Martial arts legend Jean-Claude Van Damme recently joined forces with Bellator fighter Leah McCourt for an unexpected training session at Belfast's Tribe boxing gym.
McCourt, who's gearing up for a potential Bellator featherweight world title bout against reigning champion Cris Cyborg, found herself sharing the mat with none other than Van Damme. The Hollywood actor guided McCourt through some of his signature stretching techniques before delving into a kickboxing session.
After the session, 'The Curse' took to her official X account and shared a photo alongside the Belgian martial artist. The caption hinted at newfound flexibility:
"Two hours training with @JCVD tonight 👊🏻 I'll be doing the splits next week"
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The post created quite a buzz in the comments section, with fans chiming in on the unique collaboration. One fan couldn't help but recall Van Damme's legendary dance moves in the movie 'Kickboxer' and asked:
"Did he do the dance?"
Meanwhile, another fan expressed their anticipation for Leah McCourt's potential title clash with Cris Cyborg:
"Let's get it 🔥."
Check out some other reactions below:
Leah McCourt scores thrilling first-round victory at Bellator 300
Leah McCourt showcased a stellar comeback as she squared off against former UFC world title challenger Sara McMann in the featherweight preliminaries at Bellator 300 in San Diego.
The bout kicked off with an action-packed first four minutes. However, McCourt found a breakthrough, slipping through McMann's guard and landing an explosive barrage of ground strikes. With just 30 seconds left in the round, referee Jason Herzog intervened to stop the fight.
The victory was crucial for McCourt, who had encountered some challenges in her recent outings, including a unanimous decision loss to Cat Zingano at Bellator 293 in March. The 31-year-old fighter now boasts a record of seven wins and two losses with the promotion.
As the future of Bellator appears uncertain amid reports of an impending sale, it remains unclear when or where the Irish fighter will have the opportunity to face Cris Cyborg.
McCourt said on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani:
"In my heart of hearts, I believe it's going to happen. I believe I'm going to fight Cyborg in Belfast."