Lydia Des Dolles joins us for episode #069 of Paddy Holohan's No Shame Podcast. Lydia is the creator of MMA Connect TV, a panelist on Virgin media's Elaine show & 2018 winner of the coveted 'Rising Star in New Media' Award, an honour granted by the prestigious All-Ireland Business Summit.
On this weeks podcast Lydia talks about her previous career in music, in which she fronted the popular band Sweet Jane. The group were signed by a record label & toured the world however like all good bands, tempers flared, with clashes of ego & creative differences. Lydia explains how alcohol & prescription drugs helped her get from gig to gig, but ultimately after years on the road she could no longer work with the rest of the band & walked away from it.
Watch episode #069 of Paddy Holohan's No Shame Podcast below:
In the aftermath of leaving the band Lydia felt she'd hit rock bottom & it was in that moment she was introduced to the world of jiu jitsu, by a mutual friend with a black belt in judo. Lydia explains how BJJ gave her a new focus in life, she joined East Coast, fell in love with the sport & it helped her to address other demons she'd been battling from her past. BJJ became an obsession, an obsession that has since earned her a blue belt with 4 stripes.
Lydia started to attend local fight shows & competitions, using Snapchat to record snippets of each event. The clips gained traction in the local scene & people would ask her to send more snaps at each event she went to, since there was no other coverage. After spending time working in PR & promotions for various organisations including BAMMA, Lydia saw a gap in the market which lead to the origins of MMA Connect TV, a social broadcast platform that promotes grassroots combat sports. MMA Connect TV covers all levels of combat sport from amateur to professional & has become the leading platform of it's kind across Ireland & the UK.
Listen to episode #069 of Paddy Holohan's No Shame Podcast below:
Lydia has interviewed everyone worth knowing in the Irish MMA scene, including The Champ Champ, 'The Notorious' Conor McGregor. MMA Connect TV has given so many up & coming fighters an online platform to speak, offering top level coverage at all events from the local gym hall to some of the biggest arenas in Ireland & the UK.
Paddy & Lydia also offer their opinions on transgender athletes, discuss the weekend's action across the local MMA scene, action that featured a strong contingent from SBG D24. Paddy also addresses the announcement of Team Ryano's Andy Ryan as head coach of the Irish MMA National squad for junior & senior & what it means for the sport. Paddy has also been named as Assistant Coach on the National Panel & explains what his role will be.
Lydia's work has also been recognised by traditional media, proving a popular edition to Virgin Media's 'Elaine Show'. Lydia talks about some of the differences between new & older media platforms, along with the click bait culture of certain areas of journalism.
Lydia is the type of person who will take a chance & go for it, worrying about the consequences later. The gritty determination she's shown has lead to award winning success in her career, showing true entrepreneurship qualities. This is a refreshingly honest, upfront, inspiring & conversation about bouncing back & finding through happiness. If you're not in the mood for a few rounds after this then you need to take up Jiu Jitsu, immediately.
Episode #069 of Paddy Holohan's No Shame Podcast with Lydia Des Dolles is out now across all the usual platforms. Check it out now & if you're a fan of Irish MMA be sure to subscribe to MMA Connect TV, it really is a fantastic platform for the domestic scene.
