Props to Reddit MMA for informing us that former Road FC ring girlSong Ga Yeon (aka Ga Yeon Song, aka songkayeoun) won her MMA debut last month, TKO’ing Emi Yamamoto in the first round of their headlining match at Road FC 17 in Seoul. Song is a 19-year-old atomweight from Gumi, South Korea, who is semi-famous in her home country for appearing on the Big Brother-style reality show Roommate.
Surprisingly, Song’s MMA debut wasn’t just a stunt to sell tickets; this girl can actually bang. Watch the video below to see her come out like a swarm of bees against Yamamoto, mixing aggressive strikes and a serviceable takedown game before ending the fight with ground-and-pound at the video’s 6:25 mark. Impressive.
We’ve put eight more Song Ga Yeon photos after the jump, if you’re interested…
Props to Reddit MMA for informing us that former Road FC ring girlSong Ga Yeon (aka Ga Yeon Song, aka songkayeoun) won her MMA debut last month, TKO’ing Emi Yamamoto in the first round of their headlining match at Road FC 17 in Seoul. Song is a 19-year-old atomweight from Gumi, South Korea, who is semi-famous in her home country for appearing on the Big Brother-style reality show Roommate.
Surprisingly, Song’s MMA debut wasn’t just a stunt to sell tickets; this girl can actually bang. Watch the video below to see her come out like a swarm of bees against Yamamoto, mixing aggressive strikes and a serviceable takedown game before ending the fight with ground-and-pound at the video’s 6:25 mark. Impressive.
One name stuck out for a different reason — Lia Mata’afa, the only fighter on the list with a 0-0 professional record. So why would TUF bring on a fighter with no professional experience? Well, as the UG informs us, she happens to be really attractive.
But make no mistake: Mata’afa is a freak athlete with a ton of potential. In addition to her 4-1 amateur MMA record, Lia was a two-time girls State wrestling champion in her native Hawaii, and according to the Meltzer report she played varsity rugby at Boston University and is currently a member of the American Samoa national rugby team. She is Kendall Grove‘s sister-in-law, and a product of Chris Leben’s Ultimate Fight School in Honolulu.
We’ve gathered a few of our favorite Lia Mata’afa photos for your consideration — which continue after the jump — along with a video of her MMA debut. Visit Lia’s Facebook page for more.
One name stuck out for a different reason — Lia Mata’afa, the only fighter on the list with a 0-0 professional record. So why would TUF bring on a fighter with no professional experience? Well, as the UG informs us, she happens to be really attractive.
But make no mistake: Mata’afa is a freak athlete with a ton of potential. In addition to her 4-1 amateur MMA record, Lia was a two-time girls State wrestling champion in her native Hawaii, and according to the Meltzer report she played varsity rugby at Boston University and is currently a member of the American Samoa national rugby team. She is Kendall Grove‘s sister-in-law, and a product of Chris Leben’s Ultimate Fight School in Honolulu.
We’ve gathered a few of our favorite Lia Mata’afa photos for your consideration — which continue after the jump — along with a video of her MMA debut. Visit Lia’s Facebook page for more.
Rachel Wray‘s unlikely transition from NFL eye-candy to aspiring cage-fighter started with a fateful trip to a boxing gym. As she explained to KCMMA:
“I have been a cheerleader or dancer my whole life and I moved [to Kansas City] from Arkansas to cheer for the Kansas City Chiefs. I started working out at Title Boxing Club with some of the girls for an alternative workout. I really enjoyed it and started taking private lessons after a little while. One day, I came in and they wanted me to spar. I was nervous about someone actually punching me in the face, but I did it.
I was absolutely horrible. This drove me to want it even more. I knew I had to make a choice between fighting and cheerleading. I chose fighting. I trained harder and took more private lessons. In the same shopping center was [Jason High and LC Davis’s gym] HDMMA and I wandered in there to see what was going on. Everyone was so nice and just not what I expected from a MMA gym. So, I started training there too. One thing led to another, and now I feel comfortable enough to compete in the cage…I hope to fight 4-5 times over the next year.”
Though Rachel’s last scheduled match didn’t take place due to her opponent not showing up — gotta love regional MMA! — she won her amateur debut by second-round TKO. (You can watch it here and here.) Rachel’s next fight is slated for January 25th at Harrah’s Casino in Kansas City, against an opponent to be named later.
Get to know Rachel better by checking out her photo gallery after the jump, as well as our short-‘n’-sweet interview with the lady herself…
Rachel Wray‘s unlikely transition from NFL eye-candy to aspiring cage-fighter started with a fateful trip to a boxing gym. As she explained to KCMMA:
“I have been a cheerleader or dancer my whole life and I moved [to Kansas City] from Arkansas to cheer for the Kansas City Chiefs. I started working out at Title Boxing Club with some of the girls for an alternative workout. I really enjoyed it and started taking private lessons after a little while. One day, I came in and they wanted me to spar. I was nervous about someone actually punching me in the face, but I did it.
I was absolutely horrible. This drove me to want it even more. I knew I had to make a choice between fighting and cheerleading. I chose fighting. I trained harder and took more private lessons. In the same shopping center was [Jason High and LC Davis’s gym] HDMMA and I wandered in there to see what was going on. Everyone was so nice and just not what I expected from a MMA gym. So, I started training there too. One thing led to another, and now I feel comfortable enough to compete in the cage…I hope to fight 4-5 times over the next year.”
Though Rachel’s last scheduled match didn’t take place due to her opponent not showing up — gotta love regional MMA! — she won her amateur debut by second-round TKO. (You can watch it here and here.) Rachel’s next fight is slated for January 25th at Harrah’s Casino in Kansas City, against an opponent to be named later.
Get to know Rachel better by checking out her photo gallery above, and read on for our short-’n’-sweet interview with the lady herself…
CAGEPOTATO.COM: When do you plan on going pro? Is your goal to make it into the UFC one day? RACHEL WRAY: At this time I’m not sure where fighting will take me. Right now I’m just focusing on getting some amateur experience, but if things keep going well for me then I may be able to go pro someday. It would be cool to fight for the UFC, obviously, but I wouldn’t say that’s my goal in life. I’ve been a dancer and cheerleader my entire life, and I’ve only been fighting for ten months. Right now all I can think about is winning my next fight.
What’s the most satisfying move to land in a fight?
I have never landed a submission in an actual fight, but that is definitely the most satisfying move to land at practice. I specialize more in boxing, so when I armbar or choke somebody it feels really good. I don’t go for many takedowns, but those are even better.
What do you like to do when you’re not fighting or training?
Fighting and training are pretty much my entire life. That’s what I do for fun, I enjoy it so much. Other than that I love spending time with my family. I’m a super girly-girl, so I love shopping with my mom, going to the spa, getting my nails done, and going out with the girls. I also enjoy reading books and playing the piano.
What’s the most important lesson you learned from Jason High?
Jason High is an amazing coach, he always leads by example. He has done a great job of showing me how to successfully train and live the right lifestyle of a fighter. From all the techniques of MMA to strength and conditioning, lifting weights, running, and the fighter diet, he truly has taught me everything I need to know to succeed in this sport. I moved back home to Arkansas recently, but after training with Jason, I feel confident that I can make it down here as a fighter on my own.
Rousey vs. Carmouche at UFC 157 — how does it end?
First-round armbar, no doubt. I bet Ronda gets it within the first two minutes.
A 5’1 ball of solid muscle, Rin Nakai isn’t the first woman you’d expect to become an MMA sex symbol. And yet Nakai has become an object of fetishistic interest in her native Japan due to the risqué photos that she regularly posts to her blog. The 24-year-old judoka has racked up a 10-0-1 professional record (seven wins via stoppage) as a 145-pounder, competing in Pancrase, Smackgirl, and Valkyrie, and was crowned the Valkyrie Open Weight Women’s Tournament champion last November. Check out our gallery of Rin Nakai photos below, and let us know in the comments section — would you or wouldn’t you?
A 5’1 ball of solid muscle, Rin Nakai isn’t the first woman you’d expect to become an MMA sex symbol. And yet Nakai has become an object of fetishistic interest in her native Japan due to the risqué photos that she regularly posts to her blog. The 24-year-old judoka has racked up a 10-0-1 professional record (seven wins via stoppage) as a 145-pounder, competing in Pancrase, Smackgirl, and Valkyrie, and was crowned the Valkyrie Open Weight Women’s Tournament champion last November. Check out our gallery of Rin Nakai photos above, and let us know in the comments section — would you or wouldn’t you?
