Second, as I hope you know, I’m the kind of fighter who will do anything to get the win in the Octagon …and I think my face proved that this week.
That was easily the most damage I’ve ever taken in a fight, and it showed. When I realized I was cut with an elbow, I knew it was going to be messy. Then she threw a lot of punches after that, and they definitely added up, as you could see.
In the Octagon, I wasn’t fazed by the blood. If anything, it actually motivated me even more to push the action further and push through the blood. Fans really go crazy when they see that in the cage, and I love putting on a show for the fans, almost as much as I love having my hand raised.
But I didn’t truly realize how bad it was until later that night, when I got back from the hospital. My face was really swollen, so that was starting to hurt, and I had limited vision because of the swelling. After I got my stitches and returned to the TUF house, I was shocked when I looked in the mirror. I had no idea I looked that bad, and I’m not sure my castmates were expecting it either, ha ha.
Ultimately, however, I’ll push through all the pain in the world to have my hand raised. Once you get over the initial shock of the blood and just go with the flow — literally — it’s just another obstacle to overcome in the Octagon…and I’m always down for a challenge.
Of all my victories, I’m probably most proud of this one. I was able to get the victory, despite being away from my team and being out of the cage for so long. I guess it’s kind of cool to have a few battle scars to show for it.
