A recommended match if you like a fully competitive contest with a big effort from both girls, with a respectful but feisty atmosphere.

A good choice of opponent for Zoe’s entrance into the middleweight division. Laila is always prepared to struggle, which is evident both visually and audibly throughout. She is also strong and aggressive and in addition to that is able to respond with quick positional reversals at times. Meanwhile Zoe shows she is ready for the step into this division, and as well as being strong herself, with noticeable muscles, she also proves she has both technique and tactical awareness/instinct in abundance and perhaps it is not only in hair colour that she might be compared to Tia!

Both girls have belief that they can win, and determination to do so, for the majority of an intense match. Even after the moment, more than half-way through the match, where one of them gets ahead by two points, it is not long before the other girl has again responded and has her in a headlock, though the leading girl is ready and able to use the bodyscissors in response and the fight continues in a competitive way until the end. Zoe displays quick and skilful moves throughout and also clearly has a trademark move or two already, such as going for a facesit while trapping the opponents arm. But Laila, who has previously a good record in mixed and female matches, including winning against a male who has won himself in a different mixed match (while Zoe is not unbeaten in mixed matches), is not an easy first match and is always eager to get Zoe into a headlock or scissors and make it count.

After the match there are some nice interviews, and the friendliness and respect is still there (or we could say it re-appears!), with Zoe also proving a useful translator for Laila.