"Free Palestine": Irish MMA fighter defeats IDF soldier linked to Gaza atrocities
Irish MMA fighter Paddy McCorry was captured on camera shouting "Free Palestine" as he dismantled IDF soldier Shuki Farage at Cage Warriors 189.
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In a rare moment of catharsis after more than 20 months of war and devastation, an Irish MMA fighter shouted “Free Palestine” while dominating his Israeli opponent—an IDF soldier implicated in the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Gaza.
Paddy McCorry, a 27-year-old fighter with a 6-1 professional record and a stint on The Ultimate Fighter, defeated Israel’s Shuki Farage during Saturday night’s Cage Warriors 189 event in Rome, Italy. The event was streamed on the UFC Fight Pass streaming service, with footage from the fight reshared across social media.
Even McCorry shared some footage from the beatdown, along with the caption “Street Justice.”
McCorry went on to raise the Palestinian flag after being declared the victor by unanimous decision, putting an end to his opponent’s undefeated streak.
Farage, meanwhile, has deactivated his Instagram and Facebook accounts—particularly after it emerged that he had participated in the ongoing atrocities in Gaza as an IDF soldier. Nevertheless, screenshots from his Instagram, showing him in uniform and armed in front of a destroyed building in Gaza, continue to circulate widely across social media.
Farage trains out of the Michaelson Brothers MMA gym in Ramla, Israel. The gym is home to at least one other IDF soldier-turned-MMA fighter in Crob Pugliesi, who was injured while serving in Gaza last year. Meanwhile, the gym’s founder, Daniel Michaelson, has repeatedly shared dehumanizing posts calling for the killing of Palestinians in Gaza, including a recent post in which he declared “No one there [Gaza] is innocent.. Take them all down.”
Less than 24 hours prior to McCorry’s victory, Jens Laerke—a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)—announced that 100 percent of the 2.3-million population of Gaza is now on the verge of “catastrophic hunger” and that Gaza is the “hungriest place on Earth.” That same day, 20 people were shot by IDF soldiers as they desperately tried to get food at a GHF aid distribution point. Another ten people were killed earlier that week as they tried to access food distribution points, with images showed many being herded into cage-like lines.
The ongoing ethnic cleansing of Gaza—including the use of mass starvation as a weapon by the IDF and Israel’s far-right government—has fueled widespread outrage and despair across the globe. For many, this context makes McCorry’s victory deeply symbolic.
In the cage, Farage was more than just an opponent; he represented the machinery of occupation and violence. His defeat at the hands of an Irish fighter openly proclaiming solidarity with Palestine felt, for some, like a rare moment of justice—however symbolic—for those mourning the mass extermination of Palestinians and resisting the ongoing war.
While an MMA fight won’t bring back the dead, nor will it alleviate the suffering of the victims in Gaza, nor the Israeli hostages who remain in captivity, it is a reminder of the extent of the opposition to the Israeli government’s genocidal intent.
Ahead of the fight, Michaelson posted a challenge to Farage, asking him to predict the outcome. “I will take him down and ground and pound his face,” Farage replied. Little did he know, he’d be the one taken down and pummelled while the crowd erupted with chants of “Free Palestine.”
Farage came in with bravado and threats. He left battered, with “Free Palestine” ringing in his ears. In the end, this wasn’t just another MMA fight; it was political, and Farage lost on both fronts.
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At last there is a real villain in the ring. Free Palestine!