The debate over sparring as an effective tool in training for MMA has been a hot button topic for several years, especially after a number of athletes opted to cut down on those intense training situations due to the toll it was taking on them prior to the fight.
Head trauma is a serious concern to anyone who participates in combat sports. Inflicting unnecessary injury in the gym could increase the risk of serious injuries. Roxanne Modafferi was a former MMA champion. The punishment she received while preparing for fights began to take away her love for the sport.
“I started getting headaches after sparring,” Modafferi revealed this week on The MMA Hour. “So I was spending most of my day stressed out that I was going to get hit and concussed.”
Modafferi found a solution to those concerns when she started wearing protective gear in her training sessions, but that also led to more frustration at times.
” I finally learned how to wear headgear, and the problem got worse,” Modafferi stated. “But then people would pull on it and I’d get stuck, and I want to do jiu-jitsu but my head gets pinned. The other time I was training with Lauren Murphy, she visited me, and we’re doing jiu-jitsu in our sparring and she had me in an armbar almost, like I was on top and she was under and she didn’t have my arm, but she was pushing on my headgear and the strap was like strangling me. It was funny but it sucks.
” People work really hard these days. I’m not a young person and want to train one move from class. Someone else will be doing another and moving me around. I’m like, dangit. Kind of like my style of training is not on par with certain other people. This frustrates me. I’m trying to find my groove in training and it’s not the same.”
As a veteran with 50 fights (including her two stints on The Ultimate Fighter) and nearly 20 years of experience on her resume, Modafferi has understandably put a lot of miles on her body, not only through competition but also through the training sessions that no one actually sees happen.
Of course, “The Happy Warrior” has always been a huge advocate for martial arts and it’s nearly impossible to find a time when she’s not smiling while talking about the sport, but Modafferi knew a time would eventually come when it was time to call it a career.
That’s what led to her final fight this past weekend at UFC 271 as Modafferi engaged in a three-round battle with Casey O’Neill on the preliminary card.
Most of the week leading up to the event centered around Modafferi’s retirement, and that only amplified the emotions she was feeling while knowing this would be the last time she would set foot in the octagon.
” It was difficult overall, because I feel a lot about it,” Modafferi said. “I’m happy that I can move on. However, it’s a sad day to leave, and I don’t have as much fun with MMA training. So it’s a whole whirlwind and I’m trying to take it all in and just focus, and I feel like I’ve been putting too much pressure on myself lately like, ‘Oh my gosh, you have to win! Mortal Kombat aggression!’
” I wanted more enjoyment from this fight. It was nice that so many people thought so, which helped me to enjoy it. I was able to be very clear-headed walking to the cage and just feeling this energy. So it helped me.”
After three high-paced rounds, Modafferi ultimately lost a split decision, which definitely stung at the time but she can still walk away with her head held high knowing that she left everything in the cage that night.
Modafferi also feels confident she has finished the competition and is happy with what she left behind.
“When I fought, I kind of came away thinking that I had won and I was disappointed by the decision, and when I went home and I watched it last night, I felt like I touched her a lot,” Modafferi said. Modafferi said, “Like I punched her so hard my hand hurt…but then I felt like she might have gotten more important strikes.” The judges probably gave her the award because she wasn’t as responsive to my strikes than I was to hers.
“I can accept that, but I was really proud of my performance. I felt really sharp and I felt like I had improved even from my last fight. My hard work was paying off. I did not win .”
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