Meet Bellator Dublin star Leah McCourt as Belfast single mum becomes first female to headline 3Arena card
SINGLE mother Leah McCourt will make history as the first female to headline Bellator’s Dublin card at the 3Arena on Saturday.
For 27-year-old Leah, from Belfast, a win over Judith Ruis in the building where Conor McGregor rose to fame could usher in a new era for Irish MMA.
Former amateur European and World champion Leah is a black belt in judo and a brown belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu.
Thrust into the spotlight due to an injury to bantamweight headliner James Gallagher, Leah is one of 13 Irish fighters on the bill, and she revealed she found out she was topping the card in a sauna.
She said: “I was sitting there in the sauna before teaching a women’s MMA class when I got the news, and I just thought, ‘Are you joking?’. Then I ran out of the sauna screaming, and I was still only half-dressed!”
But she added: “The 3Arena is a great place to fight and it’s going to be great to walk out there in front of my family and friends, but the fact that it’s the main event doesn’t change much — it’s still the same opponent, still the same fight.”
THE BIG TIME
Leah boasts a professional record of three wins and one loss, and her coach Owen Roddy, who also acts as McGregor’s striking coach, reckons she is capable of leading a new wave of Irish fighters into the big-time.
He said: “This is it — these are big risks that fighters take, pushed up to the main card, pushed up to the main event on such a huge card, all the lights on you, all the eyes on you.
“Leah is capable of going in and getting the job done, and when it pays off, it’s going to pay off with serious rewards.”
And Bellator Europe boss David Green said he had no hesitation in giving Leah top billing once Gallagher was forced to withdraw from his fight against Cal Ellenor due to a back injury.
TOP AMBASSADOR
He said: “Anyone who was in the arena for her last fight knows she’s probably got as much vocal support as any other fighter, and more than that, I think she’s just a great ambassador for the sport and for Bellator.”
Mum to daughter Isabella, Leah expressed her delight ahead of the billing on Instagram.
She wrote: “It’s hard to believe that a single mum from a council estate in Belfast will be main event in a sold out 3Arena in Dublin, live on Channel 5 TV.
“I have clawed my way up from the bottom, life has thrown everything at me, but my determination has never wavered, this moment is a testament to my faith, work ethic, my team, my family and never giving up.”
TIME TO SHINE
She continued: “To be the first Irish female to ever headline a major MMA promotions card and the first female to headline a Bellator Europe card is surreal and emotional.
“I’m ready to rise to the occasion.”
And she promised: “Trust me, this will be a main event performance. Ready to make history.”
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She ended the post with a tribute to her young daughter, saying: “This is for you Isabella!”
Coach Roddy believes that the lull in Irish MMA success since McGregor’s breakthrough is about to come to an end, and that a new era may well begin with a win for Leah on Saturday.
He said: “There was a gap, but now it’s building again, and those young hungry fighters are doing phenomenal... they’re building nicely and you’re going to see that next wave coming through.”
