MMA fighter Alana McLaughlin won her MMA debut against Celine Provost. The 38-year-old McLaughlin is the second transgender athlete to openly participate in MMA since Fallon Fox. Alana managed to choke Celine Provost with RNC in the second round.
Alana Mclaughlin (pink hair), the second transgender fighter wins MMA debut.
How do you guys feel about this? #ufc pic.twitter.com/HH1TgVDGwW
— Weasle (@ThaWeasle) September 11, 2021
Military career
Before transition, Mclaughlin enlisted in the US military in 2003 where he became a special forces medical sergeant, part of an elite, 12-man team dispatched to Afghanistan in 2007. As Alana said her reasons for leaving the army was her dream of fighting in MMA and hope to be a transgender athlete pioneer in the United States and MMA in general.
Transition
McLaughlin came out as transgender in 2003, aged 20, however, she was denied gender reassignment surgery by her mother and subsequently joined the army, serving in Afghanistan. She undergone gender reassignment surgery in 2016.
She recently began MMA training and cites Fallon Fox, who won five of her six professional fights between 2012 and 2014, as her inspiration.
“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.”
Good morning, friends, supporters and others! I’m getting a lot of variations of the same nasty messages calling me a cheater like I didn’t just get beat on for a round and a half. Y’all need to show Céline Provost some respect and take your concern trolling elsewhere. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/GFhk55YeJm
— Alana McLaughlin
(@AlanaFeral) September 11, 2021
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