/status/553622903624056832
https://twitter.com/tommyq89/status/553623403446693888
https://twitter.com/tommyq89/status/553623808075399171
