I am a fighter. To be a fighter, you have to be passionate. I have so much passion, it’s hard to hold it all in. That passion escapes as tears from my eyes, sweat from my pores and blood from my veins.”
So many people assume that I’m cold and callous, but the truth is you need a big heart to fight. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I’ve had it broken too. I can compete with broken toes or stitches in my foot. I can take a hit without batting an eyelash, but I will burst into tears if a sad song comes on the radio. I am vulnerable; that’s why I fight. – Ronda Rousey.
I find the UFC fascinating. Yes, it can be bloody and intense, but there’s something I find impeccably interesting about how those fighters came to the decision they wanted to beat the absolute heck out of other people for a living.
Like all athletes, the sheer amount of training and preparation these fighters must undertake before they even think about heading into the Octagon is remarkable.
Not only must you be physically strong, but, like tackling Mount Lofty on a Sunday morning, fighting is just as much a mental game. To outwit your opponent, to decide on the best position to strike and to handle the intense diets required to make weight you must be 120 per cent focused. If not, there’s no point in you even entering the ring.
In what was once a male-dominated sport, Ronda Rousey is arguably the best female UFC competitor.
She fought for her first breath, handled speech difficulties as a child and lost her father at a young age. Through it all, she fought for what she wanted most; to be the best female fighter in the world.
From trainers who wouldn’t give her the time of day and the President of the UFC, Dana White, who said women would NEVER compete in the MMA (UFC), Rousey is nothing short of amazing
Although some might find her “I’m the best, I know I can win every time” attitude a little hard to stomach, it’s Rousey’s insatiable thirst for victory and proving herself to those who doubted her, which drives her to succeed.
Dana said Ronda is a game changer. And he’s right. She’s a game changer for female athletes around the world.
Her book ‘My Fight Your Fight’ documents the hard work, intense training regime, set backs and idiotic boyfriends she encountered on her way to the top.
Told through her sister and award-winning journalist, Maria Burns-Otis, Rousey details what it takes to become the toughest woman on Earth.
She’s badass and I love it!
With 10,000 copies sold in the week of its release, My Fight Your Fight is an easy and addictive read you won’t be able to put down. I had to, due to other commitments, but ended up finishing it in four days.
If you have any interest in professional fighters and the sheer dedication and hard work it takes to make it to the highest level, this is the perfect autumn read.
For now, I think I’ll stick to playing UFC 2 on PlayStation.
Rating : 4/5 worms
Image: www.alibris.com
