BEING A TRUE FAN MEANS HOPE, PRAYER, AND A LITTLE CHANCE THAT YOU MAY BE HEARD

The man in the above pic is a simple man, a passionate man, and just like most of us “normal” people he has gone through tough things in his life including the painful fight he is going through now.

This picture above is a very heartfelt and amazing letter from the man above. Let’s just call this man Alexander the Great…And he seems every bit of it.  The world needs more passionate people like this 22 year old man.  Because it is a cold, COLD world and it will beat you to your knees.

Alexander is, like me, a huge WWE fan and he us also an enormous Alexa Bliss fan.  The letter above is written to Alexa and what is so phenomenal about being somebody in Alexa’s shoes is the fact that a simple “Hello, how are you” in their hands can change the life of a simple man/woman.  You celebrities are always extremely busy and pressed for time..You may send tweets out letting your fans know what’s going down every now and then…BUT…to actually answer a fan is like getting a prayer answered from God.

I myself have three or four heroes that I would love to hear from.  One of them, Kendra Wilkinson, actually answers several if my tweets.  And every time she does I hope she knows it sends a tingle down my spine because, COME ON! ITS KENDRA!! Another is my favorite MMA fighter Jessy Jess…I have a huge fan crush on Jessy and love watching her fight..I actually got to do an interview with Jessy once!!  I was so nervous and felt so meager that I screwed everything up.  It was sad and luckily Jessy has forgiven me since then. But she also leaves those tingles and makes a rough day a little bit easier.

This gorgeous young lady above is the current Smackdown Women’s Champion and she is one of those unicorns.  One of those “I can only dream of getting a response” celebs/athletes because they have sooo many fans that its understandable when they say “Well I would’ve said something had I caught it”. This is the tough part about being a diehard fan.  My unicorn is Chloe Grace Moretz..and let me tell you..she is unreachable to say the least.

But to get to the point, Alexander is just a simple, good, wholesome guy looking to catch that magic.  That feeling you have as a kid waking up on Christmas morning.  Your first kiss. Your first time driving. That’s what it would feel like to receive a tweet from Alexa Bliss for Alexander. That’s what it would feel like for me to get a simple Hi from Chloe.

So if you read this article please remember what it was like or what it is like to be a fan and to just want a little slice of heaven from your favorite hero.  Please remember we are or were all Alexanders at one point in our lives.  And Ms. Bliss, if you are reading this please make Alexander the Great feel as awesome as his name!! 

Matthew A

THE CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA

If I could find the WMMA fighter with more raw potential then a Rousey, Cyborg, Jzedeczyk (think I spelled that right, if not sorry Joanna) or Carano it would be a young lady that was born in the small country of Moldova on April, 14, 1988..A young woman who would grow to have so much potential in judo, so much star power with her looks and charisma, a young woman who quickly became judged because she was the best friend of Ronda Rousey and a part of the infamous ‘Four Horsewomen’. Someone who may have had a bit too much pressure and weight on her shoulders due to the same things that made her famous..I’m talking about the amazing ‘Supernova From Moldova’ Marina Shafir.

As if her name wasn’t beautiful enough, when you look at this bombshell from Soroca, Moldova you see that she absolutely oozes charisma out her poures and she has all the potential to boot. But Marina has a very staggering and unimpressive one win and two losses in the big leagues of MMA. 

It is the opinion of this writer that Marina was not truely given enough time to get used to the spotlight and many fans focused on her too much due to the media and the fact that it was (shouldn’t have been) the fault of her relationships with Ronda Rousey and being a part of the four horsewomen.  Like I said Marina shouldn’t have been scrutinized or automatically judged because she was Ronda’s best friend and roommate and fellow judo fighter.  She shouldn’t have been judged or criticized for being a part of a group of friends that just happen to be wrestling fans and called themselves the four horsewomen in homage to Ric Flair and his group ‘The four horsemen’ but such is our society.  Such is the media.

Unfortunately, due to her close friendship with the former poster child of the UFC, Marina had just as many eyes cast upon her as her roomy.  The heartbreaking thing is that Shafir had just as much power, talent, and raw ability as Rousey.  Plus, due to the fact that they were besties, a lot was learned off each other.  Of course the media would take this and make its stupid and ignorant statements such as “Marina is already a winner due to Ronda” or “The only reason Shafir is popular is because of Ronda”.  Of course Ronda would never say (No matter how egotistical she may seem) Marina is only good because of me or vise versa.

Marina ending up having a sub par MMA pro record was not the fault of being Ronda’s bestie nor was it the fault of being a member of a group that was made up by a bunch of close friends just inventing a name for themselves out of pure fun.  Marina, like so many college stars in the NBA or NFL was choked by the media attention and the comparisons and speculation of being the next big thing plain and simple.  As a former catch fighter who fought only five times, four of them with less then 15 people watching you DON’T want the media attention, you DON’T want any distractions at all.  Being that I never had to worry about media obviously, I could only imagine the pressure Marina was under even before her first fight.

The great and spectacular part of Shafir (No its not that she is the most beautiful woman in fighting) is her undying and unwavering commitment to excellence which is VERY VERY upsetting to this writer because she definitely had the potential to be the best.

We may never know now if Marina can truly live up to her nickname ‘The Supernova’.  She may make a comeback to the octagon in the future, but, I highly doubt it.  The 28 year old vixen has chosen to settle down and start a family and is currently looking forward to being a super mommy from Moldova and perhaps, with their current situation, and still a lot of carry in the Horsewoman name, the four girls, Shafir, Jessamyn Duke, Shayna Bazler, and the aforementioned Rousey could take to the squared circle of the WWE which is not a bad idea because they are so loved and hyped.

Whatever the case may be, this writer will never forget the wonderful skill, the raw potential, and yes I’ll say it…the most sexy eyes, hair, body, booty and the basic total single mans dream.  Whether Marina calls it quits all together as a stay at home mommy, tries to step in the octagon one more time, or joins the ranks of the WWE divas division I will always remember the fun and great expectations that this young woman possesses, the untapped skill and athleticism, and, in a perfect world..The woman that became better than Ronda.

STAY BEAUTIFUL MARINA

STAY GOOFY MARINA 

Hopefully this man sees you in the squared circle or perhaps in the octagon again.  Always one of your biggest supporters….

-MATTHEW A.

Hurricane Heather

If you know who ‘Hurricane’ Heather Jo Clark is then you know she is one of the most underrated technical fighters in WMMA history. You would also know that she is synonymous with having the body that other women would say, quote Emma Stone, “Are you photo shopped??” Also, HJC is known very well for having the quaint ability to get under any fighter’s skin without having to really try.  Heather has shaken the nerves of Bec Rawlings, Felice Herrig, and others.

As you can see in the pic above its no wonder women can be jealous.  Heather looks like she was sculpted by Michelangelo out of granite and came to life right out of the Louve.  It’s hard to even imagine that Clark would be in her late 20s let alone 3os but her constant yoga sessions and training at Xtreme Couture has blessed her with a shower in the fountain of youth. 

I could sit here and write paragraph after paragraph about Heather’s amazing abs, long legs, and perfect “Bump,Bump,Bump” thanks B2K.  But although fighting isn’t her only love, it’s definitely something that she has had her ups and downs with, like any other love, it’s always been risk/reward, bumpy/smooth, like/hate.  But no matter the fight or the opponent, Heather never seemed to get nervous, overly excited, or show any emotion.

Heather was born in 1980 and is shockingly thirty-six years old.  Heather has danced around with MMA and even flirted with boxing, having two sanctioned matches.  Heather debuted in the cage in April of 2010 under the promotion of Victory Fighting.  Although Heather lost her first go around by decision  that did not discourage the extremely athletic Clark.  Matter of fact, afterwards she fought in New Mexico and won her next four fights.  And she even mixed it up, winning two by submission and two by KO.

Heather would then get a huge break when she got chosen to compete in TUF 20 after having several mixes in XFC and a memorable fight against longtime rival Felice Herrig at Bellator 94 which ended in a split decision.  When I hear split decision I hear neither fighter lost or won but it so happened that maybe the judges liked Herrig’s smile better that night?.?.  Either way the two would meet again in the TUF house at TUF 20 where the two would explode on each other several times.

But when it came to the final showdown between the two, Felice would reign supreme.  But once again this wouldn’t shake HJC, this would only make her stronger and in doing so she would squash the feud between ‘Lil Bulldog’ and ‘Hurricane’ and although Heather lost the fight she didn’t lose the competition as TUF 20 would end with another huge feud as Clark would take on her toughest opponent in Australian smack talker ‘Rowdy’ Bec Rawlings.

Once again Heather would go into this fight as the underrated, overlooked fighter but would not be shaken by the constant taunting of Rawlings. The fight would be a great one once again but this time the Hurricane would blow away Rawlings and win the TUF 20 contest by unanimous decision shutting Rawlings’ mouth for the time being. But unfortunately not forever.

After winning the TUF competition Heather would unfortunately lose her next two fights.  Not to make excuses but she was coming off an almost two year hiatus due to an almost career ending knee injury.  Not to mention her comeback would be against a then fresh faced Karolina Kowelkevic, who has now become, next to Champion Joanna Jedzeczyk, the most dangerous fighter in the straw weight division.

The Hurricane would have one more go on November 5th, 2016 in Mexico against yet another amazing fighter in Alexa Grasso and hang tough with Grasso but seemed like she just couldn’t shake the 2 years of ring rust.  Will Heather Jo be back in the octagon..one can only hope so.  But Heather has another love in life that may take her away from the octagon.  

For years HJC was an extremely artistic young lady and that includes her love for photography.  Heather has her own Web page designed to display her amazing photography skills and it seems as though Heather Jo Clark will hang up her Hurricane cape and strap her camera around her neck.

Whatever the case may be..Whether it’s a love for photography, showing off her “Photo shopped” body, or perhaps taking one last shot at stepping into the cage.  I will never forget the contribution that Heather Jo Clark made to WMMA and UFC.  I will always remember her as the Hurricane that blew away and shut down the mouth of Bec Rawlings.  For me, that’s a great enough stamp on a fighting career.

-Matthew A

IF ONLY COWGIRLS WERE REALLY THIS DANGEROUS

Imagine if you will, being a wild horse in a big field of grass. You’re calmly chewing on your fresh grass (Mmm Tasty) and all of a sudden you’re jumped on and choked out by this crazy little blondy in a big cowboy hat and a red tank top with the letters KGB written on..(KGB, if you know who they are…Scary enough!!) So you’re this horse who is now laying on the ground looking up at this crazy cowgirl putting her fists up and saying “That’s all you got horse!?” 

OK that was a little over the top but that’s what most opponents feel like when they step into the octagon with Andrea ‘KGB’ Lee whom after Invicta 21 was said and done rocket boosted up the peak with a complete domination of Jenny Liou ending the fight in a little over a minute…So if you were microwaving dinner during Andrea’s bout you most likely missed it.  Many uneducated fans of WMMA feel that Jenny was a terrible fighter, hand fed opponent, or even, ridiculously “threw the fight”.  But that’s about as true as me saying I look good in a thong..It’s just horrible, comical, and makes me throw up in my mouth a bit.

Now, maybe if people were using their heads they would realize…”Hey!! This Andrea Lee is really that good” Wow what a concept!!  I suppose it’s still only human nature to look at a beautiful woman and think there is no possible way she can be a great fighter.  But, although sex appeal is a great weapon, KGB’s arsenal consists of American kickboxing, Muay Thai Kru, and a Relson Gracie purple belt in mixed martial arts thrown in there.  Obviously that means you mess with this sexy cowgirl and dance a bit too dirty…well…Let’s just say you’ll be picking up several teeth.

Andrea is currently at the top of her fight game and at only 27 years old she is soon to be either Invicta Champion or headed to the UFC if Dana White finally decides these women need more than two or three divisions.  Unfortunately, I see the Invicta title way before any UFC contract.  Andrea has a total of seven fights, five wins, two losses.  This may not be a thick resume but don’t plan on many more losses in Andrea’s future.

Many times women have ended up a bloody mess due to KGB’s relentless attacks. And the dangerous thing about Andrea (As shown in the pic above after her fight with veteran Shannon Sinn) is she is not afraid to take a few bloody noses or busted lips in order to dish out her attack. But Lee isn’t just about striking, she also has ended two fights via armbar..One to very good friend Rachel Ostrovich and one for the Legacy Title right after the Ostrovic fight against Ariel Beck.

Matter of fact, in September of 2014, the world finally got to see the MMA domination on full display as Andrea Lee finished her fight in a matter of ten seconds at GFA 27 in Louisiana as a Doctor had to step in and stop the action due to Kim Colbert nor being able to continue.  Then came the bloody beginning of Andrea’s Invicta career at Invicta FC9 against a very similar fighter in the affirmentioned Shannon Sinn. Although the fight lasted to a decision and Andrea herself was pretty marked up, it was Sinn that took the beating as KGB won unanimously.

It would seem the only time the Atlanta, Texas born bombshell loses its against a more patient and calculating fighter who has been in the game for a long time..The likes of Roxanne Modefferi and Sarah D’Aielo both of which are very experienced and very tough fights. 

After her last fight at Invicta FC21, Andrea is now set to fight a little over one month later (Which is incredible seeing all the training and prepping that goes into a fight) and it’s not only a fight against a solid contender in Heather Bassett but it’s also the first fight for the inaugural LFA Women’s Flyweight Title plus it’s back where Andrea started her MMA career..In Louisiana, February  17th.

So…to recap…Andrea ‘KGB’ Lee is not just another sex symbol, not just another pretty face, and definitely more then meets the eyes.  For those of you who think that’s all she is, or, as rediculous as this sounds, thinks she isn’t a fighter due to “Racy Pics”..Well remember this haters…She is Andrea Lee and she can do whatever the hell she pleases..If you don’t like it take it up with this spicy cowgirl’s fists.  I don’t think you’ll be complaining much.

-Matthew A

THE DOCTOR IS IN

Two years ago, when Ronda Rousey was not only the most popular women’s athlete but also the most popular and dominant athlete period, many people just jumped on the quintessential bandwagon.  Ronda was everything and nobody was even touching her let alone giving her competition.  The problem with 75% of sports fans today is they don’t know a thing about the athlete or team they are following.  They just follow because it’s the thing to do. The greatest part about being a ‘Diehard’ fan is knowing the history and bsckground..Every facet of the team or individual.

Everybody was always wondering why…why is this Rousey girl destroying other professionals in seconds…why her judo was just so absolutely quick and flawless…why, no matter what the opponent, Ronda would do the exact same thing…hip toss, armbar, repeat. People had to look no further than the brilliant and amazing Dr.Ann Maria DeMars.  For those of you who are TRUE Ronda fans you know the stature of Dr.DeMars. She is the mother of Ronda and made a lot of history in 1984 becoming the first ever American woman to win gold at the Judo national championships.  That and being a 6th degree blackbelt judoka will kind of explain her baby girl being the hip tossing beast that she is.

Dr. DeMars (Pictured above with a young student) amazing talents don’t stop at judoka though.  No…that is only scratching the surface of what this incredible lady has in her life arsenal.  Ann Maria has been not just a mother but a leader and mentor to her daughters Ronda and little sister Julia DeMars.  Also..that Dr. in front of her name is not just there to look good.  Ann Maria graduated not from one but three colleges, receiving her B.S. in Washington University of St Louis, her M.B.A at Minnesota University, and her Ph.D from the University of California, Riverside.  To say that Dr. DeMars has had a brilliant life is like saying Warren Buffet is kinda well off.

The awesome Dr. DeMars is also a successful CEO of two organizations 7 Generations Games and The Julia Group.  7 Gen games shows how brilliant and smart a person DeMars is as she uses her programming skills to make unique gaming experiences for children and mixing native American spice in along with a heaping spoon of educational purposes and it delivers an extremely unique experience to children with games such as Spirit Lake.

Although DeMars tries to let her girls make their own decisions in life and choose the right path there have been bumps and disagreements as is the norm with everything in life.  It’s no secret that after Ronda’s heartbreaking loss to Holly Holm Dr. DeMars became very vocal about Ronda’s coaching.

DeMars has been very vocal about not liking some of the coaching her daughter has received from Edmund Tarverdyan whom has been Ronda’s coach throughout her UFC journey as champ.  Dr. Ann never Stood in between the two though once again letting her daughter make her own decisions in her career.  But this doesn’t mean that Dr. Ann wasn’t trying to be protective of her daughter always saying Tarverdyan was taking Ronda out of her comfort zone as an amazing judoka and trying to turn her into a striker.  This (In this man’s eyes) has been the demise of Ronda as she tried to stand and strike with Holm and Nunez instead of focusing on what has always worked for her.

In the end when all is said and done Dr. Ann Maria DeMars has accomplished everything that 5 people combined could ever want out of life and is still hungry for more. In 2013 Dr. DeMars made the Forbes 40 as one of the most successful women up and coming and she has not disappointed with her businesses, her programming, and her teaching…Oh and let’s remember SHE CAN WHOOP YOUR ASS!! 

-Matthew A

Why Peggy Morgan Will Always be Essential for Woman Fighters Everywhere

When people in the WMMA community think of some of the most hallmark names they think Cris Cyborg, Gina Carano, and Ronda Rousey. But if you are a TRUE diehard fan of what these women do in and out of the octagon you would also know names like Roxanne Modefferi, Julie Kedzie, Shannon Knapp, and ‘The Daywalker’ Peggy Morgan.

Peggy may not be the greatest women’s athlete in the MMA, she may not be one of the most all around talented when it comes to stepping in the cage. But if you look past the cage and into everything else Peggy has to offer its amazing this woman has not been approached by certain promotions to be a coach, analyst, or, like her good friend Julie Kedzie, a broadcaster.

Peggy started her fighting career in 2012 under the  Reality Fighting promotion against Kaline Medeiros and right off the bat Peggy exposed fans to her uncanny ability to last as the fight went the distance and Morgan won by decision..Born Margaret Morgan 1980 in the southern city of Biloxi, Mississippi, Peggy attended Southern New Hampshire University and truly didn’t take fighting seriously until she was into her early 3os.

After being recognized by the UFC and entered into the TUF 18 tournament Peggy exhibited a great knack of using her extremely long arms, legs, and lanky form to out reach and out maneuver opponents. But it wasn’t until her epic encounter with one of the popular 4 horsewomen, Jessamyn Duke, that Peggy really showed off her Rockyesque style of never letting even the hardest of beatings take her down. That fight was the highlight of the night and perhaps the defining moment of The Daywalker’s career. In Jessamyn (Pictured above during weigh-ins with Morgan) Peggy finally met somebody with an identical build and style. That night both women made each other step up to another level and in doing so, solidified their spot as top fighters.

• While Jessamyn Duke ultimately won the contest and got her UFC contract, if you know Peggy, you know that wouldn’t be the end of the road for this kitty lover with an amazing sense of dry sarcasm and humor that is magnetic to fans of the sport. After the amazing battle against Duke, Peggy and many like her had no Strikeforce left to fall back on. Instead, enter Shannon Knapp and a promotion I would call the savior of tons of talent in women’s MMA know as Invicta.
• 

Peggy’s first venture down the Invicta trail started at Invicta FC8 against an extremely technical grappler in Irene Aldana. Aldana was out to prove her prowess that night as it seemed Peggy just couldn’t find a comfort zone against the extremely ground based Aldana who ended the fight in the first round with a rear naked choke. Buuttt to say that this would keep The Daywalker down would be like saying Warren Buffet needs to refinance his home.  The one great thing about Peggy Morgan is nothing ever keeps her down.  To back that statement up, less then 3 months later Peggy had a fight against Andria Wawro at Invicta FC10 where Morgan would prove once again that she can go the distance and won the bout by unanimous decision.

 After the Wawro fight Peggy cemented herself as an Invicta regular and gained a lot of popularity from hardcore fans due to her ability to never give up during a fight going the distance once again at Invicta FC12 with a very solid, very favorited Latoya Walker. The Daywalker may have lost the decision but if you base MMA fighting on wins and losses alone then you are not a true fan and have about as much knowledge for the sport as Paris Hilton has at using a microwave. Peggy would have a fight outside the Invicta promotion in which, once again, in Morgan style, would grind out the entire fight and get the win by decision.

Peggy’s next and final fight in her short but inspiring career would be against the now undisputed Invicta 145lb Champion, the amazing Megan Anderson. I would love to sit here and tell you that Peggy shocked the upstart Australian bomb thrower but that would be as honest as politics. All jokes aside the firey redhead, cat loving, momma bear, wise cracking Daywalker would go out how we would all wanna go out…Proud and on her shield. Me and tons of other WMMA fans are going to miss the exciting shows that Peggy would put on inside the octagon. But never fear, not only is Peggy Morgan still very much a part of WMMA, she is and always will be the sarcastic, dry humored, lovable veteran that woman fighters all would love to look up to and emulate.

Peggy is now going to pursue a career as a writer (hopefully for Invicta) and my one dream along with many others would be to hear Peggy call the fights alongside Julie Kedzie just to hear the jokes, dry humor, sarcasm, and wit that the two provide. WITH LOVE ALWAYS..NEVER FORGET YOU..

-Matthew A 

I Just Don’t See Pressure In Aspen

When Invicta signed 19 year old Aspen Ladd to a promotion contact I thought to myself there really has to be something special about this innocent looking kid.  At first glance Aspen looks like your average young kiddo just doing the same thing typical girls her age would be doing. Going to college, working part time at the local CVS, joining a sorority, being part of the cheer squad, and hanging with her football playing jock boyfriend.

BUUUTTTT…you’d be dead wrong in making that horrible assumption…When it comes to Aspen Ladd not only looks but also age can be surprisingly deceiving in a very knock you out kind of way.  Which is what Aspen is truly a natural at..She may not have the physique of a Megan Anderson or Cris Cyborg or the scare you put of your shoes intimidating stare of Ronda Rousey but Aspen obviously doesn’t need any of that. When it comes to putting asses on the mat flat Aspen Ladd has a PHD.

When I first caught a glimpse of Aspen Ladd it was on the undercard of Invicta FC 11 against Ana Vidal and I thought to myself “Awww this poor sweet little girl is about to get a hard lesson”  Well after 4 minutes, a couple seconds, and a couple elbows later I was about as right with my statement as a person saying Donald Trump is the next John Kennedy. I still didn’t think too much into it though because, as we all know, winning in MMA can be surprisingly deceiving at times.

The next time I would see the name Ladd would be on the undercard of Invicta FC 14: Evinger vs. Kianzad..At the time I was more interested in seeing Pannie Kianzad get beat up by Tonya Evinger for beating my favorite fighter Jessy Jess. But it struck my interest to see Aspen back and this time facing a very popular up and coming Amanda Bobby Cooper.  So once again I thought the same thing..”ABC is gonna have Little Ladd counting sheep” Well call me a Trump supporter again!!  Ladd finished Cooper off and this time mixing it up with a devastating armbar.  Now I was thinking, OK, this girl could actually be something and I started following her on Twitter..Yeah that’s my ultimate compliment to you as an athlete..Another annoying fan boy bugging you on Twitter.

When I looked further into Aspen I found out she actually fought several times outside Invicta and wasn’t just some shot in the darker that Knapp signed to bring in the horny fellas.. (Just kidding Shannon) As it so happens that Ladd was undefeated West Coast Fighting Champion before signing with Invicta!  Turns out this girl is as natural a fighter as the Plymouth Hemi Cuda is a muscle car.

After the win over ABC, Ladd fought two more fights in a four month period!  Two more stoppages at IFC16 and IFC18.  Jesus Aspen save some awesomeness for when you’re out of your young adult stage!! 

As you can see from the photo above you look at this young lady and think “When are you joining the school spirit squad!?” But I strongly recommend before saying something insulting to Aspen you put a football helmet and some pads on unless you want pieces of Orbit gum lodged in your mouth to replace the teeth she knocks out.

Born in 1995, a year after the greatest music in my life was released..Including Pearl Jams Vitalogy and Live’s Throwing Copper…oh and Collective Soul’s Self titled album..but I digress. Aspen, born in Folsom, Ca. is definitely no prissy California surfer girl..I would call Aspen the one that takes the surfer girls and kicks sand in their faces. Ladd is definitely not even close to conceded or fake in any possible way. When asked why she doesn’t have a nickname people can relate her to Aspen simply said “Don’t need one, my name is funny enough the way it is” 

After IFC18, where Ladd beat up on Jessica Hoy, she returned to Kansas City for Invicta FC 21 where she had her biggest test since Cooper in the amazing Sijara Eubanks whom I thought would be the ultimate test for a fighter like Aspen. Turns out this time I was right..Eubanks gave Ladd the biggest test of her career lasting the entire fight but still..Lasting a fight doesn’t mean you didn’t get beat up..Ladd definitely proved once again that she was born for this.

Now 5-0 on the Invicta scene, Aspen’s next step is an Invicta title or a step up to the UFC 135 lb division…The same division Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, and Holly Holm found successful careers. The only difference between Aspen and those three ladies is that it seems to me Aspen just doesn’t care about the look or the intimidation factor and the most beneficial aspect about being Aspen is it just seems like she never feels pressure.

-Matthew A.

My Seattle Mist

I have always been a huge fan of women in sports.  From the first woman goalie in the NHL to watching the pioneers of the octagon in Strikeforce and of course my Arizona Wildcats softball team…But I never thought I’d see women, not only women, gorgeous women, playing such a savage sport as football..That is until I watched my first LFL game.

The LFL is definitely something you have to see with your own eyes.  If you think NFL has hard hits, big time emotion, and over the top action, imagine if you will, Tom Brady taking a blindside blast in only shoulder pads and what’s more of a hockey helmet then football.  You want tough, you want sexy, you want hard hits, smack talk, the LFL is the sport for you.

The more I watched these crazy women beast it up and down what is half an NFL field, which would be 50 yards for those of you who live under a rock and like Arena Football the actual walls are o.o.b. making for some gruesome checking tackles, the more I wanted to actually follow a team to keep me more enthralled. I decided that I could not pass up on the most passionate team with the most passionate players, The Seattle Mist.

After watching several WWE style spear tackles from the woman in the above picture, the amazing amazon Danika Brace, whose animalistic play and devilishly hard soul, bring a well placed anchor to a terrific defense…Then seeing the young gun slinger quarterback KK Matheny, whose passionate fired up mentality is only masked by her small stature, I fell in love with these ladies and this team.

Alongside Danika and KK are two of the sweetest, funniest, and most talented athletes in the LFL wide receivers/corner backs Jessica Hopkins and Bryn Renda  (Hopkins far left, Renda to the right of QB 15 Matheny in pic above) I have watched veteran and mommy Hopkins make some of the sweetest and calculated catches as if she were reading Matheny’s mind. While ‘J-Hop’ may be the veteran that makes catching a football seem too easy, Renda, who other than playing in the LFL, also works hard learning to be a Doctor, makes easy catches look like human highlight reels as she is never afraid to leap over walls, get flipped, land on her head, and still make the catch.

While I love all four of these women equally the one who stood out the most for me was always the Canadian rugby freak, running back Stevi Schnoor.  If Brace is the heart, KK the soul, then Stevi is…well…the mack truck that doesn’t try to juke N jive like Barry Sanders in his heyday. Instead, due to her extensive rugby background, Schnoor loves to run over defenses. This is where she earned the nickname ‘The Bull’ and rightfully so. But in conversations we’ve had I stick to Breezilicious..No need to explain just ask her about it. Stevi is your typical Canadian, beer swilling, trash talking, hard hitting maniac that you are glad to have dawning your colors although this guy would love to see a tackle match between Stevi and the aforementioned Danika Brace!! 

Stevi (pictured above), Matheny, Brace,Hopkins, and Renda are the five Horsewomen of the LFL for me and I wouldn’t want it any other way. These five women have brought home the Cup in 2015 and earned division titles in 2014-16. I believe that with a little help from their friends, these five can take Seattle to the promise land for a long time to come. 

OR at least until ‘Rock Drop J-Hop’ (Hopkins) decides to hang up the pads and be a full-time mom…OR ‘Doctor Bryn Medicine Woman’ (Renda) decides to hang em up in exchange for a stethoscope…OR ‘Breezilicious’ (Schnoor) decides humans aren’t competition enough anymore and starts taking on Oak Trees head first.  Haha!

 Regardless of what happens in the future the Seattle Mist will always be my LFL team because these five women made me a believer of not only the Mist but of the entire LFL itself..And I want to thank them from the bottom of my beer mug!!  Jessica Hopkins, KK Matheny, Danika Brace, Bryn Renda, and Stevi Schnoor…My hat’s off to you fine, well mannered, aaahhhh WHO AM I KIDDING!?! As Rob Schneider says in The Waterboy..”YOU CAN DO IT!!!”  Long live the Seattle Mist!! Oh and KK never stand behind anybody during a photo shoot.
-Matthew A.

Why I Wish I Had Jessy Girl

WMMA star Jessy Rose Clark…more popularly known as Jessy Jess…has struck me as one of the most amazing individuals in sports today. I first started following Jessy after I had heard about an up and coming young Australian native who was on fire and just recently defeated the likes of one of the best boxers in WMMA, Arlene “Angerfist” Blencowe during a fight card under the promotion of Nitro MMA.

Now, at first I wasn’t really that “into” Jessy…At the time I was following the career of Ronda Rousey and her fellow Horsewomen.  But after watching fights prior to the Blencowe win I started becoming very interested in the shear raw determination of this young lady..I started to really feel the magnetic vibe that this hot pink haired Aussie firecracker was exhuming.

As I looked further into articles and websites about Jessy I found out a lot about her early life struggles and I became even more enamoured by this beautiful young lady who in fact grew up with her mother in what most would call ‘The worst of circumstances’  growing up in a car, camping, moving from place to place..Sometimes living without most essentials just to survive.

It was this background that got me to take Jessy as a relatable athlete..I too grew up in very extreme circumstances and believe the same adage that when life deals us the hardest hits we rise up and learn to make life our bitch…PERIOD

Jessy learned to take every opportunity given to her with her head held high.  I said to myself “This young lady was born to be a fighter” Jessy learned to do everything on her own, and as I can relate in my own life, grew to have a great appreciation for even the smallest opportunities life gave her. Grew a soul of steal and heart of granite.

Jessy eventually walked into a local gym and fell in love with the sport of MMA. Something else I can relate to after having enormous anger issues and constantly getting into fights in bars from drinking too much and being approached about using MMA to help not only relieve my anger issues but also help cope with quitting alcohol. So I know by personal experience, the amazing therapeutic advantages of what I like to call “The stress exercise of being punched in the face” As I’m sure it did for Jessy, it helped me forget about my day to day life issues.

I remember watching, not too long ago, a video called ‘A Fighter Profile: Jessy Jess’ and it was so inspiring to hear this wonderfully colorful athlete talk about her hardships she faced in daily life, from her childhood, to her having to take whatever job necessary to get by, even while fighting and training.  It’s amazing the strength of the soul when put to the largest tests in life.

Once Jessy signed with the upstart Invicta promotion, which is basically the last step for women wanting to become upper echelon or, depending on weight class, becoming a UFC star for Dana White, I became extremely backing of her career.  Jessy came to Invicta after fighting and holding titles in several Australian promotions including XFC, Combat, and Nitro.

Upon signing with Invicta many had high expectations for Jessy Jess and fellow Aussie Gold Coast resident Megan Anderson. I was extremely excited for the debut of Jessy but I underestimated her opponent, Pannie Kianzad, who beat Jessy that night to much of my dismay. But the great thing about Jessy Jess is her amazing will to work and keep her head high in the face of adversary.

After getting her feet wet in the Invicta 135 lb division and finding herself becoming discouraged by certain fighters not making weight and very tough fights, Jessy eventually moved to the states and the birthplace of the UFC, Las Vegas.

This was a huge step for Jessy and helped her escape several personal issues haunting her in Australia including cutting ties with a devastating relationship to a fellow MMA fighter whom she was engaged to and had constant issues with Jessy leading to physical abuse.  One day this boiled over and Jessy had enough.  When Jessy brought the wrong soup home for dinner, as rediculous as it sounds, her fiancee lost it and the two started fighting and Jess ended up knocking him out.

In this man’s eyes 2017 is going to be a banner year for my favorite fighters as Jessy has not only moved to the States but also started training with Syndicate alongside long time WMMA veteran Roxanne “The Happy Warrior” Modefferi. Jessy also took it even another step further by shedding weight to fight in a lighter 125 lb division. This has made Jessy look faster, stronger, quicker, and better then ever.

Look for the beautiful, bright hair, kangaroo eating, mango loving, blue M&M conasur, mozzarella hating, pink panther, who is also a huge fan of Russian boxing phenom Gennady Golovkin, to have an amazing and thriving career because as this article shows…If Jessy Jess can do any one thing like nobody else, it would be adapt.

-Matthew A.