Violent One: Leah McCourt

The month of May was rife with top-tier performances and world class finishes so picking the “Violent One” was a tough task. After much deliberation however, the “Violent One” for this month has been decided and it’s no other than the face of women’s MMA in the UK, Northern Ireland’s Leah McCourt.

Fighting on Bellator 259, Leah was yet again scheduled to face Janay Harding after she was forced from the original booking due to a shoulder injury. There was much at stake between the pair as both looked to progress further up the promotional rankings with only a place separating them. This lead fans to anticipate a competitive and closely fought contest, which is exactly what they got.

Utilising her Judo base, Leah McCourt secured a takedown one minute into the first round after keeping Harding pressured against the Cage. A brief back and forth ensues but McCourt once again finds the takedown again and again leaving her in a dominant ground position at the end of the first round.

Despite the comfortable round just gone, McCourt had to show an unmeasurable amount of heart and desire to win in the second round as Janay Harding came out firing. Landing clean shots to McCourt, the fight seemingly had shifted momentum in favour of Harding… But not for long.

After a scuffle, Harding ends up on top on the ground and applies some nasty ground and pound but as she stands up the unthinkable happens… Leah McCourt lands a devastating up-kick bringing Janay crashing down into her guard. It’s here this months ”Violent One” managed to secure the triangle choke and leave with a well deserved win!

With five consecutive wins now under her belt, Leah now moves to 5-1 in her professional MMA career with three coming by way of (T)KO or Submission. In the recent Bellator rankings update post Bellator 259, McCourt moved up two places to #5 and is now firmly in position to challenge for a #1 contender spot.

The Violent One is a monthly showcase which shines a light on athletes who have made waves in the MMA community through their actions in the cage. Each month four athletes are selected and you, the fans, vote on who is crowned our King or Queen of violence!