Introducing...

Words by Jessy Rose

So, I am constantly being asked "Why do you fight, Jessy?".

My answer to this question is ALWAYS "because I freaking love my sport!".

Mixed Martial Arts isn't about blood and violence or trying to inflict pain against another person. MMA is about training your ass off, every single day of the week. Eating like a caveman (or woman) and never enjoying all those fine delicacies like donuts, chinese food or my all time favourite, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Not going out with your friends on the weekend, but choosing to get an early night so your body is ready to go just as hard in the morning. It's about learning something new, and practicing, practicing, practicing until that skill becomes second nature to you.

And finally when it comes down to fight time, it is about taking all that hard work, missing out on parties and nice foods, getting hurt, pushing through injuries, battling physical and mental fatigue, and pitting everything you have against someone who has (hopefully) been working just as hard. 

It's like a game of chess. MMA is about strategy. Intelligence. Tactics. Having an MMA fight is having the chance to take all your knowledge and formulate a game plan, multiple game plans even, just to adjust to the direction the fight is going. You are constantly preempting your opponents moves. Thinking two, three or even four steps ahead AT ALL TIMES. And if your strategy and execution is effective, you get the big WIN. That makes it all worth it. 

Always thank your opponent at the end of your fight because without them, you would never have the chance to show off your skills and all the hard work and dedication that goes into it. I have months of preparation for my fights. And my opponents do too. A little bit of gratitude and mutual respect at the end of the game goes a long way. 

I love Mixed Martial Arts. I love every single aspect of this sport. I love the pain I go through at training. I love drilling the same tiny move one million times in order to perfect it. I love waking up to go for a run before training. And I love sitting at home playing X-box on the weekends instead of going out drinking with my buddies. I LOVE EVERYTHING!

This is why I fight.

** Jessy Rose is a female MMA fighter and conditioning trainer based in Sydney, NSW. If you have a question about fitness, nutrition, women's health or mixed martial arts for Jessy, send us an email here.