Northern Irish MMA fighter Leah McCourt is set to make history this weekend when she takes on Judith Ruis in Dublin in the first female bout to headline a Bellator Europe show.

And the 27-year-old has said that her daughter Isabella is her biggest supporter and will be in attendance for the first time on Saturday night.

McCourt said: "I've been doing this for about two-and-a-half years now. Isabella loves Bellator and she is so proud of me.

"She is coming to this fight, but she has never been before. She usually watches my fights with my mum on TV after I have won.

"This will be my fifth professional fight and to be honest I'm just trying to get my tasks done every single day so it hasn't really sunk in yet and I don't really feel like it's real life. 

"I get up in the morning and I just do not stop until I get back in at 10 o'clock at night so I don't really see all the hype."

McCourt added that despite the hardships of being a single mum, she has said it's one of the 'easiest' things she's ever done.

"Looking back that's been one of the easiest things, being her mum," she added. "I always say if god dropped a child from heaven it would be Isabella. 

"She's just the most easy-going, well-behaved, loving child. She's so mature and she is like my life buddy."