Invicta’s ‘Rainbow Renegade’ Tiffany Masters on fighting for the LGBT community

Invicta debutante Tiffany Masters discusses her path to the promotion as well as her fight with Mallory Martin this weekend.

After two years on the amateur MMA circuit, Wisconsin’s Tiffany Masters (2-0) makes her Invicta debut on Saturday night. At Invicta FC 24: Dudieva vs. Borella, Masters will meet Mallory Martin (1-1) in a strawweight contest.

The 22-year-old Masters began wrestling at nine years old. She was in high school when she first heard of mixed martial arts. “When I was a junior, there was a kid who joined the wrestling team who said he did MMA,” said Masters to Bloody Elbow. “I was like, ‘That’s cool, not really sure what that is, but good for you.’ He said he wanted to do wrestling to get better at it, and I was like, ‘OK cool, so wrestling must be a part of this MMA thing.’”

Masters didn’t think about MMA again until two years later, when she and some friends were at a restaurant, and the UFC was playing on the big screen. “I looked up and thought, hmm – that’s a lot of wrestling. I could totally do that! So I got back in contact with that guy and asked him where he trained. And the rest is history.”

Masters started training around the time The Ultimate Fighter 20 debuted on TV screens. That edition of the long-running MMA reality series featured Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez coaching the UFC’s first women’s strawweight fighters. That pool of fighters competed in a tournament to crown the promotion’s first champion at 115 pounds.

“At that point, I think the very first person who I really liked to watch fight was Joanne Calderwood because I was kind of timid when I first started fighting,” said Masters. “She just marches forwards and just goes to work and knocks people down, so I like that about her. That was the first fighter that I really liked.”

Masters’ first amateur fight was in early 2015. It didn’t go very well.

“I lost in like 28 seconds, thanks to a rookie mistake,” sighed Masters. “I tried to turn to get my leg back and she took my back and that was the end of it: rear naked choke.” Masters’ second fight came nine months later. That ended in a draw. After that, she went on a tear; winning her next three fights via knockout and then her last amateur fight via submission.

“After I got my first win it all kind of clicked for me,” revealed Masters. After tasting success in her amateur career, Masters made the decision to turn pro. “I kept winning faster and faster and it seemed like the logical next step,” she said. “I was actually really really nervous for my pro debut. I just kept psyching myself out. I was worried that this was a whole new game, a whole new caliber of fighters, that it’s going to be so much harder. But once I got in there, I didn’t think about that and I wound up winning even faster!”

Masters’ pro debut was with King Of The Cage in December, 2016. Her second pro fight was this March, also with KOTC. Masters won that via a first round submission. The two quick victories put her on Shannon Knapp’s radar and it wasn’t long until Invicta came calling.

“Oh my gosh it was so exciting,” said Masters of the moment she learned she would compete for Invicta. “I got a text from my manager one day saying, ‘I think we have something in the books, I’ll get back to you,’ and then I was like, ‘Alright cool.’ And then he said, ‘You’re fighting for Invicta on July 15th,’ and as soon as I read that – I was sitting on the couch – I just jumped straight up and screamed. It was so exciting for me.”

Meeting Masters for her Invicta debut is Mallory Martin, who dropped a close decision to Sunna Rannveig Davidsdottir at Invicta FC 22 in March. “She’s tough, that’s for sure,” said Masters of her forthcoming opponent.

“I actually saw her fight against Sunna when it first happened and she’s a tough fighter, it’s going to be a good fight. Overall I think she’s best on her feet, I didn’t see a whole lot of take downs in that fight. Or a lot of ground game at all, but it’s definitely going to be a good fight.”

Masters said she prefers to fight on her feet (because it is more fun), but she sees herself as having a definite edge over Martin when it comes to wrestling and grappling. “I’m going to keep it exciting,” she said. “I’m going to keep it fast and keep her on her toes. I’m hoping for that big finish, but I go into every fight thinking it’s going to be a three round war.”

Masters’ nickname is ‘The Rainbow Renegade’ and a rainbow flag often features proudly at her photoshoots and walks to the cage. Since at least the 1970s the rainbow coloured flag has been used as a rallying symbol for LGBTQA+ communities (and others interested in the rights of non-cisgender/non-heterosexual individuals and groups).

“I love being able to represent the LGBT community,” said Masters. “I just think it’s important for a lot of younger people to see that someone’s out there and they’re being out and they’re ok with it and they’re ok with themselves. I had a pretty easy go of it, with my family, and coming out, but I know a lot of other people have it hard. And they do look to other people just to try and get that courage to not just come out, but to find that acceptance in themselves, too. And I just don’t want to hide who I am either. I like being able to represent.”

You can watch Tiffany Masters represent when she takes on Mallory Martin this Saturday night at Invicta FC 24. The event is available live and on-demand on UFC Fight Pass.

Invicta debutante Tiffany Masters discusses her path to the promotion as well as her fight with Mallory Martin this weekend.

After two years on the amateur MMA circuit, Wisconsin’s Tiffany Masters (2-0) makes her Invicta debut on Saturday night. At Invicta FC 24: Dudieva vs. Borella, Masters will meet Mallory Martin (1-1) in a strawweight contest.

The 22-year-old Masters began wrestling at nine years old. She was in high school when she first heard of mixed martial arts. “When I was a junior, there was a kid who joined the wrestling team who said he did MMA,” said Masters to Bloody Elbow. “I was like, ‘That’s cool, not really sure what that is, but good for you.’ He said he wanted to do wrestling to get better at it, and I was like, ‘OK cool, so wrestling must be a part of this MMA thing.’”

Masters didn’t think about MMA again until two years later, when she and some friends were at a restaurant, and the UFC was playing on the big screen. “I looked up and thought, hmm – that’s a lot of wrestling. I could totally do that! So I got back in contact with that guy and asked him where he trained. And the rest is history.”

Masters started training around the time The Ultimate Fighter 20 debuted on TV screens. That edition of the long-running MMA reality series featured Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez coaching the UFC’s first women’s strawweight fighters. That pool of fighters competed in a tournament to crown the promotion’s first champion at 115 pounds.

“At that point, I think the very first person who I really liked to watch fight was Joanne Calderwood because I was kind of timid when I first started fighting,” said Masters. “She just marches forwards and just goes to work and knocks people down, so I like that about her. That was the first fighter that I really liked.”

Masters’ first amateur fight was in early 2015. It didn’t go very well.

“I lost in like 28 seconds, thanks to a rookie mistake,” sighed Masters. “I tried to turn to get my leg back and she took my back and that was the end of it: rear naked choke.” Masters’ second fight came nine months later. That ended in a draw. After that, she went on a tear; winning her next three fights via knockout and then her last amateur fight via submission.

“After I got my first win it all kind of clicked for me,” revealed Masters. After tasting success in her amateur career, Masters made the decision to turn pro. “I kept winning faster and faster and it seemed like the logical next step,” she said. “I was actually really really nervous for my pro debut. I just kept psyching myself out. I was worried that this was a whole new game, a whole new caliber of fighters, that it’s going to be so much harder. But once I got in there, I didn’t think about that and I wound up winning even faster!”

Masters’ pro debut was with King Of The Cage in December, 2016. Her second pro fight was this March, also with KOTC. Masters won that via a first round submission. The two quick victories put her on Shannon Knapp’s radar and it wasn’t long until Invicta came calling.

“Oh my gosh it was so exciting,” said Masters of the moment she learned she would compete for Invicta. “I got a text from my manager one day saying, ‘I think we have something in the books, I’ll get back to you,’ and then I was like, ‘Alright cool.’ And then he said, ‘You’re fighting for Invicta on July 15th,’ and as soon as I read that – I was sitting on the couch – I just jumped straight up and screamed. It was so exciting for me.”

Meeting Masters for her Invicta debut is Mallory Martin, who dropped a close decision to Sunna Rannveig Davidsdottir at Invicta FC 22 in March. “She’s tough, that’s for sure,” said Masters of her forthcoming opponent.

“I actually saw her fight against Sunna when it first happened and she’s a tough fighter, it’s going to be a good fight. Overall I think she’s best on her feet, I didn’t see a whole lot of take downs in that fight. Or a lot of ground game at all, but it’s definitely going to be a good fight.”

Masters said she prefers to fight on her feet (because it is more fun), but she sees herself as having a definite edge over Martin when it comes to wrestling and grappling. “I’m going to keep it exciting,” she said. “I’m going to keep it fast and keep her on her toes. I’m hoping for that big finish, but I go into every fight thinking it’s going to be a three round war.”

Masters’ nickname is ‘The Rainbow Renegade’ and a rainbow flag often features proudly at her photoshoots and walks to the cage. Since at least the 1970s the rainbow coloured flag has been used as a rallying symbol for LGBTQA+ communities (and others interested in the rights of non-cisgender/non-heterosexual individuals and groups).

“I love being able to represent the LGBT community,” said Masters. “I just think it’s important for a lot of younger people to see that someone’s out there and they’re being out and they’re ok with it and they’re ok with themselves. I had a pretty easy go of it, with my family, and coming out, but I know a lot of other people have it hard. And they do look to other people just to try and get that courage to not just come out, but to find that acceptance in themselves, too. And I just don’t want to hide who I am either. I like being able to represent.”

You can watch Tiffany Masters represent when she takes on Mallory Martin this Saturday night at Invicta FC 24. The event is available live and on-demand on UFC Fight Pass.