Tag: WMMA

Kayla Harrison: I’ve Been To The Deepest, Darkest, Most Terrible Places

Olympic Gold Medalist and Professional Fighting League standout Kayla Harrison has shed some light on the struggles she endured prior to winning Olympic gold. Kayla Harrison earned gold medals in Judo at the Olympics in 2012 and 2016. After making her anticipated transition in the world of MMA, many began pegging her as the next […]

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Olympic Gold Medalist and Professional Fighting League standout Kayla Harrison has shed some light on the struggles she endured prior to winning Olympic gold.

Kayla Harrison earned gold medals in Judo at the Olympics in 2012 and 2016. After making her anticipated transition in the world of MMA, many began pegging her as the next Ronda Rousey. In light of her domination in the PFL, the 11-0 unbeaten Judoka shared that it wasn’t always success and gold medals.

At the age of 16, Harrison admits that she was the victim of sexual abuse. In particular, the PFL mainstay insists that her judo coach took advantage of her while she painstakingly prepared for competition.

After reflecting on those bad times, the 31-year-old insists that she doesn’t want to be the person she was during those dark times.

“I wanna evolve as a fighter inside the cage, but also as a human being, you know,” Kayla Harrison told South Florida Channel 7 News. “I don’t wanna be the same person I was when I was 16. That kid was an [expletive].”

“I’ve been to the deepest, darkest, most terrible places that a human being’s soul can go,” Harrison said. “I’ve had things happen to me that should never happen to anyone.”

Following years of sexual abuse from her judo coach, Harrison at one point admits she was struggling for the motivation to live. The lightweight credits those close to her for helping enact change in her life.

“There were moments when I wanted to die, there were moments when I was suicidal, there were moments when I thought that it wasn’t worth it, you know,” she said. “Not just to go and keep doing Judo, but it wasn’t worth it to live.”

“I want every kid in America to have to know what sexual abuse is, to have to know what it looks like and I also wanna give people hope. Harrison said. So many victims fall prey to staying the victim, and a lot of them don’t make it out of that, ever in their lives. I wanna change that.”

Harrison’s story illustrates heroism and dealing with adversity. The Olympic gold medalist hopes to spread awareness to keep other children from falling victim to the traps she fell into at an impressionable age.

Harrison is confirmed to be fighting later this month against Taylor Guardado on October 27 in the 2021 PFL lightweight championship final.

Continue Reading Kayla Harrison: I’ve Been To The Deepest, Darkest, Most Terrible Places at MMA News.

Tate Doubles Down On Ladd Criticism, Then Defends Her

The feud between Miesha Tate and Aspen Ladd has taken an unexpected turn following the latter’s defeat to Norma Dumont at UFC Vegas 40. For the last few weeks, the duo has engaged in a war of words stemming from Ladd’s failure to make weight for her fight against Macy Chiasson. Ladd, who nearly fainted […]

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The feud between Miesha Tate and Aspen Ladd has taken an unexpected turn following the latter’s defeat to Norma Dumont at UFC Vegas 40.

For the last few weeks, the duo has engaged in a war of words stemming from Ladd’s failure to make weight for her fight against Macy Chiasson. Ladd, who nearly fainted on the scale, was forced to pull out of the bout and later branded a cheater by Tate, who accused the 26-year-old of tipping the scale in her favor. 

Ladd’s coach, Jim West, shot back by calling Tate “a coward” in a since-deleted tweet. And speaking to the press a day before her fight with Dumont, Ladd criticized Tate for kicking her while she was down, before adding that “maybe we’ll meet down the road.”

“Cupcake” soon took to Twitter to return serve, doubling down on her accusation that Ladd did indeed cheat during her unsuccessful weigh-in.

“Some people aren’t afraid to call it like they see it. It’s not an attack on you going through something unpleasant, I don’t wish bad on anyone. You tried to manipulate the scale to read a weight that was not accurate. That’s unfair play, If anything I’d say I’m defending Macy,” tweeted Tate.

Miesha Tate Defends Aspen Ladd Following Her Defeat

Now, following Ladd’s defeat to Dumont on Saturday, Tate has injected an intriguing plot twist into the duo’s vendetta.

Having not fought since December 2019, Ladd looked notably lackluster in her return to the Octagon, and this wasn’t lost on her coach Jim West. Between rounds, West gave his fighter a good deal of the hairdryer treatment, wildly screaming at Ladd for her inability to pull the trigger.

Tate took notice during the fight and fired off a tweet scolding West for his perceived sexism.

“This is ABUSE, what a douche”

“

@Jwestgold15 would never speak to one of his male fighters the way he has to Aspen. Hate to see it. Been there before…”

A few of Tate’s followers challenged her assertion, pointing out that West’s straight-shooting cornering led to a TKO victory for Ladd in her last outing. Tate would then respond by putting her beef with Ladd aside and fiercely defending the #3-ranked women’s bantamweight.

“She woulda done that without him it’s who she is. He will take credit for her win but never for her loss. Trust me she can only take so much of this abuse before it breaks her spirit.”

“You’re joking me right? Maybe the only reason she’s even starting slow is because of him. She is a FIGHTER and there’s only one thing holding her back.”

When one fan pointed out that Ladd was nearing tears between rounds, Tate acknowledged making the same observation.

“Glad I’m not the only one to see it.”

What do you think? Is Miesha Tate right—did Jim West go too far?

Continue Reading Tate Doubles Down On Ladd Criticism, Then Defends Her at MMA News.

[ARCHIVES] Rousey Shares Why Pretty Girls Are Better At Combat Sports

“Rowdy” Ronda gives her theory on why pretty girls excel at combat sports.

Continue Reading [ARCHIVES] Rousey Shares Why Pretty Girls Are Better At Combat Sports at MMA News.

[MMA NEWS ARCHIVES]

The day was October 16, 2014, and Ronda Rousey was the UFC bantamweight champion and on top of the world. Here’s a story from that very date in its original, unaltered form from your friends MMA News, a leading source in MMA News since 2002.

On This Day Seven Years Ago…

[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED OCTOBER 16, 2014, 12:51 PM]

During an appearance on “Jim Rome on Showtime,” UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey gave her take on why she feels pretty girls are better at combat sports.

“They’re the ones that don’t get hit,” said Rousey. “If you think about it, if someone’s all gnarled-up, and you’re like ‘Oh man, they’ve been through some battles’, it’s like yeah, they suck! They’ve just been hit a bunch of times. If I’m coming out looking fine, then I’m probably the better fighter.”

Elaborating on a comment she made recently about her feeling that she was close to death in past fights, Rousey said: “With Liz Carmouche, I thought I could die for sure. I blocked a choke so she turned it into a neck crank. I felt my jaw dislocate and I was thinking I would rather break my neck than lose this fight.”

The undefeated UFC champ continued, “I would rather die than lose. I know that feeling so well. It’s not that I’ve never lost. I’ve lost at the worst time so I know what a loss is. That’s why I want to win so much more than these other girls. It feels like dying to me. I’d rather die.”

Continue Reading [ARCHIVES] Rousey Shares Why Pretty Girls Are Better At Combat Sports at MMA News.

Aspen Ladd Thinks UFC Featherweight Division Needs Kayla Harrison

Aspen Ladd believes the UFC must sign dominant PFL star Kayla Harrison in order to bring more “substance” to the lacklustre women’s featherweight division. Ladd’s planned return to MMA’s biggest stage hasn’t gone to plan in 2021 so far. The #3-ranked women’s bantamweight was initially scheduled to face Macy Chiasson at UFC Vegas 32 in […]

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Aspen Ladd believes the UFC must sign dominant PFL star Kayla Harrison in order to bring more “substance” to the lacklustre women’s featherweight division.

Ladd’s planned return to MMA’s biggest stage hasn’t gone to plan in 2021 so far. The #3-ranked women’s bantamweight was initially scheduled to face Macy Chiasson at UFC Vegas 32 in July. Following a late an injury to her opponent, Ladd’s comeback was delayed.

After the matchup was kept together, the pair were set to collide at UFC Vegas 38 earlier this month. In a situation we’ve previously seen in her career, Ladd experienced issues with the weight cut. Despite officially coming in one pound over the limit, the 26-year-old’s state on the scale was enough for the fight to be pulled yet again.

As many had called for, Ladd will now be making the move up to 145 pounds. After Holly Holm withdrew from her scheduled main event bout with Norma Dumont, Ladd has stepped up and will look to secure a meeting with Amanda Nunes in a different weight class than she’d originally planned.

Ahead of her featherweight debut, Ladd spoke with TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter. The Californian admitted that she sees less opportunities for herself at 145 pounds. However, she knows the move is necessary for her career, and is hoping the signing of one star currently outside of the promotion will breathe life into the weight class.

“Well, that’s part of the problem. Yes, it’s the same woman at the top of all heaps, but there’s so many less opportunities to fight at 145 right now. We’ll see in like a year, year and a half, because I highly expect for them to bring Kayla [Harrison] and try to start building the division. But basically, it’s for opportunity. Because I’d like to fight more. And in order to do that, I can’t do ‘35 all that often. It takes a lot of effort, a lot of time, and it’s gotta be exact. ‘45, I can, as you see, take on a 10-day-notice fight.”

When asked if the future of the women’s featherweight division depends on the signing of Harrison, Ladd suggested it would progress the division to more than just Amanda Nunes’ playground.

“Absolutely. They just haven’t put the time or the effort into it. Right now, it’s kinda just here for Amanda, (when) she wants to fight.”

Harrison is scheduled to fight Taylor Guardado in the final of the PFL Women’s Lightweight Tournament on October 27. Following that, Ladd expects the two-time Olympic gold medalist to test herself in the UFC.

“They need stars. They need, basically, more substance. And Kayla’s the obvious answer, and I think they’ve been angling for her for a while. And her last fight in PFL’s coming up, so I fully expect her to be signed and then them to start building the 145 division.”

In recent years, Harrison has been one of the most dominant women in MMA. Since making her debut in 2018, the 31-year-old has built a perfect 11-0 professional record that includes five knockouts and four submissions. Having won the 2019 PFL Women’s Lightweight Championship, Harrison is looking to replicate the $1 million success later this month.

While her future isn’t set in stone, Harrison previously suggested the PFL would have to significantly improve their roster or offer her life-changing money in order to keep her beyond this year. With that in mind, Dana White will likely be licking his lips at the prospect of bringing the Ohio native to the UFC.

Would you like to see Kayla Harrison sign with the UFC at the culmination of this year’s PFL season?

Continue Reading Aspen Ladd Thinks UFC Featherweight Division Needs Kayla Harrison at MMA News.

Dana White’s Advice For Carla Esparza: If You Get Offered A Fight, Take It

UFC President Dana White has advised women’s strawweight Carla Esparza to remain active rather than wait for a title shot from the sidelines. Esparza was last in action at UFC Vegas 27 in May. In the card’s co-main event, she faced top-five contender Yan Xiaonan. Against an opponent unbeaten since 2010 and boasting a perfect […]

Continue Reading Dana White’s Advice For Carla Esparza: If You Get Offered A Fight, Take It at MMA News.

UFC President Dana White has advised women’s strawweight Carla Esparza to remain active rather than wait for a title shot from the sidelines.

Esparza was last in action at UFC Vegas 27 in May. In the card’s co-main event, she faced top-five contender Yan Xiaonan. Against an opponent unbeaten since 2010 and boasting a perfect 6-0 UFC record, “Cookie Monster” looked phenomenal. Esparza finished “Fury” with some brutal second-round ground-and-pound.

Esparza’s win streak has perhaps slid under the radar slightly, but it is truly remarkable. The 24-fight veteran has hit the form of her life since suffering consecutive losses to Cláudia Gadelha and Tatiana Suarez in 2018. In her four fights after, Esparza defeated Virna Jandiroba, Alexa Grasso, Michelle Waterson, and Marina Rodriguez. Her win over China’s Xiaonan extended her streak to five and firmly placed her in the title conversation.

Given that she boasts one of the UFC’s best win streaks in terms of name value, many expected Esparza to be the first challenger to champion Rose Namajunas’ second reign as strawweight queen. Not only was she deserving, but the story was there. At The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale, “Cookie Monster” defeated “Thug Rose” by way of a third-round rear-naked choke. The victory saw her crowned the inaugural UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion.

Running that back seven years later having gone full circle with Namajunas now as champion made great sense. In the eyes of Dana White and the UFC brass, a rematch between the champ and Zhang Weili made better sense. “Magnum” was dethroned by Namajunas at UFC 261 in April. She was caught with a vicious head kick in the opening frame. The defeat marked the end of her 21-fight win streak.

With the pair set to collide again next month, many have pondered who will be next for the victor. Despite suggesting she wants to remain active, Esparza recently told MMA Fighting that she wants the next championship opportunity, and will be waiting to assess her future after Namajunas vs. Zhang 2.

According to Dana White, waiting for a title shot is never a good strategy. Speaking at the press conference that followed this week’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, the UFC kingpin said plans often fall through when fighters sit on the sidelines instead of fighting.

“I don’t ever agree with that. I mean, you’ve seen what happens in the past. When you try to sit out and wait for a title fight, it usually doesn’t happen. Stuff never falls the way that it’s supposed to, and you end up sitting out for too long, and people start to forget about you. It’s never a wise decision to just sit out. If you get offered a fight, you should take it.”

White had a similar message for welterweight contender Leon Edwards earlier this year. Despite his victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 263 extending his unbeaten streak to 10, “Rocky” still found himself behind Colby Covington in the queue. That’s despite the fact “Chaos” has fought once since his title loss to Kamaru Usman in 2019. It appears White’s advice on staying active doesn’t apply to the controversial former interim champ.

While Edwards has decided to clash with rival Jorge Masvidal in a bid to secure his place opposite the Usman vs. Covington 2 winner, Carla Esparza will make her decision following the UFC 268 co-main event.

Should the fight end in a similar fashion to Namajunas’ first clash with Zhang, it stands to reason that “Cookie Monster” will get her chance to fight for gold again in early 2022. If the champ is facing a lengthy layoff, and a top contender like Marina Rodriguez further establishes herself in the title picture, the 34-year-old may be left needing another victory to secure her shot.

Do you think Carla Esparza should wait for a title shot?

Continue Reading Dana White’s Advice For Carla Esparza: If You Get Offered A Fight, Take It at MMA News.

Dana White Insists Aspen Ladd Isn’t Being Rewarded For Missing Weight

UFC President Dana White has insisted that the promotion isn’t “rewarding” Aspen Ladd for missing weight by placing her in this weekend’s main event fight. Ladd’s return to action this year has hit a number of roadblocks. The 26-year-old, who hasn’t competed since a 2019 victory over Yana Kunitskaya, was initially set to face Macy […]

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UFC President Dana White has insisted that the promotion isn’t “rewarding” Aspen Ladd for missing weight by placing her in this weekend’s main event fight.

Ladd’s return to action this year has hit a number of roadblocks. The 26-year-old, who hasn’t competed since a 2019 victory over Yana Kunitskaya, was initially set to face Macy Chiasson at UFC Vegas 32. After a late injury for her opponent, Ladd’s comeback was delayed.

The matchup was kept together and the pair were slated for a second go at meeting in the Octagon at UFC Vegas 38. This time, it was Ladd’s own issues that saw the clash canceled. In an all too familiar situation, the Californian struggled to make weight and her state on the scale was enough for the co-main event bout to be pulled from another card.

Ladd received widespread criticism in the aftermath, including accusations of cheating from former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate. The consistent conclusion throughout the MMA community was that Ladd had to begin fighting at 145 pounds. However, not many would have expected that to come to fruition just two weeks later in a main event clash.

The UFC Vegas 40 card was originally set to be topped by a women’s featherweight matchup between Holly Holm and Norma Dumont. After “The Preacher’s Daughter” was forced to withdraw, the UFC granted Ladd her 145-pound debut. This weekend, she’ll look to put her weight-cutting issues behind her as she aims to secure a meeting with champion Amanda Nunes at a different weight.

While many have questioned the decision to give Ladd her first main event after yet another issue on the scale, Dana White sees it differently. Speaking at the press conference that followed this week’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, the promotion’s kingpin asserted that the booking isn’t a reward for Ladd.

“We’re not rewarding her. She’s moving up in a weight class. She’s moving up to ‘45. If we kept her at ‘35 and gave her a main event, that would make sense. The girl’s in shape; she’s here to fight. She didn’t make weight, but she’s gonna move up a weight class now. So I don’t think we’re rewarding her.”

Do you think Aspen Ladd should have been given a main event fight two weeks after missing weight?

Continue Reading Dana White Insists Aspen Ladd Isn’t Being Rewarded For Missing Weight at MMA News.