Roxanne Modafferi will choke you out with a smile on her face
When talking to Roxanne Modafferi, it's hard not to get excited about MMA. She exudes a bubbliness about the sport that's not often seen among many of the jaded fighters. If you weren't excited about her scrap on Saturday night with Marloes Coenen, you will be after spending 15 seconds talking to her.
"I'm so happy, I talk about it [with a smile on her face] my favorite move is a triangle choke and it goes like this."
Her fight will be shown on the CBS card if time permits, though Strikeforce and CBS officials said that at the very least, highlights will be shown.
"It would be so cool to be on CBS," she said. "If I become more well-known, then people will be more willing to pay for me to come [and fight] because of my name. For example, with Kim Couture, if nobody knew about her, then she wouldn't get fights. But people know about her. I think this [chance to be on CBS] is less about fame, and more about if I become more well-known, I'll get more chances to fight."
Modafferi and Coenen share in a part of collegiality that is common among female fighters. She and Coenen have exchanged emails and are quite friendly with each other. Modafferi finds that women in MMA share a bond.
"I think there's two things. One is that we're in the same boat. We're striving to prove ourselves, in that we're in martial arts. That it's not 'women's martial arts' but it's martial arts that women do, too. We're all struggling in that sisterhood. And the other thing is a lack of testosterone."
But that sisterhood will not prevent her from punching her fellow fighters.
"I want to fight Sarah Kauffman. I want to fight everyone. Tara LaRosa. I really want that rematch. She said she's going to retire if she doesn't get a fight, and I want to fight her before she retires. Amanda Buckner, in Maine, no one is paying any attention to her. Shayna Baszler.
Miesha Tate. Everyone's staring at her beautifully shot pictures, but I want to give her a beat down. But I'll fight whoever Strikeforce wants me to fight."
Originally from Delaware, Modafferi lives in Japan and works full time as an English teacher. She stays connected to the U.S. fight scene through the internet, and even took some inspiration and coaching from what a fellow fighter said.
"Erin Toughill once posted on FighterGirls.com that I was an arm puncher, that I didn't turn my shoulders into it, and I thought, 'Goddamnit, she's right.' I got really depressed, but that really inspired me to get a coach and get better at it."
The most important thing for Modafferi at this point is to get more fights. With a win, she will have that chance as the winner of this fight will likely decide the number 1 contender spot for the Strikeforce women's title.
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