Gallardo gets a tour of the house, saying in a confessional interview that she’s always felt she deserved to be there, while calling the way things played out “divine timing.”
Footage of Gallardo at home in San Clemente, CA rolls as she has breakfast with her dog. The 32-year-old introduces her boyfriend Jesse and their dog, her addiction to ordering things off Amazon, and her family.
The 4-1 fighter explains that she started Brazilian jiu jitsu during her final year of high school, fell in love with it, and has been competing ever since, eventually transitioning to MMA. She heads into Dan Henderson’s Athletic Fitness Center in Temecula, working under the watchful eye of TUF 2 winner Joe Stevenson, who sings her praises.
Footage of Gallardo’s fights rolls as she explains what winning this season would mean for her.
“Winning this season would mean that everything I’ve done in the past wasn’t for nothing,” she says. “This is an opportunity that I don’t want to take lightly. This can open a lot of doors for me.
“Being here makes everything I miss, all the time I spend devoted to this, worth it. Just because I was an alternate, I’m not just feeling happy that I’m another body here. I’m here to win and I’m here to win the whole thing.”
Laura Gallardo’s Fight Prep…
Pena and assistant coach Wayne Gregory fill Gallardo in on what Paprocki brings to the table, calling her a scrappy fighter and advising their newest member to focus on her wrestling and top control once she gets the fight to the canvas.
Gallardo goes through hard grappling sessions and looks sharp, outhustling her partners and drawing raves from Pena and the coaching staff. The plan is to put Paprocki on the deck and dominate her on the canvas.
Two Days Until the Fight, Back at the House…
The members of Team Pena talk about the diversity of the cast, with Paprocki acknowledging her stutter, addressing how it shouldn’t limit anyone in any way.
In a confessional interview, the Team Nunes flyweight speaks about it more.
“I’ve been stuttering since I was about three,” says Paprocki. “It was definitely very impactful for me for a very long time. I had a really hard time just talking. I wouldn’t call anyone, but now that I’m older, I have a lot more confidence in it, and it’s me — it’s who I am, and sometimes you just have to hold off and I’ll talk through it.”
Paprocki’s home movie footage rolls with a scenic shot of the mountains in Denver, CO where she lives with her husband, her two kids, and her two dogs.
She trains out her the gym that she owns, DCO MMA & Fitness, and explains she got into fighting through her husband, Steven, who fought first. She was looking for a way to be healthy and fell in love with it.
“I love punching people, I love the confidence that it has brought me,” she says, describing her skill set as “anything, anywhere, all the time.”
Back at the UFC APEX, Paprocki goes through fight prep with Nunes and the team. The featherweight champion and former bantamweight titleholder outlines the approach for Paprocki this fight, suggesting they want to make Gallardo work to close distance by moving a lot, defending shots, and getting off with her hands.
Paprocki praises Nunes’ positivity and the details in her coaching as footage of her previous fights begins to play.
The Team Nunes fighter is 3-2 as a pro, with her losses coming against Invicta FC strawweight champ Emily Ducote and last fall in a fight with Maria Silva on Dana White’s Contender Series, where she took the fight on two weeks’ notice. She calls it a great learning experience and sees this return to competing inside the UFC APEX as a chance to enjoy the experience a little more.
“Right here is my lawn,” she says in a confessional interview, pointing to the length of her outstretched arms, smiling widely. “And I don’t let anybody onto my lawn. I’m gonna throw these hands, and I’m excited to do so.”
Flyweight Weigh-Ins…
Paprocki is up first, coming in at 124 pounds. Gallardo gets on the scale next and comes in at 123.5 pounds, making the fight official.
The women face off and we’re all set for the second flyweight fight of the season.
Fight Day…
“I’m prideful,” begins Paprocki. “I’m very proud that I’m finally figuring out what fighting is to me. I absolutely feel prepared. It is my time, I know why I’m here. I’m down for the get-down!”
Gallardo heads to the UFC APEX focused, stating she knows exactly who she is and why she’s here.
Each woman gets taped up and loose in the back, and now it’s time to see which one will advance.
