Megan Morris blazed a trail for junior athlete progression in 2018-2019 and set a leading example for young women in the sport of MMA.
Representing Team UK at the 2018 IMMAF | WMMAA Unified World Championships, Morris took on the junior women’s flyweight division and made amateur MMA history as the first ever junior athlete to receive a world championships gold medal.
Pictured: Morris stands with gold as the UK national anthem plays
At age 20, Morris earned her junior world title the hard way with a pair of split-decision victories, first getting the nod over Germany’s reigning European Open champion, Anna Gaul, before meeting talented Swedish newcomer Millie Eriksson in the gold medal decider.
Morris and Eriksson went toe-to-toe in a thrilling world championships final
The Swedish striking specialist proved troublesome in the early stages of the bout, effectively working from the outside and keeping Morris at bay until the Brit found her range and caught the judges’ eyes, pushing forward as the aggressor now landing consistently bigger shots including her trademark overhand right.
Upon the announcement of a split-decision win for the Morris and the UK team, the close bond between athlete and coaches was vivid as Morris and coaches Mark Spencer and former IMMAF medalist Joanne Doyle erupted in celebration (pictured above).
Morris continued to flourish, progressing to the senior bantamweight division.
Morris continued to blaze a trail for junior platform veterans, stepping up to the senior ranks, now age 21, to earn the 2019 European Open silver medal. In Rome, she added to her resume with a showcase of sublime technical development, once again in perfect sync with her corner and producing vivid displayed of fast growing skill, all the time with a smile on her face.
The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) and World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) host the 2019 Amateur MMA Awards on Thursday 14 November during the 2019 IMMAF | WMMAA Unified World Championships in Manama.
Junior Athlete of The Year nominations include:
Muhammad Mokaev (UK) 2018 World Championships: gold 2019 European Open: gold
Shamsutdin Makhmudov (Russia) 2018 World Championships: gold 2019 European Open: gold
Reo Yamaguchi (Japan) 2018 World Championships: silver 2019 European Open: silver
