London — Irish strawweight Shauna Bannon improved to 2-1 inside the octagon and earned a Performance of the Night bonus at UFC London on Saturday, turning a head kick scare into an arm-bar submission in a stunning comeback.
The win, and getting to represent Ireland on the big stage, felt “unreal,” Bannon (7-1) told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight at the O2 Arena in London. “I’ve represented Ireland from a very young age, so it’s something that I have a lot of pride with. Going out there and getting the finish and overcoming some adversity makes it that little bit more special as well.”
When Puja Tomar’s head kick landed partway through the second round, explained Bannon, “I was just thinking, ‘whatever it takes.’ I knew I got dropped and I was on my back, but I’m quite comfortable on my back. I’ve spent hours there in jiu-jitsu drilling and stuff, and arm-bar is my thing.”
She went from calamity to conquest, pulling off the arm-bar and forcing the tap. The win was Bannon’s first action for the better part of a year, and that has the 31-year old wanting to stay busy in 2025. How busy? Three more fights would be ideal.
“I would love that. I would love to fight another three times this year,” Bannon stated. “Start of the summer, September and December. That would be the dream for me. I think I work well with momentum, my first 12 professional fights were in the space of five months.”
That 12-fight run included kickboxing bouts, and came in stark contrast to Shauna Bannon’s last 12 months. “Having a year gap in between, it was obviously out of my control, but that’s not something I would prefer. I would prefer to keep going and stay active. Activity is something I’m looking for this year.”
Watch the full UFC London post-fight appearance by Shauna Bannon above.
