Bloody Elbow’s Shakiel ‘Shak’ Mahjouri talks with Rosins Sexton …
Rosi Sexton spoke with Bloody Elbow’s Shakiel Mahjouri recently. She is known for many achievements – being a British mathematician, athlete, sports therapist, osteopath, writer, rock climber, musician, as well as holding a PhD in computer science and graduating from Cambridge; and oh yeah, she also happens to hold the distinction of being the first female UFC fighter, under the moniker ‘The Surgeon’. She had a career with several promotions in mixed martial arts (MMA), from which she retired in 2014, after having made her debut in May 2002. Her last fight was facing Jessica Andrade at UFC Fight Night 30 in October, 2013, which she lost via unanimous decision, subsequently announcing her retirement that following spring.
Sexton has since written about the problem of performance-enhancing drugs (doping) in combat sports, and is a supporter of the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, VADA. Furthermore, she is now a spokesperson for SafeMMA, an organization dedicated to ensuring safety of competitors, as well as running a combat sports injury clinic. She is an active member of the new English MMA Association (EMMAA) which launched in Birmingham, England: “with the intent to focus on the education, training and development of the sport at a grassroots level – with plans to reach out to clubs, fighters, officials, doctors, and other participants for national registration, to address the unification of MMA-related rules, regulations, and safety procedures, and to promote a series of amateur tournaments culminating international championship event in 2020.”
Rosi chats with Shak about her latest role in the English MMA Association, becoming an elected official as Solihull Councillor for the Green Party, fighting Joanna Jedrzejczyk early in the future strawweight champion’s career, and more…
Discussion Points:
- 0:42 – What is the hardest challenge Sexton has conquered?
- 2:36 – Shift in public perception of anxiety
- 3:58 – How did the English MMA Association come about?
- 6:13 – Rosi Sexton’s role in the MMA Association
- 8:09 – Why do we need MMA in the Olympics?
- 10:40 – How important are rankings by an independent body?
- 12:40 – How Rosi Sexton became an elected politician
- 16:25 – Importance of alternative political candidates
- 20:55 – How an MMA career translates to politics
- 25:24 – Early assessment of Joanna Jedrzejczyk
- 26:55 – What was the highlight of Rosi Sexton’s MMA career?
Rosi can be followed on twitter – @RosiSexton (Dr Rosi Sexton) , on instagram – rosisexton , or on facebook – Rosi-Sexton ; for more info on Sexton check out ‘Rosi’s Blog’, her fight history on her tapology.com page, or dust off her old UFC.com page for a clip of her appearance on the Clare Balding Show, in 2014.
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