Issue 187

January 2020

Bellator’s Irish featherweight on her career to date, dream fights, title fights and what it means to be part of the legendary SBG set-up.

Your coach John Kavanagh said that the word on the street early on with you was that you had too much power. I can’t imagine there is such a thing as too much power is there?

No. Definitely not. It has got me this far, anyway.

When did you realize you had that level of fight-changing power?

It was a long time ago when I was a kid, to be honest. 

You are laying the groundwork for a great career, but what fight from your own career are you most happy with to this point?

I reckon it would be the Leslie Smith fight. It was fifteen minutes of absolute boxing skill. The shots I threw at her. I give her one thing…she can take some shots! That one would have to be my favorite fight so far. 

What was your inspiration to start training in the martial arts and combat sports?

As a kid, I just wanted to do it. I loved Mike Tyson and stuff like that. There was a little karate club beside me, so I joined there. I tried to join a boxing club but they didn’t take women at the time. I was chased out of the gym, so I had to go with the karate club.

Do you remember how they told you that you couldn’t train at the boxing gym?

Oh, yeah. They told me ‘Fuck off. We don’t take women’ and that was it. 

Do you ever look back to that gym seeing where you are today and wanting to tell them to fuck off?

(Laughs) I actually went back seven years later and they took me in then. He could have had me from the start, really.

If you aren’t right now, you are on the verge of being Ireland’s best female mixed martial artist. What are your feelings when you hear words and accolades bestowed upon you like that?

It’s what I have always wanted. It’s a dream of mine. At the same time, I’m not fazed by it. I’m in here doing what I do every day and growing. Truly, every little thing helps. 

Where does your incredibly strong mindset, the positive outlook and that unwavering self-belief originate from?

I would have to say that it all comes from SBG, from John and from all of the fighters in that club. Everyone believes in themselves like that there. If you join that club thinking bad thoughts you will walk out thinking good thoughts. 

There really is something to the SBG mentality. We all know what Conor (McGregor) has been able to do with his willpower and mindset. We see what James (Gallagher) is doing now. Can you put into words or put a finger on what it is that makes that gym so special?

It’s just respect, I think. I have a lot of respect for John. I want to do good for him and for my future. It all comes from that, really. Everyone there is the same. Everyone in the gym believes in themselves. They all want the best. They think they can do it, even if they can’t, they will think they can!

You are on the verge of stardom. If you could have a dream fight at this point in your career what would that fight be?

It has to be Cris (Cyborg), right? 100 percent. It would be out of this world. I joined MMA and she was the only female fighter I knew. I looked up to her. To be in the same cage as her would be amazing. 

Well, she is under the Bellator banner now. That fight might not be too far off in the future. That would be a hell of a scrap. How do you see it playing out? 

Yeah, it would be a hell of a scrap, alright. I don’t know if I would be eating my words though!

If we pushed fast forward to this time next year, what would we be talking about for you in the Bellator cage?

Definitely a title shot. I want big fights and big names... and hopefully, big money!