Irish MMA Fighter Arrested for Assaulting Officers on Flight

Irish mixed martial arts fighter Sinead Kavanagh was arrested Monday evening after allegedly assaulting two Spanish Civil Guard officers who boarded a Ryanair flight to address a disturbance at Gran Canaria Airport.

The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. local time on November 24, as the plane prepared for takeoff from the Canary Islands to Dublin. Flight crew reported Kavanagh's violent behavior during pre-departure procedures, prompting the pilot to request police assistance. Officers arrived to remove Kavanagh and another female passenger, but the situation escalated when Kavanagh resisted their instructions. According to local reports, she repeatedly struck the officers, one male and one female, during a struggle in the aircraft aisle. Passenger video footage captured the confrontation, showing Kavanagh grappling with the officers as bystanders urged, "Don't do this! Please!"

The officers sustained injuries requiring medical attention, with both placed on sick leave. Backup arrived to subdue Kavanagh, and she was escorted from the plane by four officers in a patrol vehicle. She spent the night in an airport holding cell before appearing at a closed-door hearing in Telde...