Saturday, April 1, 2017

I'm Going to Kick your Ass, but Can I Use your Scale First?

I’m going to FUCK YOU UP… but yo, can I borrow your scale right quick though?
And how are you getting to the fights in the first place? Wanna carpool?


This weekend has been somewhat like that.
 There's a popular saying in Brazil on the back of a lot of shirts that says 
"You are my adversary, not my enemy" 
Just cause your going to fight someone, doesn't mean you have to hate them! 

Amazing insight on the life of female fighters 
from Marq Pioca @ Wombat sports 
Someone who has been saving are asses here 
with transportation!


I’m here in Montana with Priscila Souza a friend from Brazil that will be fighting Roxanne Modaferri in Fusion Fight League. Modaferri is a veteran in the sport. She’s fought in Strikeforce, was on TUF, and is currently signed to Invicta FC, so it's pretty bad ass that Priscila's first fight in the U.S. is so high profile. 

Win or lose, it’s an amazing opportunity for Priscila. She got an American visa (an almost impossible task for Brazilians in general and now even harder with Trump's fascist immigration policies). If she wins the fight her chances of getting a contract with Invicta FC will increase astronomically.  


We got her on Thursday, the day before weigh ins, and naturally, we came unprepared with no scale knowing that Pri still had to cut 5 kilos (that’s 11 pounds). It was a lot of weight. I would never do the day before weigh ins, but whatever Pri has more fight experience than me and Claudinha gave me instructions for how to cut the weight.

Which involved a lot of salt, hot water, towels, and threats.

I would have leaned towards jackets, jump ropes, and mitts… but whatever to each his own.

In the end. The weight was not cut. She came in 3 pounds over, lost $150 dollars and will not be eligible for the title... but on the bright side, she is more than ready to kick some ass tonight! 


 Frenemies: Fight First, Friends Later

MMA is a professional sport. Which means that once the fight is over. the animosity should be over as well. Win or lose there is no need to hold a grudge, harbor hate, or resent the winner.

Unfortunately, Priscila doesn’t speak English, which limits her ability to communicate with the other girls on the card. 

I do, so I’ve been here meeting some great people. One of the best parts about being at fights or tournaments is generally the people you get to meet.


Since we arrived without a scale we had to ask the promoter to get in contact with another fighter so we could use theirs. The scale we ended up using was Roxanne’s. Her teammate Serena who is also fighting on the card, brought the scale over while we were doing a round of baths. Serena happens to be from Philly and trained with Daniel Gracie, which is funny because I’m from the suburbs of Philly and when I’m home I train with the same Renzo Gracie PA crew.

I met Roxanne the next morning when I was searching out some food. She gave me some nice recommendations and let me know there was a Walmart close by, where we eventually went to go buy our own scale.

If you want to be the best. You have to beat the best (at their best). And you shouldn't have to worry about making their life hell by not sharing a scale, degrading them on social media, or being hostile every time your in the same room. 

Priscila Souza Vs. Luciana Pereira at Shooto
ya know cause ya gotta relive the good times!