Paddy Donovan to make pro debut on Oct. 11 in Belfast

Paddy Donovan, a 13-time Irish amateur champion, will make his pro debut on the Oct. 11 card at Belfast’s historic Ulster Hall, part of an MTK Global show headlined by a flyweight fight between Jay Harris and Paddy Barnes.

Donovan, who signed with Top Rank earlier this summer, is still very young, a southpaw with potential big upside. There was talk of him debuting on Michael Conlan’s Aug. 3 card, but that didn’t happen, and now he’s set for October.

Donovan, who fought at 132 pounds in the amateurs, will debut at 147, apparently, with Andy Lee serving as his trainer and manager.

“The Ulster Hall is an iconic boxing venue and I’m excited to be making my debut there in front of the Belfast crowd,” Donovan said. “My goal is to be a world champion and there’s no better place than Belfast to start this journey.”

“Paddy is an exceptional talent,” said Lee. “He has all the ingredients to become a world champion. It’s exciting to work with him and help him fulfill his dream.”

The show will stream live on ESPN+ in the United States.