Beckie Lobb is a grandmother, a leukemia researcher, certified counselor and a devout Christian. On April 9 at the Hard Rock Café in Albuquerque, NM, she plans to add “cage fighter” to her resume.
The Jackson’s MMA Series promotion, which is tied to a gym you may have heard of, is positioning itself to take advantage of a glut of female fighters that may soon be in need of work.
The purchase of Strikeforce by the UFC has put the future of women’s MMA up in the air. UFC president Dana White has made it clear he has no interest in promoting girl fights. Meanwhile, more women than ever are showing interest in MMA, a sport that, ironically, is often mislabeled “Ultimate Fighting.”
“Jackson's MMA Series will be stepping up to take advantage of the talented women out there needing a place to fight,” explains Ricky Kottenstette, general manager of the gym and the fight promotion. “We have the opportunity to bring some of the best females in the world to match up against the top female fighters at Jackson's to create awesome matchups for the fans.”
The fourth card in the series will be held April 9, headlined by the Jackson’s-trained Julie Kedzie taking on Kaitlin Young of Minnesota MMA. There will be a total of four women’s bouts on the seven-fight card.
Another twist on the April 9 card is it will feature the final matches of the Jackson’s/Edge Challenge, a radio-driven star search aimed at finding talented local fighters.
On the morning show of 104.1 The Edge, a local radio station, aspiring fighters were invited to apply by sending in a physique-revealing photo accompanied along with answers to some questions about their martial arts backgrounds to ensure no pro fighters snuck in.
Out of 250 applicants, 60 prospects were invited to Jackson’s MMA for tryouts. Eventually, two teams of four women and six men each were chosen: Team Renegades and The Arnold Schwarzenegger Project. After weeks of training, a male and female finalist were chosen from each team. They’ll be fighting alongside the pros at the Jackson’s MMA Series on April 9.
Women’s finalist Beckie Lobb will be squaring off against Katrina Branchal, a natural flyweight who is taking the fight at 135. She currently weighs 127. Lobb entered the competition at 159; two weeks before fight time, she weighed 144.
While Lobb, 40, has a year of jiu-jitsu experience under her belt, Branchal had no previous training in any martial art prior to entering the Jackson’s/Edge Challenge. In fact, she says she’s never competed in any kind of sport.
But her coach, Chad LeMoine, sees the warrior in her.
“She has an X-factor about her, a toughness that I’ve seen in other fighters," LeMoine told Bleacher Report. "She doesn’t weigh as much [as Lobb], or have any experience, but she has athletic ability, and a lot of heart. She’s been dedicated to the workouts and she doesn’t give up.”
Will it be the young lioness or the wise grappler? Check Bleacher Report on fight night for exclusive coverage from the event.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/648557-cage-fightin-grandma-to-make-mma-debut
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