Tiernan Hogan interview (Aug 2026)

Summary

Tiernan Hogan will step into the cage for the alpha project this weekend, the alpha project is a program that brings ordinary people from couch to cage Brian Coyle a former competitor of the alpha project spoke to him about the program and how he's feeling to be stepping in…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

This Saturday, Healey Park sees the season 6 finale of the Alpha Project. I'm joined here by one of the participants who'll be making the walk for the first time this Saturday as he gets to experience what we've all got to experience whenever we've took part in the alpha project. Joined here today by Tieran Hogan. How are you? >> The very best. Brian, how are you getting on? >> Oh, I'm I'm good. I'm good. It's actually so good to like talk to people who it seems so fresh in my mind that I that I did this that I made this walk. I've actually fought twice on the alpha project. Um, first time I I I done it at 42 years old. Um, November 24. >> Um, said I would never do it again and then ended up doing it uh November 25. Um, where where did you first become aware of the Alpha Project or what made you want to get involved in trying it? >> Oh, uh, I first came aware of it um by a friend you know Tan Mhalland. He fought in the Alpha project. Do you know him? >> Yeah. from Aaron. >> I think it was him who let me know about it. I can't fully remember though, but that's where I got like introduced to it and then I said I'd do this season, then the next season, then the next season, then finally H showed up. So, you know, that that's that's how I discovered it. Yes. >> And how have you found the training? What's it been like training? Are you are you an guy originally or where do you come from? >> Um well, see, I live in the very bottom of Format. I live in New Town Butler so I'm quite far from I did boxing but and then I went to earn wrestling for a wee bit and then I I did the starter program uh with powder in yeah that's that's how I started it. >> So the the the when you started to do this program this was your first time ever to train MMA. Had you ever trained any kind of combat sport before that? >> Yeah I did boxing for years. Um moved around a few clubs and I loved it. So yeah, I decided to see I've always been a big fan of the UFC. So I [clears throat] decided to give it a go and swap over to Gage fighting. Brilliant. And how did you find the transition then from like, you know, being on the feet um throwing hands to now being in a position where people are going to grab you, they're going to try and take you down, they're going to try and wrestle you. How how big of a how was that for you? Did you find it strange at the start? >> Yeah. Yeah, it it was in it was insanely difficult. Like, you know, you were going in there and, you know, my boxing was good, but like I just couldn't deal with the kicking. I could not get my head around it for the longest time and it was really frustrating because, you know, you do the boxing so long and you're you're quite good at it. You know, you know what you're at. And then all of a sudden, you step into the MMA, the cage fight, and you're you're back to square one near enough. You know what I mean? >> Um, how how have you found the training? What's it been like training with the guys? cuz a lot of you guys that are doing this this season of the alpha project are actually doing it for the first time. So you're kind of all coming in with the same mentality. You do then have the the older guys that have done two or three two or three alpha projects. Some have done five alpha projects. Um were were you constantly talking to the people? Were you asking advice or were you just head down and and trying to get through it? >> Well, uh a lot of it was you know you were kind of head down but I'm I'm a very like chatty person so I got to know all the lads. They were lovely people. Um, I mean they were just good people like you know what what else can I say like you know uh just got to chat got to know them pretty much like you know is there anything else you want me to elaborate on that? No, no, not really. Cuz I kind of understand because whenever I done my first season of the Alpha Project, I went down to train in Evolve down in Derry. Now I've been around MMA for nearly 20 years. Never ever thought about doing it. So I thought I was kind of, you know, go there like kind of I know everything. I know people. I've been around the world working in MMA. And what I found was it was a very very humbling experience to actually meet these guys that have a similar interest that were in the same boat as me. And I actually 100% the guys that I met in that first season of Alpha Project are now my lifelong friends. Did you find that too? Did you find that there was a real camaraderie? And >> uh my friend Robert uh who I met through the Alpha Project I met Fabian, you know Fabian, don't you as well? >> Yes. Yes. >> Well, but me and I got very close with Robert and then uh Fabian or however however you pronounce it. >> It's or the other. But uh yeah, I got quite close with them guys. They're quite nice lads. So >> brilliant. And then now it's it's fight week now. So like it seems like how many weeks ago was it 12 weeks, 16 weeks you've been doing? >> Yeah. It's kind of flew by. It's just like >> Yeah. And and now now it's upon you. How are you feeling now in fight week? >> I feel great. I feel confident. I'm happy flick. >> Have you got the butterflies? Have you got the nervous excitement? >> Um a touch of it here and there. You know, I had enough of that with the boxing. The nerves used to eat at me. Like it used to kill me. But um you know I just kind of I've adapted a wee bit and I don't feel too too nervous. It does kind of hit me sometimes. I'm you know [ __ ] I'm gonna fight this fight. You know he's bigger than me thinks he's a weight class above kind of and uh you know like this that's what it is. But I'm happy confident. >> Yeah. Well the the difference between your season and the season I did is is the guy that the two guys that I thought I actually wasn't I weren't they weren't training in the same gym as me. Um this season the Alpha Project has went back to basics. It's all um the way it was the very very first season. So you've actually you'll be fighting Anthony. >> Mhm. >> So you've actually been training with your opponent. Did you know from the start you were going to be fighting him or did the matchups just kind of develop as the training progressed? >> Well, funny funny story. I'll give you this. Right. So Anthony, I think he was still kind of on the boat. Sorry. He was still deciding if he wanted to fight or not. And I remember I asked him, I said, "Who do you think you'd be fighting if you did?" And he goes, "I don't actually know." I said, "I don't know who you'd fight either." And we had just sparred before and we were given he was giving me a bit of advice. I was giving him a bit of advice and it was just so funny because the next weeks the next week or two, then it was announced that I was going to fight him and I was like, "Fuck me. What are the odds like?" But I think I was originally meant to fight Kyle or Marco if you know them two lads. >> Yes. Yes. I >> It was between us four fighting amongst each other. I don't really know but uh it bared me up a van though in the end. >> And then when whenever you the the kind of the first big step of of getting ready for the fight as well as the training is when you first see your poster. How did it feel when you first seen the poster and then reality set in that this is going to happen? >> Well, uh I mean I knew it was going to be posted that day because I hadn't been able to go down to training. I was at a wedding. I was in England for a wee bit. So, I missed a couple of sessions and he was like, "Look, I need a photo off you for the for the fight for the poster." And I said, "Or no water." I said, "I'll take one now." So, I propped it up in the bathroom in this hotel just on like this soap dispenser. I just took the photo. But whenever I had I had seen it though, it was it was a it's a nice feeling like, you know, it's it uh I think I think that's something great that the Alpha Project does. Uh whereas like whenever I box and all, they don't do that kind of stuff for amateur anyway. But >> yeah, the the the the beauty of the Alpha Project is it's it's a novice fight. It's controlled, you know, user watched and and matched accordingly throughout the thing. But then you're also getting to fight on a big show with the production, you know, the same as the likes of, you know, Damian McKenna has fought in this show. Um, you know, Brian Manning who who was his last home fight was was on that show before he took off. You know, it's it's like this is a big show. It's got the the bells and whistles. It's got the production. It's got just content. who's who produce phenomenal the the the production that they have for Fight Night is just phenomenal. >> But the the the kind of thing that nobody really prepares you for until you actually get there. How hard is it to pick a walkout song? >> Well, I mean well see I didn't really have to look. My mate made a song tunes and I I'm just using that. It's not released yet. So that's that was kind of my thing. But I think if I had to pick something else I think it would be kind of hard. Yes. you think so you let that uh you're like oh that'll be easy to pick and you leave it till the last month and then you're kind of like [ __ ] what I choose like you know >> yeah I think my my both times I I had like six different songs and I was just sitting in the car just had them on a playlist just going through imagining myself walking out to each song um yeah it was kind of one of the one of the hardest things um it's all kicking off this Saturday um what's it going to be like have you got a lot of friends coming are are you going to be watching are they going to be watching at home or they going to be live in person have actually ever been to a Vertus before to see the at the event. >> Yeah, I went to the last Vertus [clears throat] show. But um no, see I have I have a good few people come with me like you know family, a few friends. A lot of them are going to Calvin Harris still. That's the main thing. So that's the only thing. But I think I've got maybe six, maybe seven, eight mates, something like that. like >> yeah that's that's the the the beauty of the way it's all set up is you'll be you'll be upstairs you'll be out of the road the way he park is is there's windows you can actually look down watch the event without leaving your changing room and and it's good I always tell everybody that um the the first chance you get you know go down and have a walk around and kind of get a feel for the atmosphere of the of the venue because you don't want to be experiencing that for the first time as you walk out in case you get overwhelmed. Um it's it's the most amazing experience. What I the advice I will give you is take everything in with a walk out. Take it all in. Take your time. Um the the the first time I did it, I was just head down and and walking out to the thing walking out the cage. I wish I had took it in. Are you draw So when you say you boxed, you actually competitively boxed. There was actually matches. Did you do box at the county level? >> Uh county? >> Yeah. >> No, I didn't box county level. Well, I mean I don't know what you mean by county level. Like I was boxing for Formana. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> No, no. As in as in the the the regional the within Forana. >> Oh yeah. Well, I mean I went down to Dublin and uh where else did I go? No, I think the furthest was Dublin. >> Down the National Stadium. >> Boxed up near Belfast. Uh I was meant to have another fight up there, but I've been over the place anyway. I've been all over from Anakina, you know. Well, >> and had you been boxing right up until your alpha project training? Um I think well so what it was is I did the boxing for ages and then it was like last September I did the 10 week program h and I hadn't boxed in the club since I did a lot of like going to the gym and stuff and uh that kind of work. I did a bit of boxing at home but no not really till the alpha started up again. >> Perfect. So it's all going to be kicking off this Saturday night. Um Haley Park and which is you're from Manaman. we don't really know the the the feeling of of a Terrone when whenever you're from Terron Hilly Haley Park is our mecca for sports. There's been loads of combat sports in Healy Park, mostly on the pitch from the from the Terrone GA, man. But now it's nice to actually have like legitimate um controlled fights. >> Um how how are you feeling then? So are we are we excited now? Are we getting ready to go? What's the training going to be like this week? Obviously you're going to be like tapering down. Yeah. Well, tonight it's just uh showing up something easy. That's what Jerry had said to us. >> Bit of a sweat on. >> See what the crack is. Yeah. Get a bit of a sweat in, I guess. See, it's long for me. Like I'm an hour drive there, an hour drive back. So, it's like [ __ ] me, you know? But >> here has to be done, doesn't it? Look. >> Yeah. So, um it's all going to kick off this Saturday night. Um the Alpha Project season 6 finale as part of Vertus 5. It's going to be Healy Park and Ma. Tickets are on sale. You can get your tickets from the fighter. You can buy your tickets online. It also will be streamed live on pay-per-view. You can watch it live. And even if you don't get to see it on the night, you can watch it the next day. Uh you'll get to see um the as well as the is there six or eight Alpha Project fights? >> Five of them. As well as the the Alpha Project guys, a few of them who'll be making the walk for the first time. You'll also get to see some really really good novice amateur and pro fights. Vertus is one of the top top MMA promotions up in the Northwest and it's a great starting point for some of the best fighters that have went on to Cage Warriors. Um Tan will make his MMA debut this week. Who knows what the future holds. He could keep at it. He could keep going. Um and he could be one of the faces that you're looking at in the future. All the best this Saturday. Um wish you all the luck. I will see you there. I will be wrapping hands at the start and then I will be commentating on your fights. So hopefully do you a bit of justice. Thank you very much for your time and uh all the best. Enjoy Saturday. >> Have a lovely day and I will too. You too now. Right. >> Thank you very much.