I used to be a bouncer - now I'm a UFC title contender

A multiple Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion has reflected on her journey from being a bouncer on the streets of Cardiff to fighting for a title in Las Vegas.

Ffion Davies, from Swansea, was a Welsh and British judo junior champion before moving into the world of mixed martial arts (MMA).

She said the sport of BJJ had "grown a lot" in recent years as it benefitted from the popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA, as well as celebrities like Tom Hardy competing.

But the 31-year-old said there was still "quite a lot of misogyny" in BJJ, which an expert said could "deter women from the sport".

Davies said she was interested in combat sports from an early age and "loved Rocky and boxing".

"But I wasn't allowed to join the boxing gym as a girl," she added.

She decided to pursue a different discipline - judo - and went on to become a junior Welsh and British Open champion, as well as a member of the Welsh national judo team.

Her first experience with MMA training came in 2013 when she joined a gym.

It was through this she discovered jiu-jitsu, finding similarities to judo but with less restrictions.

At this time, Davies was unsure whether her passion could become a career, and she paid her bills by working as a bouncer in Cardiff.

"I also worked at pubs and places like that. But I was mainly at Ten Mill Lane," she said.

"I've never been back."

Davies said it had been a "long process" getting to the UFC, despite winning multiple championships during the last decade, including world titles in 2022 and 2023.

"They didn't have UFC BJJ until last year so I was competing in tournaments and things," she said.

"It doesn't feel like it was quick. I've only really been able to even make a career of it the last four years."

Davies said she had experienced "a lot of losses on the way" but felt "really happy" about her current situation.

"I get to actually enjoy being in a professional organisation," she added.

BJJ is regarded as one of the UK's fastest-growing sports with membership soaring from just 10,000 practitioners in 2016 to over 40,000 in 2025, according to the UK Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association (UKBJJA).

Davies agreed that she had noticed the difference compared to just a few years ago.

"It's definitely grown a lot compared to when I won the world championships," she said.

Davies still thinks that BJJ has some way to go in addressing the "discrimination" that exists.

"There's some tournaments that pay by division. There are others who have kept a [gender] disparity and haven't allowed the numbers to grow," she said.

"There are some events that just don't have any women on there at all."

Davies said the fact BJJ is without a universally recognised global governing body meant there was no-one to "uphold the standard" of the sport.

"It's a bit like the Wild West, people can do as they want," she said.

"There's still a big disparity, which is frustrating, but it is getting better. Just not the rate that I think that it should be."

Davies said she still saw "quite a lot of misogyny" in the MMA world, but a lot of people do not care "because they aren't affected".

"It's usually the woman speaking up," she said.

"We'll keep talking about it and hopefully things will change."

Davies now lives and trains in London but said she "always" misses Wales. She said it was a necessary step for her to "grow and learn" following a period in New York.

"I also think my accent's come back a lot more now I live in England. Which is quite funny. It's like a rebellion," she said.

Davies was unable to claim the UFC BJJ women's bantamweight championship title in Las Vegas after a razor-thin split-decision, but she remains one of the most prominent female athletes in the sport.

She said she was taking it "one fight at a time"

UKBJJA chair Lauren Brown called Davies an "inspiration" to women training BJJ "across the UK and the world".

She agreed that sexism and misogyny "remain present in some areas of BJJ" which can "deter women from the sport".

"Particularly if they begin training in environments where sexist behaviour goes unchallenged," she added.

However Brown said she had seen "growth in female participation in competitions, more women teaching co-ed classes, and increased focus on providing suitable facilities for women at BJJ gyms".

She added: "One of the UKBJJA's missions for 2026 is to educate our coaches and strengthen safeguarding practices at all member academies."