By Jake Smith
For our second look back at previous World Championships, we take a look at The 2016 World Championships that took place in Las Vegas, Nevada. The tournament featured a number of competitors who went on to compete at the upper echelon of professional mixed martial arts.
Sweden’s Cornelia Holm claimed Bantamweight gold at the championships. On her way to the top of the podium, she defeated Michelle Jones, Arziko Bregu and Camilla Mannes in dominating performances by way of unanimous decisions. In a remarkable series of events, Holm once again faced Bregu & Mannes in her two bouts at the 2017 European Championships!
Although losing out in the final, Camilla Mannes showed her great potential, submitting a debuting Manon Fiorot in the first round before handing Katarzyna Biegajło her first loss.
IMMAF veteran Julia Dorny earned a silver medal at the tournament. In what would go on to be her third of seven entries to IMMAF events. Dorny made it to the final only to be defeated by Leah McCourt. She would find herself with two gold medals two years later, being crowned champion at the European & World Championships.
Leah ‘The Curse’ McCourt has had a meteoric rise since her Featherweight Gold at the 2016 Worlds. The Northern Irish sensation, defeated Yvonne Chow, Taryn Conklin and Julia Dorny in emphatic style, finishing all three contests within the first round. Since turning over to the professional ranks, McCourt has gone from strength to strength; currently ranked #4 and #9 in the women’s featherweight and pound-for-pound rankings, respectively. ‘The Curse’ will face fellow IMMAF Alumni Sinead Kavanagh at Bellator 275, in what will be one of the biggest domestic fights in Irish MMA history.
