In 2003 the state of woman’s MMA was dismal at best. The UFC had no females on roster, the pay was next to nothing, and unless you lived in a country that was actively integrating woman into their fight cards, it was nearly impossible to find work.
Luckily for the sport, fighters like Roxanne Modafferi pushed the envelope. She worked tirelessly to open the door for female fighters and stood up and faced the ridicule of naysayers who felt the octagon was no place for a woman. This forward thinking started a movement; a movement, which has continued to gain momentum and has produced one of the greatest fighters in the UFC who is also perhaps one of the most dominate athletes of this generation. Before Ronda Rousey could even dream that she could one day be the UFC champion, Modafferi and other female fighters were starting a revolution to prove woman had a place in Mixed Martial Arts.
For Roxanne it’s never been about the money, fame, spotlight, or six-figure contracts. It’s about the passion and love she has for the sport.
I had the pleasure of talking with the one they call “The Happy Warrior” about the resurgence of her career and her upcoming bout against Mariana Morais, on September 12th at Invicta 14.
(Chris Fetter): Roxanne, how are you today?
(Roxanne Modafferi): Extremely tired, but it’s been a great week of training so far.
Your junior year of College you moved to Japan and majored in Japanese language. What about Japanese culture influenced you to make such a life-changing move?
I love the Japanese language. It’s fun and sounds cool. I also love the strength of the Japanese spirit and a lot about their culture.
Would you contribute that move to what drove you into the world of mixed marital arts?
No, I’ve been doing martial arts and other sports since I was a little kid. My competitiveness at sports drove me to want to test my skills in MMA competition. I’ve never fought because I was angry or needed to release negative energy. I want to best my opponent in a show of skill and athleticism.
In 2014 you wrote your first book “Memoirs Of A Happy Warrior” (which I ordered off Amazon Friday, hopefully you see those residuals soon) could you tell readers a little about the book?
I wrote about my experience as an exchange student going to Japan for the first time. I spent a year there and studied Japanese, trained at a Japanese dojo, and fought three pro MMA fights.
Roxanne, you are truly an innovator of your sport. What has the recent spotlight of woman in MMA and mainstream sports meant to you?
I love to marvel over the exposure and respect that female fighters have now. I remember when I was in grade school, I used to be embarrassed to say I did martial arts because people would jokingly say, “Ohh nooo don’t hurt me.” Now when I say I fight, people ask me intelligent questions such as, “Oh, are you a striker or grappler?”
Any woman you would like to shout out? Maybe a hero of yours?
My mom is the woman I most look up to. I’m lucky to have such a smart, loving mother who supports me, and who is also my best friend.
You were a fan favorite on the Ultimate Fighter for your happy-go-lucky and upbeat attitude. What was your overall experience with the show?
Overall, the experience was great. I loved taking time off from my full-time job to just focus on training, and it seemed like all the methods were new and improved compared to my normal Japanese training at the time. It got kind of rough after I lost and I felt like my only function was to be a training partner for those still in the competition. Not all the coaches treated me like that, though.
Would you ever you ever consider doing a show like the Ultimate fighter again?
If the stakes were big enough, I would, like for a 125 lb. female season.
You now train at Syndicate MMA, a gym that houses some big name fighters like Tom Lawlor and Jamie Moyle. How has camp been training with such world-class athletes, day in and day out?
The level of training is the highest I’ve ever encountered, though.. Head coach John Wood runs a fantastic MMA class, and Tom adds his wrestling and MMA coaching expertise, and Vinny Magalhães teaches jiu-jitsu. There are a lot of amateur and pro fighters on my team, many men who are close to my weight! I love training with my other female fighters Jamie Moyle, Hannah Fitzpatrick, Liz McCarthy, Kalecia Weisbarth, and Christine Ferea. And Serena DeJesus needs to move back.
After a very nice two fight win streak, you unfortunately suffered a decision loss to Vanessa Porto at Invicta 12, a loss that a lot of the crowd seemed to be very unhappy with. What has been the biggest key area in your training to make sure you keep the fight out of the judge’s hands?
I’ve realized that it’s not enough to go out and try to win. I have to make sure I do enough to win each round in case it does go to a decision. I always try to finish the fight so I’ve never been in that mind frame of how to win a decision properly.
September 12th at Invicta 14, you will be facing Mariana Morals. A young and hungry fighter with a deadly submission game, what would you consider is your biggest advantage over Morals?
I have a pretty solid game plan that will be revealed fight night. Let’s just say I think she is really tough, but I have the tools in my toolbox to handle whatever she throws at me, and throw it right back.
What can you do in this fight to make sure your hand is raised?
FINISH HER! *Mortal Kombat voice*
On your fight card photo, you are wearing a Dragonball Z Gi, what character would you say you are most like and why?
I’m most like Goku. I’m kind of goofy but when I’m training or fighting, I’m dead serious. I love testing myself against strong people. I could also ride the Nimbus cloud. I’m a little like Vegeta in that he sees himself being surpassed by his peers and it seems like no matter how hard he struggles, there’s always someone above him.
Last question before the speed round. Any sponsors or trainers you’d like to thank before the big fight?
Coach “Big” John Wood, chiropractor Jake Steckel, my sponsors Dragon Do, Remove it Restoration, Aardvark Painting, Herbal Papaya, Dominate Your Game, The Void, Top Notch Fighter, The Underground Forum, and more!
Speed round.
Twitter or Facebook?
Both equally
Comics or Manga?
Manga
Japanese or Thai food?
Japanese
Guilty pleasure?
Ice cream and Frozen Yogurt…..and Taco Bell.
Judo or karate?
Judo
Favorite song?
“Fuel” by Metallica
When I travel I have to bring_____?
Earplugs and a book
Spirit bomb or Kamehameha wave?
kamehameha! Spirit Bomb takes too long to gather
KO or submission?
Submissions! They are artful.
I fight because_______?
I want to test my strength
Final question.
Is there a happier warrior then you?
I’m not sure! 🙂