Shauna Bannon made a life-changing choice six years in the past, and he or she hasn’t regarded again since.
Bannon, 31, left a high-paying monetary function at Deloitte in 2019 to pursue her dream of reaching the UFC.
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The choice left her — as she described in a dialog with talkSPORT.com — broke, as solely a matter of months later ‘Mama B’ fell pregnant along with her first little one, Jayce.
Then, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, she was compelled to juggle elevating her new child boy whereas working part-time at an area MMA health club with full deal with transitioning into an expert fighter.
Quick ahead to 2025 and one $50,000 bonus later, Bannon is grateful that all the things labored out ultimately.
“I discovered I used to be pregnant, and I used to be like, ‘Oh my God, I am truly leaving a extremely good job. Now, I am having a child and I’ve to supply for a kid,” she informed talkSPORT.com following a current partnership with OnlyFans.
“I believed, ‘Did I make the suitable selection?’ We went into lockdown, and it was a mad time for the 2 or three years that we have been in that interval.
“However I do consider that all the things occurs for a purpose, and perhaps if I did not depart, I might nonetheless be there now, and I may not have gone for it.
“Perhaps as a result of I used to be at that place the place I used to be like, ‘Proper, nicely, that is what I’ve to do now.’
“I used to be dedicated, and although it was robust or no matter, I simply went for it, and it labored out nicely ultimately, thank God.”
Bannon made an announcement in her final bout in March by overcoming a deadly head kick to submit Puja Tomar at UFC London.
Her struggle got here earlier than Leon Edwards suffered the primary stoppage defeat of his profession to Sean Brady, who’s now in competition for a UFC welterweight title shot.
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Who’s Shauna Bannon and what’s her UFC document?
The Dubliner is gearing up for her return to the game on September 6 as she faces the skilled American Sam Hughes at UFC Paris.
A lifelong martial artist with a background in kickboxing and Taekwondo, Bannon entered the UFC in 2023 with an ideal 5-0 document after a profitable stint in Invicta FC.
Upon signing with MMA’s premier promotion, she landed a sponsorship take care of fellow countryman Conor McGregor.
Nevertheless, her July 2023 debut did not go to plan, as ‘Mama B’ dropped a unanimous choice to Bruna Brasil.
One 12 months later, she returned to face Romania’s Alice Ardelean in Manchester at UFC 304, successful through cut up choice.
The victory over Tomar then moved Bannon to 2-1 contained in the octagon, and it was that $50K Efficiency of the Night time bonus from UFC higher-ups that has since instilled a confidence like no different.
Shauna Bannon’s UFC document
- Subsequent. Sam Hughes at UFC Paris in September 2025
- Def. Puja Tomar through second-round submission at UFC London in March 2025
- Def. Alice Ardelean through cut up choice at UFC 304 in July 2024
- Loss. Bruna Brasil through unanimous choice at UFC London in July 2023
“All my family and friends went to an Italian restaurant, and we have been watching the fights there as a result of once you’re completed combating, they kick you out,” Bannon concluded, describing the second she discovered about successful that particular bonus.
“We have been watching it collectively, after which we have been watching the post-fight press convention.
“I am sitting there like that, and your man simply comes on and he is like, ‘It was the most important gate promote they usually made essentially the most cash from any struggle evening earlier blah, blah, blah.’
“Then he stated, ‘Shauna, Alexia [Thainara] — and I can not bear in mind who the opposite two have been (Kevin Holland and Brady), casually, simply casually —50K bonus.
“Then, he swiftly strikes on to the following factor as if it’s nothing! 50K to them might be nothing, however to me, I am like, ‘Oh my god.
“I have been practising martial arts since I used to be three. I used to pay to struggle in kickboxing.
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“I might pay for the tournaments, I might pay to make it to be a world champion a number of occasions.
“However now, for all that to come back again and be getting paid for it and to have the ability to name this my job. Like I am tremendous grateful.
“Like on daily basis, I am grateful for what I get to do. It is the perfect job on the planet.
“I might be doing it if I weren’t getting paid anyway.”
UFC Paris takes place on the Accor Enviornment in Paris, France on September 6, 2025.
The occasion is headlined by a high middleweight bout between Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho, whereas Brits Mason Jones and Paul Craig additionally characteristic on the cardboard.