{"id":118762,"date":"2025-09-04T17:33:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T17:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/118762\/"},"modified":"2025-09-04T17:33:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T17:33:08","slug":"ufc-paris-star-recalls-disaster-fight-with-huge-mma-star-which-she-took-without-realizing-she-was-pregnant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/118762\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC Paris star recalls ‘disaster’ fight with huge MMA star which she took without realizing she was pregnant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Carrying a child isn\u2019t the best preparation for taking on one of the most dangerous strikers in MMA. <\/p>\n

One fighter, who is set to make her return at UFC Paris<\/a> this weekend, found this out the hard way early on in her career.<\/p>\n

Shauna Bannon<\/a> is the only female Irish fighter on the roster, and in her three previous Octagon appearances, she has shown off her striking skillset and improving overall game.<\/p>\n

Her last fight at UFC<\/a> London in March quickly changed from a nightmare to a dream when Bannon pulled off a remarkable comeback win<\/a> against Puja Tomar.<\/p>\n

\u2018Mama B\u2019 has faced plenty of challenges both in and out of the cage but in one fight, she encountered multiple different hurdles all at the same time.<\/p>\n

Shauna Bannon battled a rough weight cut ahead of fighting Dakota Ditcheva because she didn\u2019t know she was pregnant<\/p>\n

In recent years, one of the sport\u2019s breakout stars has unquestionably been the undefeated Dakota Ditcheva<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old\u2019s rise in the PFL<\/a> has earned Ditcheva praise from the likes of Conor McGregor<\/a>, with many believing that she is one of the best fighters in her weight class.<\/p>\n

Back in February of 2020, she faced Shanna Bannon in an amateur bout at UK Fighting Championships 13 in Preston, England.<\/p>\n

Ditcheva got the win via a decision but when Bannon was asked about what she recalls about this fight in a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, it wasn\u2019t necessarily her opponent that first came to mind.<\/p>\n

\"DakotaPhoto by Cooper Neill\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the Dakota fight, I was obviously pregnant with Jayce [Bannon\u2019s son] and I didn\u2019t know. So, my weight cut for that was crazy. I just wasn\u2019t sweating, obviously Jayce was like, \u2018Give me the liquid\u2019. That weight cut was a bit of a disaster.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was like 0.3 over and I was like, \u2018Right, I\u2019ll get back in the sauna.\u2019 It was for the belt so if I didn\u2019t make the weight, it wasn\u2019t for the belt so I was like, \u2018I\u2019ll get back in the sauna.\u2019 That 0.3 took so long to come off, it was crazy. So, when I weighed in, I just had no energy and I slept for like hours but I didn\u2019t refuel.\u201d <\/p>\n

Bannon recalled that it was not until the day of the fight that she found out that the matchup was scheduled for five rounds, with title fights in Ireland taking place over three.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn that fight, I feel like I didn\u2019t give it my all. It went to a decision and she won the majority decision, but I just felt so flat in that fight and I definitely remember her leg kicks were sore. My leg was huge after the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ShaunaPhoto by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLCShauna Bannon believes that she\u2019s starting to hit her stride in the UFC ahead of her Paris return<\/p>\n

After suffering the first loss of her pro career on her UFC debut, Shauna Bannon has turned things around with back-to-back wins inside the Octagon.<\/p>\n

The Irish star has always connected with fans by sharing her unique path in the sport, which she has continued to do through her sponsorship with OnlyFans.<\/p>\n

Bannon told Bloody Elbow that she believes she\u2019s found her feet in the UFC ahead of her Paris matchup with Sam Hughes this Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery fight, you learn so much. When you\u2019re in there, under the bright lights, and you get dropped like that and then you can come back and get a finish a couple of seconds later, I think that gives you a lot of confidence then going forward. I feel like, it\u2019s my fourth fight in the UFC now. It\u2019ll be my ninth professional fight so I just feel like I\u2019m really starting to feel at home there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dropped\u2026 and came back with the finish\u2026 \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n

Shauna Bannon is just finding her rhythm in the UFC and she aims to prove that at UFC Paris pic.twitter.com\/M3bm4Mb7xg<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) September 3, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

View Tweet<\/p>\n

Bannon and Hughes are currently set to open the card on September 6 in a strawweight clash.<\/p>\n