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The saying goes that few people should suffer as much as a fighter's mother. However, with the intense growth of the sport in recent years, many athletes compensate for the suffering of their mothers by being able to fulfill, thanks to the sport, their oldest dreams.
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Furthermore, with the growth of women's fights in the UFC, the largest MMA organization in the world, many mothers make fighting their livelihood to provide their children with the best possible future.
On this Mother's Day, the SUPER FIGHTS pays homage to all the moms in the MMA world by telling stories involving some of the main characters in the sport today.
In this special article, we remember cases in which prominent MMA figures repaid all their mothers' love through fights; Furthermore, we tell the story of some fighting mothers who literally fight intensely for their children. Check out!
Zingano, the first UFC mom
On April 13, 2013, Zingano cat she made history in the UFC without even realizing it: she became the first mother to step into the octagon and fight in the biggest MMA organization in the world.
Undefeated until then, the fighter knocked out Miesha Tate and won the right to fight for the belt against Ronda Rousey in the newly created Ultimate women's bantamweight division.
The title fight took place almost two years later, as Zingano was hampered by a serious knee injury. The victory didn't come, but the American always made clear her determination to succeed in MMA so she could provide a good education for her son, little Brayden. Her responsibility for the boy became even greater at the beginning of 2014, when the fighter's husband, Maurício Zingano, committed suicide.
“Everything revolves around my son. I only got into fighting as a hobby, to get in shape after giving birth. Then it turned into a career. It's very important for him to see the things I go through and the goals I have so he can set goals for himself”, says Zingano, in an interview with the UFC's official website.
“It's very difficult to be a mother and a fighter at the same time. When I'm a mother, I'm quite fun and playful, but when I fight, I'm the opposite. I would love for him to watch my fights, but he can't. I transform into another person when I go to fight”, continued the fighter.
Rousey and her world champion mom's strength
Main representative of women's MMA today, Ronda Rousey He only entered the world of fighting thanks to his mother. Ann Maria DeMars, world judo champion, encouraged her daughter to take up the sport at the age of 11 as a way to overcome the death of her father, who had committed suicide three years earlier.
Just like her daughter Ronda (left), AnnMaria de Mars (right) doesn't get along with Cyborg
Rousey began to take her training seriously and, always with her mother as an advisor and coach, went far in judo competitions, including an Olympic medal in Beijing in 2008. “Rowdy” migrated to MMA shortly after, and maintains it to this day the firm connection with his mother, whom he often refers to as a kind of inspiration.
McMann: Being a mother 'gives peace' to her fighting career
Former UFC belt challenger, Sara McMann admits that being a mother helps with concentration and focus towards success as a fighter in the octagon. The American, also an Olympic medalist in wrestling, is the mother of Bella, now five years old.
According to McMann, the little girl sees her work naturally and ends up, involuntarily, serving as an incentive for her career. “For her, fighting is what I do. It's simple. I can make peace with my career much more easily. I know what I'm doing and what I need to do,” she said.
However, McMann admits that being a mother turns some simple decisions into something more complicated. “As a mother, you never know if the choices you make are the right ones. It's difficult because there is no clear answer to things”, said the fighter, who has a record of eight wins and two losses in MMA.
Aldo fulfills his mother's dream through fights
If there are several examples of mothers who fight hard to make their children's dreams come true, there are also children who use their struggles to provide comfort to their mothers. Former UFC featherweight champion, José Aldo He also used the money he earned from fighting to buy his mother a house. But the story he holds most fondly was the proof he gave his mother that he was able to fulfill his dream of going far in his MMA career.
“When I gave her her first house, it was a very good thing. She gets emotional when she remembers this. But the one she likes most is something else. Since I was a child, I told her that I was going to live in Rio de Janeiro, and that I was going to see the sea. When I came to Rio for the first time, I took sea water and a shell so she could see that I had made my dream come true and that it wasn't just a story I told her", recalled the champion, in an interview with the newspaper " Throw!".
It's not enough to be a mother, you have to participate
In the world of MMA, there are fighters who escape the “tough” stereotype and who show attachment to their mothers at unusual times. It is the case that Chael Sonnen, who, while still competing, received help from her mother, Claudia, during training.
This came to light during the preparations for Sonnen's long-awaited rematch against Anderson Silva, in July 2012. During combat training, Claudia often appeared helping her son, serving him water and helping him put on his gloves. Unfortunately for them, Sonnen ended up defeated by Anderson in the rematch, via technical knockout.
But no case compares to that of the mother of the former UFC lightweight champion Ben henderson. Of South Korean origin, Song was responsible for introducing the fighter to the world of martial arts, enrolling his son in taekwondo classes from a young age.
However, given Henderson's success in MMA, his mother decided to start her career in fighting, participating in jiu-jitsu classes. The game became more serious when she entered a senior competition in 2013, including winning a bronze medal.
“This was my mother’s first competition. This Korean lady inspires me so much every day! She received a standing ovation and a bronze medal. She was really nervous, but she behaved like a true champion,” commented a proud Henderson at the time.
Collaboration with Bruno Ferreira
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