An Irish female mixed martial arts fighter has been taken into custody following an alleged physical confrontation with two Spanish police officers who boarded a Ryanair aircraft to address a passenger disturbance.
Flight Incident Details
Sinead Kavanagh, aged 39, was detained on Monday evening after the altercation occurred on a Gran Canaria to Dublin flight as it prepared for departure around 7.30pm. According to Spanish media reports, the incident unfolded when flight crew requested police assistance after being unable to manage what was described as Kavanagh's "violent attitude".
Local newspaper Canarias 7 reported that when officers arrived at the aircraft, she resisted aggressively and struck the officers multiple times, resulting in injuries that subsequently required both officers to take sick leave from duty.
Court Proceedings and Aftermath
The featherweight fighter, who is known to be friends with UFC star Conor McGregor, spent the night in a police cell before making a court appearance earlier today. Following a closed hearing, Kavanagh was released on bail pending an ongoing criminal investigation.
Spanish publication Atlantico Hoy released footage showing the struggle in the plane aisle, with a woman heard shouting in English while grappling with two police officers who appeared to be struggling to restrain her. One of the uniformed Civil Guard officers involved in the incident appeared to be female.
Background and Career
Kavanagh, who comes from the Dublin suburb of Inchicore, has an impressive combat sports history. She previously achieved five national boxing championships and competed alongside Katie Taylor on the Irish team that participated in the 2021 World Championships.
After experiencing several losses in boxing, she transitioned to mixed martial arts, where she reached number 10 in the Women's Featherweight rankings according to Fight Matrix, maintaining that position from April to July 2021 and again in March 2022.
The case continues to develop, with Spanish national media outlets now covering the story alongside local Gran Canaria publications. Neither the courts nor the Civil Guard have provided official statements regarding the incident at this time.
