Leah McCourt

Leah McCourt, born on June 21, 1992, in Saintfield, Northern Ireland, is a professional mixed martial artist and submission grappler. Her early athletic life began with judo as a child, an activity she pursued until age 11. She then shifted her focus to equestrian sports, competing in events such as the Balmoral Show and the Dublin Horse Show. At 18, after the birth of her daughter Isabella, McCourt began training in mixed martial arts.

McCourt initiated her amateur MMA career in 2014 with Clan Wars MMA. She notably secured gold medals at the 2015 IMMAF European Open Championships in the 155 lbs division and the 2016 IMMAF World Championships at 145 lbs, defeating multiple opponents through submission and TKO. Her professional debut occurred in June 2017 at Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 85. She later signed a six-fight deal with Bellator MMA following a victory at Cage Warriors 94 in June 2018. McCourt made her Bellator debut in February 2019 at Bellator 217, securing a TKO victory. In February 2020, she made history as the first woman to headline an MMA event in Europe at Bellator 240, where she won by unanimous decision.

Beyond MMA, McCourt has achieved significant success in submission grappling. She earned gold at the 2016 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship in the adult/female/blue belt/medium-heavy division. In 2018, she secured two gold medals at the IBJJF European No-Gi Championship in the adult/female/purple belt/medium-heavy and open divisions. Continuing her grappling accomplishments, McCourt won gold at the 2021 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship in the adult/female/brown belt/medium-heavy division, showcasing her sustained excellence in combat sports.