Bellator Dublin lost its main event less than three weeks out when James Gallagher pulled out with an injury, but his SBG teammate Leah McCourt replaced him as the headlining attraction and won for the Irish crowd.
It wasn’t easy, though.
McCourt, a decorated amateur MMA fighter who has had success so far as a professional featherweight, engaged in a hard-fought grappling battle with Judith Ruis for three rounds at Dublin’s 3Arena on Saturday.
McCourt took Ruis to the ground several times in the opening round, but her opponent came close to the finish after the third takedown, going for an armbar that forced McCourt to work hard to escape.