Normally, this would be the part where I’d lament the fact that the UFC is throwing a total rookie (and such a pretty girl!) up against a veteran with 28 professional fights, but you know what, I’m not going to do that this time. Kedzie has spent her career tangling with elite fighters like Tara LaRosa, Gina Carano, Shayna Baszler, and Miesha Tate…and she’s been beaten by all of them. The crazy cat lady is currently on a three-fight losing skid, and hasn’t won a fight in over two years. Maybe her “experience edge” just means she knows how to lose. I don’t know. I’m not going to count Alexandra out yet. There’s just something about this woman.
The current UFC Fight Night 33 lineup is after the jump…
Normally, this would be the part where I’d lament the fact that the UFC is throwing a total rookie (and such a pretty girl!) up against a veteran with 28 professional fights, but you know what, I’m not going to do that this time. Kedzie has spent her career tangling with elite fighters like Tara LaRosa, Gina Carano, Shayna Baszler, and Miesha Tate…and she’s been beaten by all of them. The crazy cat lady is currently on a three-fight losing skid, and hasn’t won a fight in over two years. Maybe her “experience edge” just means she knows how to lose. I don’t know. I’m not going to count Alexandra out yet. There’s just something about this woman.
The current UFC Fight Night 33 lineup is after the jump…
Props to BabesofMMA and MMAJunkie for turning us on to Paige VanZant, a 2-0 professional MMA fighter who will be facing Tecia Torres on the prelims of this Saturday’s Invicta 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt event in Kansas City.
A model and student-athlete since childhood, the 18-year-old fighter began training in MMA when she was 15, and currently trains at the House of RYU in Las Vegas. Paige began competing this year, first picking up an amateur win in April, then winning decisions in professional matches against Jordan Gaza and Amber Stautzenberger. (She’s also done ring girl gigs for Shark Fights and Ultimate Reno Combat.) According to this Examiner article, Paige likes wrestling and throws, doesn’t enjoy getting hit in the face, and her future goals include opening a restaurant and fighting Cris Cyborg.
Check out lots more of our favorite Paige VanZant photos in the gallery after the jump — as well as four bonus videos of Paige chatting, fighting, and steam-mopping — and follow her life on Facebook and Twitter.
Props to BabesofMMA and MMAJunkie for turning us on to Paige VanZant, a 2-0 professional MMA fighter who will be facing Tecia Torres on the prelims of this Saturday’s Invicta 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt event in Kansas City.
A model and student-athlete since childhood, the 18-year-old fighter began training in MMA when she was 15, and currently trains at the House of RYU in Las Vegas. Paige began competing this year, first picking up an amateur win in April, then winning decisions in professional matches against Jordan Gaza and Amber Stautzenberger. (She’s also done ring girl gigs for Shark Fights and Ultimate Reno Combat.) According to this Examiner article, Paige likes wrestling and throws, doesn’t enjoy getting hit in the face, and her future goals include opening a restaurant and fighting Cris Cyborg.
Check out lots more of our favorite Paige VanZant photos in the gallery above — as well as the four bonus videos below of Paige chatting, fighting, and steam-mopping — and follow her life on Facebook and Twitter.
Bonus videos:
(“Real Girls Kick Ass” video profile from 2011. Props: rmsellars)
(Highlights of Paige VanZant’s first amateur fight against Morgan Hunter. Props: Gofightlive)
(Paige VanZant vs. Jordan Gaza, 6/30/12. Props: Mike Jackson)
(Paige VanZant sells the hell out of the Bissell Steam Mop Deluxe, circa 2010. Hey, we all gotta pay the bills.)
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.
(Photo courtesy of Cassie’s Facebook page; click for full-size version. Full gallery is after the jump.)
Props to BabesofMMA for introducing us to Cassie Crisano, a 3-1 amateur MMA fighter from Middletown, New York, who will be making her professional debut this Saturday against Janice Meyer at Cage Fury Fighting Championships 17 in Dover, Delaware. The fight will be streamed live on CFFC.tv.
Like Miesha Tate before her, Cassie took to wrestling early in life, competing among the boys on her high school varsity team. Her competitive accomplishments included finishing second at the first Women’s National Wrestling tournament in Albuquerque, and becoming the 138-pound New York State women’s champion. After a long recovery from a near-fatal auto accident in 2002, Cassie began training in MMA four years ago, and made her amateur MMA debut in December 2010.
In her own words: “The problem with women in MMA is that there are just not enough of us to be able to take it to the next level as the men. There are too many women that want to be classified as ‘A FIGHTER’ but the skill level of being a well-rounded fighter is just not there. The talent pool is just not big enough yet. So when a one-trick pony pops up from out of nowhere they become a rising star which ultimately in the end makes women’s MMA look like it’s a joke.”
No offense, Ronda? Get to know Cassie better on Facebook and Twitter, and check out more of our favorite Cassie Crisano photos in the gallery below…
Props to BabesofMMA for introducing us to Cassie Crisano, a 3-1 amateur MMA fighter from Middletown, New York, who will be making her professional debut this Saturday against Janice Meyer at Cage Fury Fighting Championships 17 in Dover, Delaware. The fight will be streamed live on CFFC.tv.
Like Miesha Tate before her, Cassie took to wrestling early in life, competing among the boys on her high school varsity team. Her competitive accomplishments included finishing second at the first Women’s National Wrestling tournament in Albuquerque, and becoming the 138-pound New York State women’s champion. After a long recovery from a near-fatal auto accident in 2002, Cassie began training in MMA four years ago, and made her amateur MMA debut in December 2010.
In her own words: “The problem with women in MMA is that there are just not enough of us to be able to take it to the next level as the men. There are too many women that want to be classified as ‘A FIGHTER’ but the skill level of being a well-rounded fighter is just not there. The talent pool is just not big enough yet. So when a one-trick pony pops up from out of nowhere they become a rising star which ultimately in the end makes women’s MMA look like it’s a joke.”
No offense, Ronda? Get to know Cassie better on Facebook and Twitter, and check out more of our favorite Cassie Crisano photos in the gallery above.
Jenae “Turbo” Noonan is an MMA fighter, kickboxer, boxer, model, motivational speaker, and vegan, who returns to competition on October 13th, when she’ll be representing the U.S.A. at the next World Sports MMA tournament in Moscow. According to this new Babes of MMA interview, Noonan got involved in MMA when she moved into a house with UFC vets Javier Vasquez and Gabe Ruediger, who took her to their gyms and started working with her. Currently based in Pomona, California, the foxy redhead works out at the King of Kings boxing gym in Covina, the UFC Gym in Rosemead, and the University of La Verne for strength and conditioning.
Jenae “Turbo” Noonan is an MMA fighter, kickboxer, boxer, model, motivational speaker, and vegan, who returns to competition on October 13th, when she’ll be representing the U.S.A. at the next World Sports MMA tournament in Moscow. According to this new Babes of MMA interview, Noonan got involved in MMA when she moved into a house with UFC vets Javier Vasquez and Gabe Ruediger, who took her to their gyms and started working with her. Currently based in Pomona, California, the foxy redhead works out at the King of Kings boxing gym in Covina, the UFC Gym in Rosemead, and the University of La Verne for strength and conditioning.
For the record, our new obsession with Ronda Rousey is completely healthy, and is based mostly on our deep respect for the art of judo. Also, she’s really hot. Just figured we’d throw that out there.
The point is, you might be seeing a lot more of Ms. Rousey, in high-profile fights that would push her skills to their limits. In the meantime, check out our favorite Ronda Rousey photos in the gallery below. Enjoy, and show Ronda you care on twitter @RondaRousey.
For the record, our new obsession with Ronda Rousey is completely healthy, and is based mostly on our deep respect for the art of judo. Also, she’s really hot. Just figured we’d throw that out there.
The point is, you might be seeing a lot more of Ms. Rousey, in high-profile fights that would push her skills to their limits. In the meantime, check out our favorite Ronda Rousey photos in the gallery above. Enjoy, and show Ronda you care on twitter @RondaRousey.
