Fallon Fox is giving praise to fellow transgender MMA fighter Alana McLaughlin after she picked up a victory in her pro debut.
Fox made international headlines 2012 when she became the first transgender person to compete in professional MMA. She would go on to finish her career with a 5-1 record, with her lone loss coming at the hands of Ashlee Evans-Smith. Fox endured much criticism throughout her career, from MMA fans to UFC commentator Joe Rogan, who addressed her career on an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience.
“First of all, she’s not really a she,” Rogan said. “She’s a transgender, post-op person. The operation doesn’t shave down your bone density. It doesn’t change. You look at a man’s hands and you look at a woman’s hands and they’re built different. They’re just thicker, they’re stronger, your wrists are thicker, your elbows are thicker, your joints are thicker. Just the mechanical function of punching, a man can do it much harder than a woman can, period.”
Over the weekend, McLaughlin became the first transgender person since Fox retired in 2014 to follow in her footsteps. She faced Celine Provost at Combate Global, winning the fight by second round submission. Afterwards, Fox posted pictures of the two celebrating together.
“”Aaaaaaaaand here with the winner of tonight’s fight, by rear naked choke, @AlanaFeral !!! #Team Trans #Trans Athletes”
Yo @AlanaFeral! This is a awesome photo of your submission!
#TeamTrans #TransAthletes #TransFighters pic.twitter.com/rhh4ZkpaaV
— Fallon Fox (@FallonFox) September 11, 2021
Yo @AlanaFeral! This is a awesome photo of your submission #TeamTrans #TransAthletes #TransFighters”
Ice cream with my favorite MMA fighter @AlanaFeral! #TransAthletes #TransFighters
Like Fox, McLaughlin too has faced her share of criticism for venturing into the MMA world. Most notably, UFC middleweight contender Sean Strickland has taken aim at her, calling her out over his Instagram account.
For her part, McLaughlin has remained undeterred and has said she hopes to continue her MMA career.
What do you think of transgender fighters like Fallon Fox and Alana McLaughlin competing in MMA?