UFC O2 Dublin = Uniting Friends Coming Over 2 Dublin!!!

It has been a busy and eventful week.  It was my first week of rehearsals with TEAM Educational Theatre Company this year alongside a new cast and stage manager.  We also saw yesterday Dublin, Ireland hosting the much-loved UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) at the O2 Arena.  I'm a big fan of the sport and MMA (mixed martial arts), however I didn't get tickets to go see the event as tickets prices were rather expensive (it was sold out eventually) and I imagined I could get a better view at the comforts in my home on the screen...

However, I'm not here to write up on how I was doing during my full week of rehearsals.  Nor will I go into details of what I thought of the highly entertaining UFC 93 (which was great, although I thought the main event Franklin really should have won by decision...).  Instead, I will tell you of the text message I received on my mobile cell phone during rehearsals on Friday afternoon, 16th Jan.  It was from a number unknown to me and it's prefix tells it's a UK number.  Now I have a good few friends from England so it's normal to hear from them now and again, but I had the greatest shock when I discovered the text message was from Masseeh, an old school friend back in my time in Liverpool who I have not seen for almost 12 years!!!!  Himself and another great friend of ours, Craig were coming to Ireland to see the UFC in Dublin so there was no question we have to meet up for the night.

I had lived in Liverpool, England for 4 years during my early teens.  There I went to secondary school where I met two of my best friends at the time, Masseeh Radfar and Craig McLoughlin.  When I moved back to Dublin, Ireland with my family in 1997 it was hard enough to keep in touch with them both, given the internet back in the days isn't as widespread as it is now and besides the odd occasional long distance phone call and odd letter here and there our contact eventually faded.

It was only about 3 years ago when by chance I was in touch with Masseeh again via msn.  It was great to learn himself and Craig had remained best friends to this day and they were both doing really well in their career and lives.  We had our conversations and catch ups over the year, but again with both our busy schedules the contact had slowly cooled once more.

Luckily enough Masseeh must have gotten hold of my mobile cell number during one of our msn chats and had kept it, otherwise I would have no idea that himself and Craig would be in Ireland and we wouldn't have had our chance reunion

Three best friends from Liverpool reunites in a pub in Dublin after 12 years!  It was one of those rather surreal moments that I didn't even expect to happen!!!   So I got to show them both (along with Craig's friends - Des, Chris, Matt - here in Dublin also to see the UFC) around Dublin, doing a bit of a pub crawl before hitting two nightclubs.  We got to do a good bit of catching up (a whole 10 years with Craig since that was when I last spoken to him!!!) and reminisced on your old school days.  The guys had not changed much - Masseeh with his usual crazy, animated humour, and Craig the well-mannered nice gentleman that is has always been (although he has piled on the muscles since I last saw him as a young teenager!!!) And as we downed our drinks we thought of the last time us three were together none of us were even allowed to touch a drop of alcohol!

We called it a night by 2:30am, as they all had a long day ahead with the UFC to look forward (and more drinks!) but as we said our goodbyes we promised to keep in touch, and this time most definitely.  The internet has made the world so much more a smaller place so there is no excuse really.

My closing words: I'm a believer that fighting doesn't solve anything.  However, if the UFC had not come to Dublin I don't think I would have had the opportunity to reunite with two of my best friends from Liverpool I thought I had lost.

Peace & Best Wishes,

Alan