Saturday, February 28, 2015

The Ladies Steal the Spotlight for UFC 184

The ladies of UFC steal the spotlight tonight as the co-main and main events for UFC 184! First, in the co-main event Raquel "Rocky" Pennington (5-5) will welcome Holly "The Preachers Daughter" Holm (7-0) to the UFC. Then in the main event UFC Women's bantamweight champion "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey (10-0) will defend her belt against "Alpha" Cat Zingano in a battle of the unbeaten. The main cards starts at 10pm ET live on PPV.

Posted on February 28, 2015 by www.babesofmma.com

Friday, February 27, 2015

February 2015 MMA Babe of the Month – Katia Kubacki

Our February 2015 MMA babe of the month is Aussie ring card girl and martial artist Katia Kubacki! This 24 year old (birthday girl today) knockout is 5’7”, 121 lbs (55 kgs), measures 32DD (10D AU) and calls Sydney, Australia home. Katia has graced the cages and rings for Cage Conquest, JNI Promotions, Bee Stingz Gym Fight Nights, UCU and Taipan Muay Thai Gym Fight Night and is the Australian model ambassador for Fighting for Autism. Along with her ring carding she also trains in several martial arts with plans to step into the cage herself as a fighter one day soon. Outside the world of MMA Katia is a model, student and works for her fathers’ company. She has been featured in several magazines including Inked Australia and New Zealand, Live to Ride Magazine, Custom Tattooz Mag and numerous others along with several music video appearances. Keep on reading below to find out what else we learned about our February 2015 MMA babe of the month Katia Kubacki.

How did you get into the world of MMA?

-I got into MMA through my ex partner who was a kickboxer and got me started in kickboxing leading into Muay Thai but it wasn't until I started working at UTC Gym in St Mary's under Tama Tehuna and Lincoln Hudson. Working here gave me firsthand experience branching into my ground game and introduced me to Judo and BJJ. Ring carding only came natural with my involvement in the sport of MMA.

What were you doing before you became involved in MMA?

-Before MMA I was a total music nerd. I hardly had any friends, use to get picked on a lot and had to change schools 3 times because of bullying. Learning the different martial arts techniques and giving me some motivation, to aspire to and achieve has given me my confidence and also has taught me the discipline and respect I have today. Most people call me crazy when I say I train every morning at 6am but there is no better feeling in the world then training first thing in the morning. Gives you that confidence and motivation to smash the rest of the day!
 
Who are your favorite MMA fighters?

-Oh, well easy for the women, Ronda Rousey! She cops a lot of shit and criticism but has the grace and sportsmanship to let her actions and wins speak for themselves without her having to show pony and promote herself. She has proven herself time and time again and despite criticism has always risen above. As for the men, I’d have to say James Tehuna. He is one of the most humble, soft spoken guys I have ever met. Yes, his last 3 fights have not been the best but he has taken risks by putting his body on the line because he had the confidence within himself to do it. He doesn't take the easy road. He doesn't take on opponent’s because it will be an easy win, he takes on world renowned fighters for the chance to better himself and to prove he can do something when most people would have doubts.

What would your fight name be if you were a fighter? Katia "?" Kubacki

-Haha, I joke around with my trainer all the time about this! He insists on “Killer” but my nickname at my old work was “Kung fu Kat”! I'm not too fussed on names but more about the technique and skills.

What is something most people don't know about you?

-I was actually a huge loner in school. Had no friends, picked on a lot, battled depression and eating disorders and had horrible self esteem issues. I definitely thought I was the ugly duckling!

How do you enjoy spending your free time?

-I love spending my free time reading up on what's going on in the world of combat sports. At the moment here in NSW there is a legislation regarding promoters, their events and being in the industry. I feel I need to keep up to date with all laws, controversies, opinions and different views from all perspectives involved.

-I also love training so most of my spare time I am training or studying. I am currently studying food science at university as well as sports and exercise nutrition.

-Oh and I love spending time with my dog at the beach! Best way to clear the head!

Are you single?

-Yeah I'm definitely single. My dad is my biggest supporter and male role model. Any man is going to have a tough job ahead of them to live up to the man that is my father!

What do you look for in a guy?

-Sense of humor for sure, has to have similar likes and has to be goal orientated. If he is not striving or constantly trying to better himself than he has no business being with me. I'm all about the happy positive vibes! Also has to have his own things going on! Nothing worse than a boring unmotivated guy!

What are your turn-ons?

-Nothing sexier than a man who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to go for it! Even if that means 100 no's for that one yes! I like a manly man but when it comes to me he has to be a softie and be able to view life from all different perspectives and has to be committed. A guy that has 100's of girls throwing themselves at him but has the respect and discipline to know he has a good thing waiting at home! ;)

-An athletic tattooed male also doesn't go unnoticed cause it shows he takes pride in his appearance and has to have good tattoos. Nothing worse than back yard tattoo’s or the tat he got "that one time on a big night" haha.

What are your turnoffs?

-Arrogant, selfish, stubborn, liars and cannot stand show ponies! Also, OMG, bad smelling and hairy. I put up with that at the gym; I don't want to come home to it!

What would you say is your best feature?

-Physically, definitely my eyes!

What are your future plans or dreams in life?

-I just bought my dream house on the beach so that's one accomplishment! But I would love to finish my degree, recover from my recent injuries to get back to training 100% to have my first fight and I definitely would love the chance to go train in America or Brazil! I'm planning my trip to Thailand soon to train so I'm pretty excited for that too!

-My goal at the moment is to crack into the UFC being the first tattooed ring card girl and model to achieve this and show everyone that you can have tattoos, still look classy and be the girl next door! So to the readers please feel free to message, inbox, Facebook and Instagram Mr. Dana White and tell him the UFC is missing that extra edge! Classy, professional, knowledgeable and down to earth tattooed Aussie girl is what he needs at his shows! Haha

Any special shout outs or thank you's?

-Huge shout out to UTC gym in St. Mary's, NSW, Australian Top Team guys in Wentworthville, NSW, the Bee Stings Crew in St Mary's and Jabbout in Penrith, NSW especially Glen Purvis! Also to Brad Griffiths, Pedro, Stefan and Trae Jaeggi. Last but certainly not least to my awesome parents and my biggest fan and supporter, my cousin Samantha!

Thank you very much for your time Katia and glad to have you back on Babes of MMA! For more on our February 2015 MMA babe of the month Katia Kubacki please visit her Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. Happy Birthday Katia!

Posted on February 27, 2015 by www.babesofmma.com

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Invicta FC 11 Visits the City of Angels Tomorrow

Invicta FC 11 comes to us live tomorrow night from the City of Angels at the Shrine Auditorium. Click here to purchase tickets online or grab them at the box office. For those not in attendance tune into Invicta FC at 10pm ET to watch the preliminary card for free followed by the main card on iPPV via UFC Fight Pass. Check out the full fight card listed below and send a shout out to your favorite fighters via Twitter by clicking on their names.

MAIN CARD

Featherweight Title: Cristiane 'Cyborg' Justino (12-1, 1 NC) vs. Charmaine Tweet (6-4)
Strawweight: Alexa Grasso (6-0) vs. Mizuki Inoue (8-3)
Strawweight: DeAnna Bennett (6-0) vs. Norma Rueda Center (3-1)
Bantamweight: Irene Aldana (4-1) vs. Colleen Schneider (6-5)

PRELIMINARY CARD

Strawweight: Jamie Moyle (1-0) vs. J.J. Aldrich (1-0)
Strawweight: Brianna Van Buren (3-1) vs. Amy Montenegro (5-1)
Flyweight: Christine Stanley (3-1) vs. Laura Salazar (2-2)
Flyweight: Ana Carolina Vidal (0-0) vs. Aspen Ladd (0-0)

Posted on February 26, 2015 by www.babesofmma.com

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Meet MMA Babe Lilly Chambers

Say hello to MMA babe Lilly Chambers! This British knockout is 5’10”, measures 32D and calls Bristol, United Kingdom home.

Starting out helping a friend Lilly soon fell in love with the sport of MMA. She has carded numerous combat sports events in the UK including fight night fundraisers, Ultimate Impact and this Saturday for Infinity Martial Arts which will be filmed by Sky TV. Lilly has also been featured on several sports websites including The MMA Review and can often be found at fighter meet and greets including one this Friday with professional boxer David Haye. Although she hasn’t declared any favorite fighters yet she does appreciate a good exciting fight.

Outside the world of MMA Lilly is a model, dance teacher and an exotic dancer. She has been featured in magazines like Loaded and in related websites worldwide. For those of you that are of age you can find her dancing at Central Chambers in Bristol. When not traveling the world for work she enjoys being outside in the sunshine, tattoos, dancing and the unexpected 

For more on MMA babe Lilly Chambers give her a follow and shout out on Twitter! If you’re in the Yeovil area head over to Infinity Full On Reloaded this Saturday to catch Lilly and her fellow ring card girls and a great night of fights.

Posted on February 25, 2015 by www.babesofmma.com

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Fighter Babe Amy Montenegro Makes her Invicta FC Debut this Friday

Fighter babe Amy “Resurrection” Montenegro (5-1) returns to the cage this Friday for Invicta FC 11 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Fighting out of Seattle, Washington we recently caught up with Amy prior to her Invicta FC debut this Friday for the interview below to learn a little more about her.

How did you get involved in MMA and how long have you been training?

-I started Muay Thai kickboxing in 2006. It was kind of random that I decided to try a class with my boyfriend at the time. I had no thoughts of fighting, had never been in a physical confrontation or a street fight. I was always the shy or "too nice" girl growing up. I had never really had much interest in martial arts prior. After trying it out I actually was ready to quit because I didn't feel like it was for me. My then boyfriend convinced me to stay with it and soon after I began to fall in love with the sport. After some time my Kru asked me if I would consider fighting. I thought to myself "that sounds like the last thing I would ever do" so I decided to go for it on a quest for my own personal growth. After winning my first kickboxing fight I knew fighting was going to be something I wanted to do until I am not able to do it anymore. I trained and fought strictly in Muay Thai for 3 more years and then decided to expand my game and try MMA. I focused on the ground for about 9 months before taking my first MMA fight.

Where are you currently training, and what's a typical training week like for you?

-I am training out of Gracie Barra NW and with the White Buffalo Warriors. My husband Dex, is also a professional fighter and my stepdaughters who live with us train in BJJ and boxing. During the week my husband and I are training very hard. We do strength and conditioning every morning at Monkey Bar Gym NW and BJJ at Gracie Barra BJJ at both the Seattle and Bellevue locations in the evenings with Professors Rodrigo Lopes and Carlos Sievert. We also participate in the Muay Thai program run by our MMA coach, Daniel Eng. On the weekends we get together and spar with our MMA team run by our managers, Will Hammond and Rosa Freitas. I also work about 25-30 hours a week as a Nurse in a nursing home on Fridays and Saturdays. As my husband or I get into a training camp the training sessions become more intense and more specific. We are constantly working to achieve a strong healthy balance between fight-life and family life as we have two young step-daughters, Lilli, 10 years old, and Cara, 8 years old living with us full time. They train as well and compete in BJJ so they have adopted the "gym lifestyle" as well! There is a lot of planning and preparation to make sure we are all getting our training in. As well as meal planning, homework, etc. It makes for a very busy life for my husband and me but it makes our family bond that much closer as we all support each other and the girls get to see how hard we work to support them and go after our dreams.

Tell us about your upcoming fight, who you're fighting and where?

-I will be fighting Brianna Van Buren (3-1) at Invicta FC 11 in Los Angeles.

What is your best experience as a fighter? What is your worst?

-My best experience as a fighter: going in as a heavy underdog in my pro debut and coming out with the win! Also getting signed by Invicta FC!

-Worst experience as a fighter: fighting has always been my passion and my number one objective. A couple of years ago I injured my neck so severely that I couldn't train at all and it hurt me very badly psychologically. I didn't know how to deal with taking time off of training or fighting and kept going back to training and making matters worse for myself.

What advice would you give to other women who are reading this interview and want to get started in MMA?

-My advice to other women looking to get into MMA is to do your research, find a quality gym that has experience training fighters and go there. Also if you are completely green I recommend starting with one or two arts. Go to a BJJ school and focus on the ground a couple days a week. Find somewhere to focus strictly on striking and do that a couple days a week. Take a lot of time perfecting your technique; even compete in some tournaments to put your skills to test and THEN when you feel more comfortable start to train in MMA to blend your skills together.

Who are your favorite MMA fighters?

-Favorite MMA fighters: Ronda Rousey, Joanne Calderwood, Robbie Lawler, and even though he is facing a lot of scrutiny as of late I will always be an Anderson Silva fan. And of course, how can you not be inspired by Cat Zingano!

How do you enjoy your free time when not training or fighting?

-When I'm not training, I am usually sleeping, eating or working! Lol. But when I do have free time I want to be home relaxing with my family.

Lastly before we let you go we would love to hear about your future plans and let you send some shout outs.

Any future plans or dreams?

-Right now I am very focused on my fight this Friday night! Going past this Friday my husband and I will take things one fight at a time with the intent to climb up the rankings in our respective weight classes. I plan to stay with Invicta FC and climb their rankings, eventually getting a chance at their straw weight title! I also plan to compete in BJJ tournaments this March, as well as support the girls and my husband in their competitions. I want to build Lilli and Cara into great martial artists and support them into whichever path they choose. I want to support my husband, also a 5-1 pro in his next fight and help him to climb the rankings as well!

Any shout outs you would like to make?

-A lot of thanks to give out! To my husband, Dex Montenegro who is my main support and my number one training partner. My managers Will Hammond and Rosa Frietas. They really go above and beyond their roles to make sure we are getting fair deals in our fights and that we have everything necessary in our fight camps. Thank you to all of my training partners at Gracie Barra NW and at White Buffalo Warriors. Thank you to my MMA and striking coach, Daniel Eng. Thank you to my Professors at Gracie Barra NW: Rodrigo Lopes, Carlos Sievert, and Cindy Hales. Thank you to our strength and conditioning coach at Monkey Bar Gym NW, Greg Jones. I have some really great sponsors: SICCHIC Fight Wear, Jail Sucks Bail Bonds, BANA NUTRITION, MMA RoadHog Racing, Beyond the Ink Tattoo, OUTLAW FIGHT GEAR, Mint & Magnolia Marketing, and REVOLVER MMA. A big thank you to Shannon Knapp and Julie Kedzie at INVICTA FC for giving me a chance to fight in their amazing promotion! Thank you to all of my friends, family and supporters!!!!  And thank you to Babes of MMA for the interview! It was a pleasure!!!!

Thank you very much for your time Amy and good luck on fight night! Click here to purchase tickets to Amy’s fight or tune into UFC Fight Pass to watch the live stream. Send your shout outs to Amy on Facebook, Facebook fan page, Instagram and Twitter!

Posted on February 24, 2015 by www.babesofmma.com

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Angela Jennings Brings Home Three Gold Medals from the Newbreed Illinois State Open

Last weekend Babes of MMA sponsored fighter Angela "The Predator" Jennings returned to the BJJ mats at the Newbreed Illinois State Open and brought home three gold medals! Angela took first in Gi, No-Gi and Gi Absolute. Check out the video above for some highlights from Angela's matches and send your shout outs to Angela on FacebookInstagram and Twitter. Keep up the great work Angela and congratulations again!

Posted on February 22, 2015 by www.babesofmma.com

Friday, February 20, 2015

Meet MMA Knockout Alexandra Martignette

Say hello to MMA knockout Alexandra (Alie Cat) Martignette! This 25 year old stunner is 5’5”, 120 lbs, measures 34D-25-34 and calls New York home.

Alexandra started out in the MMA scene in 2012 after working as a brand ambassador for a local MMA lifestyle clothing brand, Spit the Truth. From there she began to ring card for multiple MMA and boxing events in the New York area which also led to the opportunity to work with Fighters Source for the Kings of New York 2014 Nationals and MMA Expo at the Javits Center this past summer. Currently, Alexandra graces the cages for the hottest up and coming MMA promotion on the east coast called Extreme Cage Fighting (ECF) who she will also be teaching fitness classes for at their new gym in Lynbrook, New York. Her favorite MMA fighters are Christian DeFiris, Nick Diaz and Cowboy Cerrone.

Outside the world of MMA Alexandra is a commercial and print model, actress and brand ambassador. Modeling for the past three years she has appeared on numerous websites like Maxim and Men’s Health and also appeared in multiple music videos including Masta Kill (Wu-Tang) Cali Sun. This summer you can catch her in the second season of Starz hit TV series Power. In her free time Alexandra enjoys cooking, exercising, music and kitty cats.

For more on MMA knockout Alexandra Martignette give her a follow and shout out on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! You can also catch Alexandra ring carding next Saturday for ECF4 Cage War at the Melrose Ballroom in Astoria, Queens, New York. Click here to purchase tickets.

Posted on February 20, 2015 by www.babesofmma.com