Melissa Mullins

Melissa Mullins is a 34-year-old British mixed martial artist competing in the UFC women's bantamweight division with an unblemished finish rate in her amateur career and four professional knockouts to her name. A former gymnastics coach who began training for fighting in 2016 after breakdancing was no longer an option, Mullins climbed through the amateur ranks to earn an IMMAF European silver medal with a record where every win came via KO or TKO, establishing her as a power striker from the start. She turned pro in 2021 and earned her UFC contract based on that amateur pedigree, making her Octagon debut in October 2023 at an age when many fighters are winding down. Since entering the promotion, Mullins has posted a 2-3 record, scoring decisive knockouts (most recently a second-round TKO of Klaudia Sygula in November 2024) but also absorbing losses to fighters like Nora Cornolle and, most recently, undefeated prospect Bia Mesquita, who submitted her in the first round of a June 2026 bout despite eating a stunning combination of punches early. Mullins fights as a heavy-handed pressure striker who lands 73% of her significant strikes from distance and hunts finishes relentlessly, though against elite-level grapplers her submission defense has been tested. She trains out of Gracie Barra Holbrooks and Faber Jiu-Jitsu in England, holds a Black Belt in BJJ, and brings a composed, underdog mentality to her role in the octagon. Off the mat she is a devoted coach to kids at her academy and speaks candidly about the toll of cutting weight at her age, as well as her frustrations over missed opportunities due to circumstances beyond her control. For casual fans, Mullins represents the draw of a late-blooming, no-nonsense veteran with legitimate power and the amateur credentials to prove it, fighting hard against younger elite prospects and accepting her role as a gatekeeper while never shying away from swinging.