How Manchester United and England midfielder Katie Zelem is inspiring MMA star Jack Cartwright

Local MMA athlete Jack Cartwright met Manchester United captain Katie Zelem on Thursday in the build-up to the biggest fight of his career, where he’s set to take on Antun Racic in Oktagon MMA, Manchester.

Cartwright, who is a United fan, spoke to Zelem about leadership and commitment to sport while putting her through her paces in his MMA gym.

Zelem said: “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 the fourth of November and I hope he can do it for the Manchester crowd!"

Cartwright added: “It was a pleasure to introduce Katie to MMA and to chat to her about her passion for football, her career and Manchester. 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.

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“I have been training really hard and I am not looking past the fourth of 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.”

Cartwright is a former Cage Warrior bantamweight champion and will be part of the star-studded line-up at the AO Arena as Oktagon MMA debuts on UK soil. The event is hailed as the newest and most thrilling MMA spectacle in Europe as it will also host a celebrity fight. Reality TV star Jake Quickenden and