Heavy Handed 09.27.07: The Heart of Female MMA
Posted by Joe Newman on 09.27.2007
Tara LaRosa pulls no punches when she talks about the state of female mixed martial arts. The Bodog Fights champ is more than just a pretty face. And she is ready to prove it against anyone willing to step in the ring against her. Are you listening Gina Carano?
She has run through every opponent her organization has put up against her. She finishes her fights in spectacular fashion and many consider her the toughest pound-for-pound female fighter in the world.
And, no, her first name is not Gina.
Tara LaRosa, 29, has the credentials and all-around skills that have pushed her to the top of the female mixed martial arts world. The former collegiate judo competitor and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt from the Royce Gracie school hasn't lost a fight since May 2003.
Yet, it's EliteXC covergirl Gina Carano who is often called the "face" of female mixed martial arts, despite having only five professional fights against rather average competition. It's Carano who gets the bulk of the press and is often mentioned first when the subject of female MMA is brought up.
"She has a beautiful face but unfortunately, she has nothing to back it up," LaRosa said.
In female MMA, there are made-for-TV stars and, then, there's LaRosa.
She has fought and battled her way to the top of the female MMA ranks.
The small town south Jersey girl sports a 14-1 professional record and in July claimed the Bodog Fights first-ever 135-pound women's championship belt in a tough 3-round submission victory over the previously undefeated Kelly Kobold.
LaRosa works her ground and pound game against Kobold.
LaRosa's fights are the best proof you'll find that female MMA is legit.
Unfortunately, much of the recent discussion about female fighters has less to do with their skills in the ring or cage and more about topics that LaRosa says makes it harder for female fighters to get the respect they deserve.
Ironically, it's fallout from the Sept. 15 Carano vs. Tanya Evinger fight that has the MMA community abuzz. First, Evinger gave us the quote, "I'd like to make out with Gina, but I am here to knock her out. Either way she wants it, though, is fine with me."
And then, during their EliteXC broadcast on Showtime, announcer Mauro Ranallo made a questionable dick joke during the Carano fight. And afterwards, Carano, who had struggled to make weight, blamed her difficulties on her menstrual cycle.
LaRosa, who recently moved back to New Jersey and is training at Philadelphia's Fight Factory, blasted Carano for her excuse.
"That's absolute bullshit. That's asinine," LaRosa said. "I personally find it disrespectful to the sport and your opponent if you come in overweight. She should take (her period) into account. That's not something that just pops up."
Blaming her period makes female MMA look bad, LaRosa said.
"Some people still like to look at us as a sideshow and we're not," LaRosa said. "A lot of us, meaning female fighters, were really disappointed that she made that statement."
LaRosa would love to step into the ring with Carano but she doesn't see that happening any time soon. ProElite, the promoter behind Elite Xtreme Combat, has been careful to bring Carano along slowly.
Carano has skills but only 5 professional fights.
Some critics say EliteXC doesn't really have a women's division, as much as they have a Gina Carano division.
While LaRosa gives props to Carano's "legit" Muay Thai skills, she says the Las Vegas resident would be no match for her on the ground.
But don't hold your breath waiting for EliteXC and Bodog Fights to put together what could be the biggest female MMA bout ever. LaRosa vs. Carano doesn't seem to be in the cards, for now.
Instead, LaRosa's next match will be against the undefeated Laura D'Auguste in LaRosa's last fight with Bodog under her current contract. D'Auguste was supposed to fight LaRosa for the Bodog Fights title in July but scratched because of an ankle injury.
However, LaRosa expects to re-sign with Bodog Fights, an organization that has carved out a niche in female MMA. LaRosa says Bodog has been a wonderful organization to fight for and treats its fighters well.
She was especially grateful for the support they gave her in August when the love of her life, Sgt. 1st Class Adrian M. Elizalde, was killed in action while deployed in Iraq. Elizalde, 30, was an elite Green Beret and was on his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed by a roadside improvised explosive device near Al Aziziyah, Iraq.
They had met when Elizalde was stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C. and LaRosa was training and teaching at the nearby Team R.O.C. Elizalde was a wrestler and an athlete and ended up training with LaRosa.
"He was a bad ass," she said. "He was the best of the best."
The last time they saw each other was in March before he deployed from Fort Lewis, Wash.
LaRosa had moved to the Pacific Northwest to be near him. After Elizalde shipped out, she decided to go to Florida to train with an American Top Team affiliate in Boca Raton. She was planning to move back to Washington and buy a house with Elizalde when he returned from Iraq.
Adrian in Iraq
His death devastated her but she found that the best therapy was to get back into the gym. In fact, just weeks after Elizalde's death, she traveled to Antalya,Turkey to compete in FILA's World Wrestling Games.
"It wasn't that difficult for me to get back into the gym at all because that was something we loved to do together," she said. "It takes my mind off of everything; I forget about the outside world."
LaRosa won a gold medal in the women's World Grappling Championship. Elizalde never left her thoughts.
"He had been so proud of me for qualifying for the U.S. team," LaRosa said. "Winning was something I did for him."
Next up is D'Auguste in November, likely in Evansville, Ind. Coincidently, Evansville is where LaRosa's MMA career began in 2002 with a first-round submission (by strikes) victory over Shelby Walker at a HOOKnSHOOT event.
Since then, she has fought in Japan, Costa Rica and Canada. (She says she loved fighting in Japan where the fans are much more knowledgeable about the subtleties of submission tactics and where they treat fighters like rock stars.)
Winning the Bodog title, however, was even more special because she did it in Trenton, N.J. in front of her family and friends..
"It's really great to have your family and friends there," LaRosa said. "To be able to actually show them, this is what I do and I'm actually good at it."
Not bad for the girl from Woodstown, N.J. where she grew up working on the family plant nursery.
She's not sure how long she'll fight but, for now, she can't even imagine not competing.
"You know, the sky's the limit," LaRosa said. "I think if there are people out there waiting for me to retire and get out of the way, they should know I'm not going anywhere, anytime soon."
Got a question, comment or column idea? Contact Joe Newman by clicking below or reach him at his blog, Cage Buzz.
