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I used to be a bouncer - now I'm a UFC title contender

BBC News·7 months ago
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A multiple Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion has reflected on her journey from being a bouncer on the streets of Cardiff to fighting for a title in Las Vegas. Ffion Davies, from Swansea, was a Welsh and British judo junior champion before moving into the world of mixed martial arts (MMA). She said the sport of BJJ had "grown a lot" in recent years as it benefitted from the popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA, as well as celebrities like Tom Hardy competing. But the 31-year-old said there was still "quite a lot of misogyny" in BJJ, which an expert said could "deter women from the sport". Davies said she was interested in combat sports from an early age and "loved Rocky and boxing". "But I wasn't allowed to join the boxing gym as a girl," she added. She decided to pursue a different discipline - judo - and went on to become a junior Welsh and British Open champion, as well as a member of the Welsh national judo team.…

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