From Cardiff Streets to UFC Spotlight
A multiple Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) world champion has shared her journey from working as a bouncer in Cardiff to competing for a UFC title in Las Vegas.
Ffion Davies, originally from Swansea, began her athletic career as a Welsh and British junior judo champion before transitioning into mixed martial arts (MMA).
She noted that BJJ has "grown a lot" in recent years, benefiting from the rising popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA, alongside high-profile figures such as actor Tom Hardy participating in the sport.
However, the 31-year-old highlighted that "quite a lot of misogyny" still exists within BJJ, a concern echoed by experts who warn it may discourage female participation.
Davies expressed an early interest in combat sports, stating she "loved Rocky and boxing" but was not permitted to join a boxing gym as a girl.
"But I wasn't allowed to join the boxing gym as a girl," she added.
Consequently, she pursued judo, achieving junior Welsh and British Open championships and representing the Welsh national judo team.
Her introduction to MMA training occurred in 2013 when she joined a gym, where she discovered jiu-jitsu. She found it shared similarities with judo but featured fewer restrictions.
At that time, Davies was uncertain whether her passion could develop into a professional career and supported herself 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.
Davies described her path to the UFC as a "long process," despite securing multiple championships over the past 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."
She acknowledged experiencing "a lot of losses on the way" but expressed satisfaction with her current status.
"I get to actually enjoy being in a professional organisation," she added.
Growth and Challenges in BJJ
BJJ is recognized as one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK, with membership increasing from approximately 10,000 practitioners in 2016 to over 40,000 in 2025, according to the UK Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association (UKBJJA).
Davies confirmed she has observed significant growth compared to previous years.
"It's definitely grown a lot compared to when I won the world championships," she said.
Nevertheless, she believes BJJ still faces challenges related to "discrimination" within the sport.
"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 pointed out that the absence of a universally recognized global governing body for BJJ results in a lack of standardized regulation.
"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."
She also noted the persistence of "quite a lot of misogyny" in MMA, often unchallenged because many are unaffected by it.
"It's usually the woman speaking up," she said.
"We'll keep talking about it and hopefully things will change."
Life and Career Development
Currently based in London for training, Davies said she "always" misses Wales but views the move as essential for her personal growth and learning, following a previous period living 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 remarked.
Davies recently competed for the UFC BJJ women's bantamweight championship title in Las Vegas but was narrowly defeated by Cassia Moura via a razor-thin split decision.
Despite the loss, she remains one of the most prominent female athletes in the sport and is approaching her career "one fight at a time."
Perspectives from the UKBJJA
Lauren Brown, chair of the UK Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association, described Davies as an "inspiration" to women training BJJ both in the UK and globally.
Brown acknowledged that sexism and misogyny "remain present in some areas of BJJ," potentially deterring women, especially when sexist behavior is unchallenged in training environments.
"Particularly if they begin training in environments where sexist behaviour goes unchallenged," she added.
However, Brown also noted positive developments, including increased female participation in competitions, more women instructing co-ed classes, and improved facilities for women at BJJ gyms.
She outlined one of UKBJJA's goals for 2026 as educating coaches and enhancing safeguarding practices across all member academies.
"One of the UKBJJA's missions for 2026 is to educate our coaches and strengthen safeguarding practices at all member academies."
