PAWFC 3 a huge step for female fighters
It was a huge step in the right direction for women's MMA.
With its largest crowd to date on Saturday for PAWFC 3, Pallas Athena Women's Fighting Championship continues to grow as the first all-female mixed martial arts corporation in Canada.
The goal of the company is to showcase the best female fighters around the world.
The company aims to grow women in sports for fighters now and in the future. PAWFC COO Jennica Wheeler knows the significance of putting women in sports in the spotlight.
“It's extremely important because we have female athletes that are all over the world,” explained Wheeler. “And we're able to give them an opportunity to be showcased.”
The event saw 10 fights, showcasing muay thai and MMA at Nutrien Western Event Centre in Calgary. The company had fighters from around the world, including Canada, Greece, France, Australia, Brazil, England and the United States. The company has also brought in fighters from Poland, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Sweden, Italy and Indonesia for past shows.
The show was highlighted by crowning Kate Bacik as the first Pallas Athena flyweight champion, who showed her appreciation to the new title after defeating Brazilian fighter Larrissa Carvalho in a unanimous decision.
“This championship means everything to me,” said the 30-yearold fighter from London, England.
The event also featured two local fighters from Calgary in muay thai fights, which was the first time in PAWFC history the fighting style was showcased. Sahez Lohat fought to a no-contest after an illegal knee to the groin of Lethbridge native Ami Lyczewski. Meanwhile, Stephanie Quigg impressed in front of friends and family, defeating Chara Dimitroula in a unanimous decision for her first professional win.
“It feels amazing — I'm on top of the world,” said the local fighter. “It was a great fight — she was super tough.”
The 40-year-old Quigg was a fan favourite throughout her fight, as the raucous crowd desperately wanted to see the hometown girl win in her matchup against her Greek opponent.
“With our gym, we have a really good community,” explained Quigg. “So it was really fun to hear everyone cheering for me and knowing that I had big support.”
Quigg began fighting 15 years ago, when she started muay thai across the street from her home because her cousin started fighting. She now trains at Team Smandych, in southwest Calgary. Not only is she a fighter, however, as she is also a nurse when she is not in the octagon.
“I think it's a good stress reliever for me, being both a nurse and a fighter,” Quigg said. “Nursing is more on my caring side, and fighting is my other side.”
This was Quigg's first fight for PAWFC, in her third professional matchup. She entered the night with an 0-2 record, losing tough fights to Morgane Pouliot in late 2022 and Kate Clements in 2023.