17-year-old, Aoife McHugh makes her MMA debut on Saturday night at Battle Arena Fight Night in Coventry.
Looking to get off to a flying start, she takes on Roxanne Lewin in a highly anticipated bout for the youngster.
McHugh currently fights out of SBG Coventry and believes her Jiu-Jitsu may be too much for Roxanne to cope with.
We caught up with Aoife ahead of Fight Night;
Interview with Aoife McHugh
So, as we approach fight night, you approach your debut. Tell us your thoughts & feelings leading up to the fight.
I used to feel anxious before any tournaments the day before, but I’ve been feeling very confident as of late. I’ve worked hard on my standup game to match the level of my ground game, as my initial training was purely jiu-jitsu. I’m excited to get in the cage and show what I’ve been working on.
Looking to get the first win under your belt, what will give you the advantage over your opponent?
100%. I’m aware she’s still a white belt in jiu-jitsu, so I know I’ll have the advantage if the fight goes to the ground. I’ve watched over and studied how she fought in her own debut. I’ve worked the angles and combos from that. I think having a clean record means there’s nothing for her to study or learn my strategies before the fight.
Even though she’s missed weight by a kilo, I find I perform better with bigger opponents. I think agility and speed can give me an advantage.
Aoife Talks The Future
At 17, you’re extremely young in the game, what are your plans as you get older & progress up the rankings?
I’m trying not to take myself too seriously, too soon, as I wanna be able to stay in the game as long as I can. I’ve been training since I was 13 and always wanted to see how far I could make it and have aspirations to get to the UFC when I’m older.
is there anyone in the MMA world you like to compare your fighting style to? or any heroes that inspire you or you look up to?
I like to pull aspects from Rose Namajunas and Manon Fiorot in regard to kickboxing and Savate-style standup. I really look up to Cory McKenna in terms of realistically comparing myself to where I want to be at her age.
How do you see the fight panning out Saturday night? have you got a specific game plan?
I’m pre-emptively planning that she will want to keep it standing but not completely assuming. So I’ve worked on standing my ground and working around her guard and if I feel I’d be stronger on the ground, ill work takedowns.
Finally, do you have any words for Roxanne Lewin ahead of stepping into the cage?
I just want to say thank you to her for being my first MMA fight of many. I think it’ll be a really positive experience for both of us. I’ll just learn to stay in my own weight class from this hahaha.
