Irish MMA fighter beats Israeli soldier, shouts 'Free Palestine' in viral moment

An Irish MMA fighter sparked cheers and online praise after defeating an Israeli soldier in the ring and using his victory to shout “Free Palestine”.

Paddy McCorry, 27, scored a unanimous win over Israel’s Shuki Farage — a former member of the Israeli military — during the Cage Warriors 189 event in Rome on Saturday.

McCorry dominated the match, landing repeated strikes on Farage before sending him crashing to the mat. As the bout ended, viral footage showed McCorry towering over his opponent, shouting “Free Palestine” — a moment that fired up the crowd, with many joining the chant.

He later posted a clip of the confrontation on his X account, captioning it “Street justice” alongside the Irish and Palestinian flags.

As the referee declared McCorry the winner, the Irishman was draped in the Palestinian flag and used the announcement to repeat his message: “Free Palestine.”