Leah’s dream day with kickboxer star Van Damme

Leah’s dream day with kickboxer star Van Damme

25 October 2023

A SAINTFIELD martial arts fighter has come face with Hollywood superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Leah McCourt enjoyed a two-hour training session with the ‘Muscles from Brussels’ in Belfast last week.

Belgian martial arts expert Van Damme (63) called into the Tribe gym on the Ormeau Road while in Northern Ireland last week to launch his own Irish whiskey brand.

In a video which she posted on Instagram, MMA star Leah said: “The devil is in the detail. Thanks Jean-Claude Van Damme for spending hours in the gym with us sharing your knowledge. True passion!”

The post continued: “A wise man once said ‘learn as much as you can from from as many people as possible’ – martial artist for life.”

Leah (31) is one of the most decorated female fighters in mixed martial arts.

She recently secured a huge win over veteran Sara McMann and now awaits her shot at Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino’s world featherweight title.

MMA fighter Leah met the Kickboxer star at the launch of his Old Oak whiskey, which is distilled in Co Down.

The pair got chatting about her upcoming world title fight and he asked if he could join her for some training while he was in Belfast.

Leah’s coach, Ray Ginley, said: “We were thrilled to have the opportunity to meet him.

“We spent about two hours training with him on Thursday night.

“We did a bit of stretching first for about 45 minutes and then last hour of the session he ran over kicking techniques which was very useful – it was very kind of him to go out of his way.

He continued: “We grew up watching Van Damme movies so to get to meet him was surreal.

“He even offered for us to come out to Belgium and train with him some time.”

It was the first time the Hollywood legend visited Belfast but he said that it will not be his last.

“The people here are friendly, nice streets – nice streets – beautiful culture,” Van Damme said.

“I love Ireland, that will not change from north to south.

“It’s like we have the French and Flemish in Belgium, but the mentality is the same.

“I have to see more of here, the museums and this and that – I will come back a lot because of the whiskey.”

As for Leah, who is known in the fighting world as ‘The Curse’, her focus is on her upcoming world title, the date of which has not been confirmed.

She has gone on record starting that she is “confident” the fight will occur on her home turf in Belfast.