Courtesy: Twitter
transgender mma
NEW YORK (77WABC) – A transgender woman that used to be a male in the US Army Special Forces beat a female opponent into submission in her first mixed martial arts fight.
Alana McLaughlin, 38, defeated her opponent Celine Provost, 35, in the second round of the Combate Global preliminaries on Friday using a rear-naked chokehold. McLaughlin is the second only transgender woman to fight MMA in the United States. Fallon Fox, who was the first, retired in 2014.
McLaughlin told ESPN, “Right now, I’m following in Fallon’s footsteps. I’m just another step along the way and it’s my great hope that there are more to follow behind me.”
McLaughlin had been training for more than a year in preparation for the bout, she told the outlet, and it was scheduled originally for August, but postponed after Provost tested positive for the coronavirus. McLaughlin, born Ryan, cleared a hormone panel issued by the Florida State Boxing Commission but noted that it was a ‘nightmare’ finding an opponent for the fight.
McLaughlin’s win has now sparked debate regarding transgender women in sports. She beat Provost only 3 and a half minutes into the second round.
McLaughlin, from South Carolina, began her transition in 2010 after spending six years in the US Army special forces.
