A Co Armagh MMA fighter has opened up on the mental health battle he overcame after Covid-19 stalled his life.
Daire Toman returns to action next Sunday, September 25 at Clan Wars 45 at the Crown Plaza Hotel.
He takes on Ciaran Breslin in a headline bantamweight title fight at the Belfast venue.
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Two years ago Toman was struggling to get to grips with the coronavirus pandemic, with his MMA career and life left in limbo due to Covid restrictions.
The 31-year-old admits he replaced his training and healthy lifestyle with alcohol to dull the monotony of life, a trend many of his friends and gym mates also followed.
"During lockdown, a lot of guys I train with in the gym were feeling it with our mental health. I was struggling as well," he told Belfast Live.
"When Covid hit and gyms shut down, I had no job and no gym. My mates and I started turning to drink and things, and it wasn't good.
"During Covid everyone was stuck in the house and there was nothing to do. Everyone suffered because of it. In MMA there were no fights happening. Everything was cancelled and there was no purpose to your life. Every day was the same.
"I went to the doctors and they wanted to give me medication, but I didn't want to go down that route. I never wanted to resort to medication."
It was during some of Toman's darkest moments that he found a positive, enrolling on a mental health coaching course.
The six-month programme resulted in him earning a qualification, something he is able to use in his day-to-day life as owner of the New Era MMA gym in Lurgan.
"I kept seeing this advert popping up on my Instagram all the time about the course, so I sent them a message and enrolled in it. It took me about six months to do it, then I had to do a live assessment in Dublin," said Toman, who hails from Lurgan.
"I was part of the first group in Ireland to do it. The course and qualification goes hand in hand with the work I do, because a lot of people use the gym to improve their mental health, more than their physical health.
"So I suppose going and educating myself was a positive to come out of the pandemic.
"Even some of the young lads in the gym now, I can pick up on things and see if someone is struggling a wee bit. The course taught me how to approach things in the right way.
"People probably don't realise how beneficial exercise can be for your mental health. And that's the link I found.
"When I wasn't training or able to go to the gym, I felt rubbish. I was asking why I was feeling so bad, but it was pretty obvious."
With his life - and MMA - now back on track, Toman is preparing for one of the biggest nights of his fight career.
He has already won the Clan Wars bantamweight title as an amateur, and now he wants to double up with the pro belt.
"This is a big fight for me. A Clan Wars bantamweight title fight, and I can't wait," he added.
"I previously held their amateur title at the same weight, so this is my crack at the professional belt which has always been a goal for me.
"So it is massive for me.
"Ciaran Breslin will be a tough opponent. He is a good martial artist and I have known about him for quite a while, but our paths have never crossed until now.
"Camp has gone really well. It is actually scary how well it has gone because you usually get a wee niggle or two.
"I am just ready to go now. My weight cut is perfect and just where I need to be. It isn't easy but it has to be done, and it will be worth it come fight night.
"I have known about this fight for 12 weeks so I have had plenty of time to prepare, although a normal training camp would be around eight weeks. So I was chipping away 12 weeks out, and then when it came down to eight that's when you start ramping things up."
Toman - who fights out of the Team Torres gym in Newry - believes adding the professional bantamweight title to his CV would be a significant achievement.
"To win this title and double up would be a really good accomplishment for me. I run my own wee gym as well, so the better I do in my fights helps build my résumé for when I go into coaching," he added.
"This is the main event and I can't wait. There will be fans there and a great atmosphere.
"I have had three fights since Covid restrictions were lifted and one was without any fans, and the other two were in England. So I have never really had my home crowd.
"But I have sold a lot of tickets and I will have a big support there on the night."
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