Manchester United fan Cartwright, who has recently resumed his career after taking a break to care for his baby son, gave Zelem a taste for MMA at his gym Wayfarer Academy in Longsight, whilst taking inspiration from Zelem’s words about leadership and commitment to her sport.

“It was a pleasure to introduce Katie to MMA and to chat to her about her passion for football, her career and Manchester”, said Cartwright. “I am so happy that Oktagon has chosen Manchester as its first stop on UK soil. We hope to put on a show and inspire the next generation of MMA fighters.”

Cartwright continues: “I have been training really hard and I am not looking past 4th November. I am so excited to fight in front of a home crowd at the AO Arena, and I know that the atmosphere is going to be amazing. I can’t wait to get out there, put on the best performance of my life and prove why I am the best fighter in Europe.”

After joining Cartwright in some MMA training exercises Zelem was impressed: “I can confirm it is hard work! I think you can never appreciate something until you’ve done it yourself. I did 20 punches, and my arms are already tired. I don’t know how Jack does it, all those rounds consecutively is admirable. I wish Jack the best of luck for his Oktagon fight on 4th November, and I hope he can do it for the Manchester crowd.”

Cartwright, a formed Cage Warriors bantamweight champion, will be part of a star line up at the AO Arena in Manchester on 4 October, as Oktagon MMA debuts on UK soil. The highly anticipated event is hailed as the newest and most thrilling MMA spectacle in Europe. The event will also feature a celebrity fight, with reality TV star Jake Quickenden and stand-up comedian Paul Smith having devoted the past ten months of their lives to MMA training as part of the ‘Stage to Cage’ TV series on Channel 4.

Oktagon MMA in Manchester will also serve as the grand finale of the Oktagon Challenge, a reality TV show streamed on Channel 4. The captivating series follows four MMA athletes from England as they go head-to-head with four MMA athletes from Ireland. Throughout the series, the rising stars not only demonstrate their skills in the cage, but also take on challenges beyond their comfort zone. The ultimate winner will be determined on 4 November in Manchester in front of a live crowd.

For more information about Oktagon MMA at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday 4 November 2023, visit Oktagon’s official website. Tickets are now available. To book your seat and be part of the action, visit here.

England’s three group games (being held at Old Trafford, Brighton & Hove and Southampton) are all sold out as well as the Wembley Final, the support for the teams will be amazing.

When asked about her potential selection for the England Women’s EUROs 2022 and her dream of playing for England at Old Trafford Katie said:  

“I think if I am selected, that’ll be up there with being Manchester United captain as my proudest achievement. That would be a huge achievement and something I’ve dreamed of since I was little.

“There’s four of us United girls currently around the squad at the moment and three of us are United fans.

“I remember being a flag bearer at a game when I was only 10 or 11 years old. I was only tiny and the flag was gigantic.

“To be a Manchester United fan to play an England game at the Euros at Old Trafford would be something else.”

Katie’s comments on the growth of the women’s game…

 “Not just in England, but Barcelona have had around 90,000 for their El Clasico. You’d be lucky to get that many people in the men’s game.

“A lot of men’s Premier League teams are not even filling out their stadiums! It shows that there is a hunger to watch, not just the women’s game, but high-level football in general.

“I think people appreciate high-level football and that’s exactly what Barcelona women’s team are bringing right now.

“It’s not the fact of male or female, the gender they want to watch, it’s just that about the success and the quality of the sport that people are watching.”

 And on the Women’s EUROs 2022 tournament…

“With the games being televised and being so much more accessible, I think it’s a great showcase for women’s football, not just in England but also across Europe.

“They’re filling stadiums. Wembley’s already sold out, all our group games are sold out. I think it’ll be amazing to attract attention to the sport and hopefully shine a really positive light on it.”

You can read the full Livescore interview, click here.

Lead photo shows Katie Zelem playing for England U19s.

With thanks to Matchfit