Izzy McGaughey: Bolton teenage MMA fighter gets silver medal at sport’s amateur world championships in Serbia

A teenage MMA fighter from Greater Manchester has secured a silver medal at the sport’s amateur world championships in Serbia - and is already planning how to ensure she grabs gold on her next international outing.

Izzy McGaughey, from Bolton, got to the final of the lightweight category at the 2022 IMMAF World Championships in Belgrade but had to settle for second against Finland’s Iris Nihti. The prestigious competition was the 18-year-old Breightmet fighter’s debut for England in an international tournament and she says she is keen to experience more of that level of mixed martial arts.

And she is also keen to plot out a route to facing Nihti once again in the cage and emerging victorious.

How did Izzy McGaughey do at the 2022 IMMAF World Championships?

Izzy, who trains at the Manchester Top Team gym, competed in the lightweight category at MMA’s amateur world championships, having previously fought on the UK domestic scene as a featherweight.

She had been confident of being able to get among the medals before getting on the plane to Serbia and proved her prediction right by racking up victories by technical knock out (TKO) and a judge’s decision to reach the final. Unfortunately, though, she narrowly missed out on gold as the judges gave the final fight to Finnish fighter Nihti on a split decision.

Izzy’s performances were all the more impressive as she had to adapt her style to a boxing-dominated approach in the cage in Serbia because of an injury she had sustained in the run-up to the tournament.

However, while she was pleased to come away from Belgrade with a medal she admitted that had left her with feelings of what might have been.

Izzy said: “A silver medal is not bad considering my injury but it’s not gold, is it? I just had to box them really because I couldn’t bounce off my foot properly, which meant I couldn’t really kick or wrestle. It worked until the last fight when I got taken down.

“I loved the championships, it was probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It was the biggest event I’ve been to and the people and vibes were really good. I went from fighting in a school sports hall to a stadium with the best of the best amateurs, it was completely different to my previous fights.”

Izzy also said that despite the higher level competing in Serbia with the England team brought less pressure than when she competes domestically and has to do more work behind the scenes to promote her fights.

She said: “You don’t have to sell tickets, your friends aren’t there. You’ve got to perform in front of your friends. Going to something like the Worlds takes the pressure off you. You’re not getting as mithered, which is better.”

What is next for Izzy McGaughey?

Izzy, who now boasts a 5-1 record in MMA, said she had thought about possibly turning pro after the world championships but has now decided to stay in the amateur scene for a while longer, turning to focus to the next European championships and then returning to the world championships once again.

And she has admitted that she is now looking to cross paths in the cage once more with Nihti and is out to ensure the Finnish fighter gets to taste defeat second time round.

Izzy said: “I’ve got to beat the girl I lost to, she’s the only girl I want. If I can kick and wrestle properly she would have no chance. I’m going to fight her again.

“I’m looking to stay in the amateurs for a bit longer. I was going to turn pro but then I thought I could get more experiences like the world championships and I think I need more of that. There’s no rush to get into the pros.

“I’m looking at the Europeans and then the Worlds again. Next year, when my foot’s better, that gold medal is 100% mine.”