“I remember the nerves I had going in there, I remember feeling like I had to prove so much.”
Randi Field has personified toughness throughout her life.
Windsor, Ontario, Canada’s Field (3-1) went down a reflective path ahead of her last fight in April 2022. Suffering a near-fatal accident in her youth, Field managed to build a life and career in combat sports, continuing to show a strong will with each performance.
Field defeated Maraya Miller in her last fight via a second-round rear-naked choke submission at Bellator 279. The win didn’t come without some scares, however, as the “Rose City Phoenix” was forced to rise from the ashes after the opening frame.
“When I talk about that fight, I’m like this is my story,” Field told MMA Mania. “I almost died with Maraya. She had me down, she was ground and pounding me. It’s really cool to watch the photos because I look like I’m zenning out and just being like, ‘Chill out. Don’t freak out.’
“I remember the nerves I had going in there, I remember feeling like I had to prove so much,” she continued. “I really feel that I was able to show people that I went through what I went through with Maraya in that round one and I was able to show that I had to let out my scream, get out my anxiety, and just do what I trained for.
“I think I’m done showing people I’m tough. I don’t want to show people that anymore. I want to show them that I’m actually good, too.”
The break between fights wasn’t supposed to be as long as it has been for Field. Dec. 2022 was pinned as the 32-year-old prospect’s return for a clash with Kristina Katsikis until Katsikis was forced out of the bout.
On the smaller side of Flyweight, Field draws Bellator newcomer and former Invicta Fighting Championships Atomweight title challenger, Ashley Cummins, for her next 120-pound Catchweight assignment this weekend (Fri., March 31, 2023) at Bellator 293 in Temecula, California. Despite an expected size advantage, Field isn’t looking into specifics. When it comes to weakness, she intends for her abilities to spell disaster for Cummins over all else.
“I have a lot of respect for Ashley,” Field said. “I’ve read about her, I’ve read some of her stories and [about] injuries that she’s had. I’m very grateful to be able to share the cage with her. I’m not following her on Instagram right now because we’re not doing that, but I know she’s smaller.
“She’s fought at 105, and to be honest, I probably could fight at 105 if I didn’t have such a big butt,” she added. “I think that’s like my — I’m small for 125. I’m trying to gain weight all the time. But this Catchweight of 120, I’m like, this is fricken awesome for me. I was eating a sandwich today. I can still eat stuff like that. So, I really don’t look at the size advantage. I’ve thought like that before and then we showed up and we’re the same size and I’m like, ‘Oh.’
“I haven’t seen a huge hole in her game. I think she’s awesome and I’m excited to challenge myself with her.”