Youngest ever Irish female takes home gold medal for Ireland at European MMA Championships

11-year-old Freya Marsh from Tramore, Waterford won the gold medal for Ireland over the weekend at the European MMA Championships, making her the youngest ever Irish female recipient of the medal.

Freya made her debut on the international stage for MMA in Belgrade, Serbia on Saturday, 15 February where she secured her win for Ireland at The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation 2025 (IMMAF) European Championships. She previously only competed in Jiujitsu competitions.

Sporting success isn't new to the Tramore native, as she first became a two-time Gold European champion at just 10-years-old. Last year, Freya travelled to Florida, Sao Paolo, Lisbon and Abu Dhabi to compete in four of the biggest and toughest jiu-jitsu competitions on the world stage where she also took home two golds and two silvers for Ireland and her club, Checkmat Waterford.

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Commenting on her momentous win over the weekend, Freya said: "Every competition that we take time to travel to is a huge commitment, and I’m always determined to do my best, and I am thrilled with this win. This is my first Gold MMA medal, as all of my big competitions to date have been in Jiujitsu, so it’s fantastic to broaden my options for future competitions. I’ll celebrate with my family this week and head back into training for my next competition."

Freya's achievements have not gone unnoticed as a documentary crew, Jungle House, are now making the 11-year-old the focus of a new documentary to capture her sporting progress. The premier screening of the documentary is set to take place in Waterford in early April. 

Speaking of the win and Freya’s dedication to her sport, her dad who travelled to Serbia with Freya, Rob Marsh said: "Freya has incredible drive and fierce determination. She is dedicated to school like any other 11-year-old and also spends time with her friends and her sisters. But at the same time, she trains every day at a professional athlete level, managing Jiujitsu, strength and conditioning training, MMA, Boxing and Muay Thai. She certainly has her sights set on representing her country at every level."

Freya trains under a Brazilian black belt coach Wagner Luvezuti at Checkmat Waterford and is an impressive example of what a like-minded, hardworking team can create. Freya is currently ranked as the number 1 yellow belt female in her weight division in the world. She is also ranked number 3 of all female yellow belts in the world with IBJJF.