Allan Phelan insists he’s not back from the dead—because he never actually left.
The Kildare fighter returns to the ring in Cork on Saturday night on the undercard of Tommy Hyde‘s latest home outing, ending a five-year absence from action and stepping out for the first time since winning the BUI Celtic title back in 2019.
And he’s buzzing.
“I’m very excited to be back, feels great,” he told Irish-Boxing.com as he gears up for fight night.
Phelan’s disappearance from the spotlight sparked talk of retirement, but the 30-something featherweight says he never closed the door—he just struggled to walk through it.
“No, I didn’t officially retire. I thought about it, but I feel like I have more to give with boxing and believe I can be up there with some of the best.”
Life, work, and the brutal business side of the sport all played a part in slowing his momentum, but he never drifted far from the grind.
“I’ve been training away, and life getting in the way, and finding it hard to get fights—but now it’s finally coming together.”
That 2019 Celtic title win was meant to be the moment that kicked the door open. Instead, it left him watching opportunity pass by.
“Very frustrated after my title fight when I thought it would have been the breakthrough I needed and getting big fights after it. But this is boxing.”
Now, with the engine running again, Phelan wants rhythm, rounds, and eventually, risk.
“The plan is to get a few fights under my belt and then jump into 50/50 fights or into the mix—big fights. Fans can expect an exciting fight, looking to get some rounds in and look good doing it. Get rid of the ring rust and then move on to the next one.”