Nate Kelly warns opponent of ‘rude awakening’ as Conor McGregor prodigy steps onto PFL stage

Eight years ago, Nate ‘The Great’ went viral after stealing the show during a UFC press conference.

At the age of 11, Kelly got on the mic and promised UFC supremo Dana White and Conor McGregor he would one day become world champion.

Kelly is currently an amateur fighter, though unlike most amateurs, the teenagers next fight will kick off a major PFL show in Dublin’s 13,000 capacity 3Arena.

The youngster will take on Calum Seaton on the PFL Europe Dublin undercard and has vowed to put on a show.

“I’m extremely confident,” Kelly told Planet Sport. “I’m almost too confident.

“I’ve watched a bit of tape on him [Seaton]. I was extremely bored because there’s not much engagement. All he does is hug people.

“I think he’s assured of doing that with me, but he’s going to be in for a rude awakening if he tries any of that stuff with me.

“I’m going to make this exciting. He’s going to try to do the opposite, but I’m going to make it an exciting fight and he’s not going to be able to keep up.”

PFL Europe Dublin is a culmination of the PFL’s inaugural European season, with four $100k championship fights taking place.

With Kelly’s fight taking place on the same card, his bout – while amateur – has a professional feeling around it.

“The build-up, the hype and everything around it, it’s like a big professional fight,” he said. “That’s what it feels like.

“I think it suits me because I train like a professional and I do everything a professional would. The only difference is when I step in there, there’s a slight change in the rules.

"But preparation, everything that I do, the day to day life, I try live and train like a professional. So it suits me well to have this type of build-up and hype behind the fight.

“Such a big crowd, big arena, big platform to showcase my skills. It does have that big fight feeling.”

Fans can catch the 19-year-old in action this Friday night live on DAZN.