It’s safe to say that you’re a pretty tough customer if you participate in four mixed martial arts fights over five days and medal in a sanctioned tournament. Surprisingly, the individual in question, who has a history in the horse racing industry, has said, “I definitely had hairier moments in horse racing than I’ve had in the cage.”

After having been directly associated with horses since the age of four, Danni Neilan, who spent six years in the horse racing industry across the pond, made a bold jump to mixed martial arts in 2015. With grit and determination, Neilan sped through the MMA learning curve, and, just a few months ago, she found herself east of Saudi Arabia in Bahrain competing against some of the world’s best.

Neilan in action at the 2017 IMMAF World Championships (Jorden Curran / IMMAF)

Neilan, a native of Ireland, squared off against some of the toughest ladies on the planet this past November in the women’s flyweight division of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation Amateur World Championships. She ultimately claimed the silver medal after having battled Brazilian Michele Oliveira in the final.

Not bad for a young lady that got introduced to the sport via a Tinder date and threw her first-ever punch roughly three years ago.

Neilan (far left) on the podium after receiving her silver medal at the 2017 IMMAF World Championships (Jorden Curran / IMMAF)

As an article by The 42 explains, Neilan’s story is an inspiring one. After having been involved in show jumping, horse racing and post-secondary education, Neilan travelled – both to Canada and the United States – and found herself at a crossroads in life before she knew it.

Suffering from anxiety and not knowing what direction to go in life, she found herself gravitating toward the gym and, before she knew it, the octagon.

For those that haven’t squared off in the cage – and it is safe to say that is the overwhelmingly large majority of people – the idea of such a situation seems utterly terrifying.

Don’t tell that to Neilan, though. According to her, the most daunting situations she has experienced have been while paired with an equine.

Neilan pictured in Bahrain (Jorden Curran / IMMAF)

“I definitely had hairier moments in horse racing than I’ve had in the cage,” she told The 42. “Horses are a lot more unpredictable than people. I had a few bad injuries. I broke my pelvis and ruptured my spleen. Horse racing would be way ahead as regards injuries and the danger of it. You’re riding around at speed on top of a half-ton horse.

“There’s definitely a certain danger in fighting, but I don’t have that fear in the cage. The only fear in the cage is the fear of not doing myself justice. It’s not about being afraid of embarrassing myself, because I got over that pretty quickly. It’s a fear of not doing what I know I can do.”

To read The 42 article in its entirety, click here.

(With files from The 42)