Ireland/Spain: Irish MMA fighter Sinead Kavanagh was arrested in Spain after allegedly assaulting two Civil Guard officers who were called to address a disturbance on a Ryanair flight from Gran Canaria to Dublin.
The 39-year-old athlete was detained on Monday evening and spent the night in a police holding cell before appearing in court on Tuesday morning. Local media reported that the two officers involved have taken medical leave due to injuries sustained during the confrontation.
Kavanagh, a featherweight fighter and known associate of Conor McGregor, has reportedly been released on bail pending an ongoing criminal investigation after a closed-door hearing before a judge.
Incident Occurred Before Takeoff
The altercation took place around 7:30 p.m. on Monday, as the aircraft was preparing for departure. According to Atlantico Hoy, which published footage of the incident, a woman—identified by local sources as Kavanagh—was seen shouting in English while struggling with two Civil Guard officers attempting to restrain her. One of the officers appeared to be female.
Another Gran Canaria newspaper, Canarias 7, reported that the flight crew requested police assistance after being unable to manage Kavanagh’s “violent attitude.”
The outlet stated: “When the officers arrived, she resisted aggressively and struck the officers several times, leaving them with injuries that required medical leave.”
Backup was called, and Kavanagh was subsequently removed from the aircraft and transported in a patrol vehicle to an airport holding cell, where she remained overnight.
Civil Guard Statement
A spokesperson for the Civil Guard confirmed that a woman was arrested on Monday evening after the pilot requested assistance to remove two “troublesome” passengers.
“I cannot confirm their identities,” the spokesperson said. “The pilot requested police presence because two passengers were causing problems and were not permitted to fly. One passenger resisted and became involved in a physical struggle with officers before being arrested. She was held overnight and taken to court the following morning.”
When asked whether officers had been assaulted, the spokesperson added: “The arrest was for disobedience toward a police officer. There was a physical struggle, but no assault in the legal sense.”
Background on Sinead Kavanagh
Kavanagh, from Inchicore in Dublin, is a former five-time national boxing champion who competed alongside Katie Taylor at the 2021 World Championships. After a series of defeats, she transitioned to mixed martial arts, where she earned recognition in the featherweight division.
She was ranked No. 10 in Women’s Featherweight by Fight Matrix during several periods between 2021 and 2022.
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