The old adage 'don't judge a book by its cover' could have been written for Cory McKenna.
The unassuming and humble young woman is at home in front of thousands of fans, kicking, punching and grappling with her opponent on the world stage. She admits she's not the type of person who really worries about what she looks like, so getting blood smeared across her face in the process is no big deal.
Cory in full fight mode is a fierce, determined and strong figure, and she can be found wrestling with men and women twice her size in training. Simply put, it's what she loves to do.
But the 22-year-old Welshwoman is often met with disbelief in the face of realisation from others that she is a professional fighter.
She may not look like a typical pro mixed martial artist at first glance, but do not be fooled.
The seemingly mild-mannered Cwmbran native became the first Welsh woman to fight in the UFC, the world's top MMA promotion, also becoming becoming the UK's youngest UFC signing at the same time in 2020.
The self-confessed bookworm and art lover is one of the toughest women on the planet in the cage.
But, annoyingly, that's not always easy for everyone to digest.
"I get comments all the time from people outside of the gym who say things like 'you look too young or too nice to fight,' but they clearly don't know me at all," she tells WalesOnline.
"Even after my last UFC fight I found it hilarious scrolling through all the comments on social media. There were so many comments off people saying how young I looked and that they didn't know the UFC were letting kids fight for them now, but I'm just not the type of person to let that sort of thing get to me.
"It's funny, really, and to be honest life's too short to be sensitive about these sort of things so I'm not bothered."
Cory once confessed that you need three things to succeed in her field: dedication, chicken and a mean streak.
"I might look nice but I have a mean streak in the cage which I think is super important, particularly when you're in a fight as you can't worry about taking damage or what any of these people think of you.
"I can also be pretty stubborn so I know that no matter what happens I won't quit, and even if I'm hurt or I break my ankle, I'm still going to come out there and fight like I did in my last performance."
When we last spoke to Cory, she was just 19 years old and making her way through the sparsely populated straw weight division of European promotion Cage Warriors. Three years on, there is an extra edge of confidence to Cory, who now lives in Sacramento, California, where she trains full-time at the world-famous Team Alpha Male gym.
MMA, for those who don't know, stands for mixed martial arts. It's an extremely tough contact sport, in which fighters use techniques from other combat sports and martial arts. The ultimate is UFC, which has made superstars of the likes of Conor McGregor, who was believed to have made £100million from a single fight with boxer Floyd Mayweather.
It's a long way from when Cory started out training alongside her mother, fellow professional fighter Wendy McKenna. The pair began training in karate when Cory was a young girl, and their passion for competition spread across a number of disciplines including boxing, jiu-jitsu and wrestling, a path which eventually led the duo to their chosen sport of MMA.
"I'm definitely not like a regular person and If I didn't have MMA I really don't know what I would be doing. When I was injured last year I had this moment where I was like, 'what if I could never fight again?' It made me reflect on my life to the point where I said I can't imagine myself doing anything but fighting, so even though the injuries I've had were a test, they have only solidified my passion.
"I do have other things I like. For example, if I'm free I'll go hiking on the weekends and I still have a love for reading and art, but even though I have sold some of my paintings in the past I can only ever see that as a hobby I do in my spare time moving forward."
Cory is now settled in the US, even going as far to say the lifestyle in California is "not too different to home".
"It's been kind of a mad few years with Covid and my move to Sacremento, but it's also gone really quickly as quite a lot has happened. I signed for the UFC which was great, and even got myself a couple of wins which was even better. To be honest, it's huge for me to be the first Welsh woman in the UFC as that's an accolade that nobody else is ever going to have so it means a lot.
"Of course it's a big jump from when I first fought in MMA at only 15 years old but that's what I love. I can remember I was just so excited to get in there back then that I was honestly like a kid on Christmas, and I'd be running around the place jumping and skipping to the point where my coaches would have to tell me to calm down.
"Obviously now I've grown up and gained a lot more experience, but that buzz of excitement still feels the same to me when I fight, the only difference is that I'm a lot more calmer and I don't get nervous at all."
When Cory enters her arena, she is referred to by her fight name - Mary Poppins. It's perhaps an unusual choice of moniker for such a physical, often brutal sport.
"It is a bit of a talking point. I used to be called the Hobbit but one of my coaches Urijah Faber was adamant that I changed that to Poppins, after the character Mary Poppins, due to the fact that I have a British accent and help out with looking after his kids.
"Because it was him who got me the opportunity to fight for the UFC, I was thinking I owed him one and decided to change it as a way of saying thank you. People have responded well to it, and when it comes to the walking oxymoron that is my life I actually think it fits."
Following a year on the sidelines courtesy of a serious ankle injury, Cory is preparing to return to action for her third UFC appearance at UFC London on March 19 against Elise Reed at the 02 Arena. She will be fighting in front of a home UK crowd who will get to witness her determination and unrelenting pressure in person.
"I'm lucky to have a great support system of family and friends in both places but it will be great to get home and to see the huge response from people in the UK to me getting this fight. I really can't wait.
"It was always my dream since I first started going to karate with my mum as kid that I could one day be training full-time and fighting for the UFC, and doing that in front of a home crowd at UFC London in March will make it even more special.
"I just hope it allows more girls to follow on in the sport after seeing it, as I know there's a few younger ones coming through on the local scene in Wales. Being a positive influence on them is important to me."
She added: "I know my opponent for this fight is going to be tough but I expect nothing less at this level and can't wait to go out there and put on a show."
That is pretty much guaranteed.
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