Peter Queally Hoping To Bring Fight Nights Global To Ireland With Win Against Khamitov

SBG lightweight Peter Queally is known as a fighter who lives up to the ‘anytime, anyplace, anywhere’ mantra and he will prove it again a week on Friday when he heads to Kazakhstan to take on hometown man, Kuat Khamitov (20-5-1) .

Queally (10-4) is coming off the back of a loss to Islam Begidov back in August, but on Nov. 26, he will get the opportunity to put all that behind him when he takes on one of Fight Nights Global’s premier 155-pounds talents.

Speaking exclusively to MMANytt.com today, Queally explained why his loss to Begidov didn’t have a big impact on his progression up the Fight Nights Global rankings and why fighting Khamitov is such a big opportunity for him.

“I think most people who watched that fight could see who the better fighter was,” Queally said. “He just kind of had a good night that night and kind of got out alive. Fight Nights can see it too, because where is my next fight? It’s a main event, five rounds against a guy who has fought for the belt. So they know what’s up.

“I’m not really that bothered and where’s Islam? He’s nowhere.”

Fighting in Khamitov was always the plan, but Queally went on to reveal that he did Fight Nights a favour by taking the Begidov fight on short notice when they found themselves in a hole.

“I was supposed to fight Khamitov pretty much on this date, like end of November they said,” Queally said. “At that time I was like, this is so far away I want to fight again. So they actually had a pull out then for that Sochi show where Islam’s opponent pulled out and they asked me if I would do and I said yeah of course.

“This was the fight they wanted to make all along so that was just a little detour that they didn’t really plan on and I didn’t really plan on, but I was happy to do it. Nothing has really changed in the plans really. This was always going to be the fight they were going to make and now It’s happening. Once I beat him, that little bad taste in the mouth from Begidov will have been forgotten. Khamitov is ranked so highly, it’s going to wash over that.”

(Photo: Fight Nights Global)

Fighting in enemy territory isn’t something new to Queally, but he always has some of his SBG teammates alongside him. Accompanying him on his trip to Kazakhstan will be two men who will return to his side for the first time since Oct. 2016.

“Dylan [Tuke] came with me to Russia and Cian [Cowley] came with me to Sochi, but this time, it’s probably going to be Artem [Lobov] and John [Kavanagh],” Queally said. “Artem would always be my number one cornerman, but the last two times he’s just been unavailable and he’s been away with Conor, so he will be back from that this time.”

A win over Khamitov will propel Queally right into thick of things in Fight Night’s 155-pounds division. The Irishman revealed that the Russian promotion have some exciting plans for 2018 and that they are likely heading to the Emerald Isle.

“What I want after this, is to beat Khamitov, that puts me right up there on top of the heap then,” Queally said. “After that I want them to come do a show in Dublin, that’s what I wanted all along. That’s what I said to them. I said I’d beat Begidov, beat Khamitov and then I said I wanted them to come do a show in the 3 Arena next year and they want to do it.

“I think if I beat Khamitov that’s going to happen next. A big opponent for me, maybe I could fight Diego Brandao or someone because the Irish fans know him and he’s signed with Fight Nights, or someone else, whatever. It doesn’t matter to be honest, but that’s my next plan.

“Get past Khamitov and then try and do a show in Dublin.”

Queally later added:

“They [Fight Nights Global] plan to expand next year anyway.

“They plan to do more shows in Europe and even the US next year so that’s in their plans anyway.”

“So now I’m there, Ireland is an attractive spot to do a fight so I brought that idea to them then. If they want to do Europe anyway, then why not come to Dublin.

“It’s pretty much the fight capital of Europe these days. I think that’s a no brainer and they seem on-board with that so it’s just down to me now to go out there, do the business and beat Khamitov and making that happen.”

Listen to the full interview: