Irish MMA fighter Sinead Kavanagh has reportedly been arrested after allegedly attacking two Spanish police officers called to deal with a disturbance on a Ryanair plane from Gran Canaria to Dublin
22:16, 25 Nov 2025
The woman in the clip is understood to be MMA fighter Sinead Kavanagh(Image: X)
Irish MMA fighter Sinead Kavanagh has reportedly been arrested after allegedly assaulting two Spanish police officers on a Ryanair flight from Gran Canaria to Dublin. It is understood the 39-year-old was said to have been detained on Monday evening and spent the night in the cells before appearing in court earlier today.
A wild clip posted to X shows a woman – understood to be Kavanagh – “tussling” with Civil Guard officers while shocked passengers watch. Although authorities have not confirmed the identity of the woman in the clip, it is understood the two Civil Guard officers allegedly attacked are now “off sick” due to their injuries…so read into that what you will.
The featherweight fighter Kavanagh, who is pals with Conor McGregor, is believed to have been released on bail pending an ongoing criminal investigation after appearing before a judge in a closed court hearing this morning.
The featherweight fighter is good pals with Conor McGregor (Image: pflmma)
The incident involving Kavanagh occurred as the plane was preparing for take-off around 7.30pm on Monday. One local newspaper, Atlantico Hoy, published footage of the fracas in the plane aisle said to involve Kavanagh.
A woman can be heard shouting in English in the video as she wrestles with two police officers struggling to control her. Another newspaper, Canarias 7, reported that the pilot requested police assistance after the flight crew was unable to manage Kavanagh’s “violent attitude.”
It stated: “When the officers arrived she resisted aggressively and hit the officers several times, leaving them with several injuries which led to them having to take time off work.”
MMA fighter Sinead Kavanagh is understood to have battled Civil Guards (Image: X)
Kavanagh was reportedly escorted to an airport cell after back-up arrived and four police officers joined her in a patrol car.
The story began to circulate in Spanish national media as well as local outlets in Gran Canaria last night.
A representative for the Civil Guard confirmed that a woman was arrested on Monday evening following a call to remove two “troublesome” passengers from a plane set to depart from Gran Canaria’s international airport.
She stated: “I’m not at liberty to confirm the identities of those passengers. What I can say is the pilot requested police presence because of two passengers who were causing problems on board a plane that was about to take off.
Conor McGregor has often cheered Kavanagh on from the sidelines(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“Officers were going to identify them and take them off the plane because the pilot had decided they weren’t going to fly.
“One of those passengers resisted and got into a tussle with officers and ended up being arrested. She spent the night in a police cell and was taken to court this morning.”
When asked if any officers had been assaulted and why she had been arrested, the police spokesperson said: “It was for disobedience towards a police officer. There was a tussle on board the plane but no assault as such.”
Kavanagh, originating from the Dublin suburb of Inchicore, is a five-time national boxing champion and competed alongside Katie Taylor on the Irish team that went to the World Championships in 2021.
Kavanagh became a mother at 17 (Image: Matt Mackey / Press Eye)
Following a string of losses, she hung up her gloves and transitioned into an MMA fighter. From April 2021 to July 2021, and again in March 2022, she held the 10th spot in the Women’s Featherweight division according to Fight Matrix.
Kavanagh became a mother at 17 and was made homeless when her son’s father passed away. Her mum survived a car crash her aunt and uncle died in when she was a child.
Sinead has spoken movingly in newspaper interviews about her sister’s battle with heroin and homelessness and her own determination to stay clear of drugs which she has admitted were “all around her” when she was younger.
Talking about her decision to give up boxing in 2014, she has said: “I got fed up with it. It was costing me to box. I had a son and was on me own.”
The Dubliner joined MMA aged 28, admitting she mopped floors at the gym where she started training because she had no money to pay.
She said of her love for her new sport in an interview in 2023: “It was a different breed. With boxing, it was like everyone was against you. I just found it a hostile environment. I was sick of it.
“So when I went to MMA it was a breath of fresh air. I couldn’t get over how family-orientated it was, everyone was cheering for each other.”
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