Corruption can taint the entirety of MMA. The bigger promotions in existence are run to the highest degrees of professionalism, but there are a multitude of promotions across the nation where money sways the hands of the commission, promoters, and athletes alike. Take it from me, a recent victim of the shady corruption running rampant in these small-town promotions, where if you aren’t the local hometown fighter, they will throw every wrench in your path to try to tear you down.
Back in early September, I fought for a promotion in New York (I hate to even give their name any notoriety, but people should know not to ever fight for Flex Fight Series). I blame myself for ignoring a number of red flags that arose, but after having several fights canceled or called off, I had been in a long and arduous fight camp and I was desperately eager to step into the cage. Immediately, things were shady, but I fought to persevere anyway.
My opponent had a reputation herself for making the switch from degrading porn actress to MMA fighter, even being on a televised Bellator fight, where she got pummeled and eviscerated (and not in the way that she was used to), but I digress. I knew she was in cahoots with the promotion from the get-go, where they were more focused on marketing this as a fetishized and sexualized “girl fight” than serious athletes. I didn’t care how she wanted to portray herself, because I was ever the professional and putting in hours of hard work and preparation.
On the day of the weigh-ins, my opponent was more intent on gallivanting and traipsing in 2 hours late, refused to check her weight (although those in the commission made it mandatory for me) and then proceeded to miss weight by 2 lbs. She falsely claimed she was on weight that morning, or tried to portray the false narrative that the scale was off, but my scale was accurate to the official scale and I was around a pound under.
Not only that, but after claiming what a struggle it was to make the agreed upon weight, not once had she ever brought a drink to her lips in order to rehydrate. It wasn’t necessary to rehydrate when one didn’t even dehydrate themselves in the first place. All of the other fighters were immediately grabbing for their pedialytes and waters and she chose to strip down to her g-string and parade around the venue for photos instead. What a joke.
We should have pulled out of the fight right then and there, as it was clear no one in the New York State Athletic Commission cared about my safety. She wasn’t made to try to cut more weight nor received any admonishment for not even being close, and it was a fight to even get them to pay me a percentage of her purse due to her missed weight.
My coach warned me on the night of the fight to be careful, as he had a feeling they would try to pull something in complete disregard to my safety in lieu of their ‘token’ fighter. Right off the gate, there were issues where they were trying to eff with us and get in our heads. They did not have the right size gloves for a professional fight on the main card, then they gave us no warning time before ushering us to the stage because they already started the music, then they displayed on every television in the venue (as well as on the PPV streams) the incorrect weights to make it seem like my opponent was the one who made the correct weight and I was the unprofessional athlete who missed.
While they had rushed me to the octagon, and showed zero film of the entry to the cage, they allowed my opponent a full 10 minute, choreographed walkout, which was honestly a joke. An opponent who has online proof of racist and anti-semitic tirades, where she spoke about not performing ‘sex scenes’ with Asian or black women because they have ‘ugly features’ or the fact that she dated a literal neo-Nazi for years absolutely infuriated my Jewish self. I have zero tolerance for hatred in my presence and I couldn’t wait to unleash my own form of justice.
The whole ‘media team’ (if they can even be called that, pronounced my name incorrectly about a half a dozen times, even misgendering me, just to try and get in my head. They knew my name as they had said it and spoken to me several times the previous day, and they obviously know I am a woman, but their juvenile bullying tactics overtook any modicum of professionalism they could have hoped to have. What a despicable group of people.
She was clearly outmatched by my onslaught from the get-go. I took her down easily, mounted her, threw some strikes, took her back, and then a scramble took place because I was so eager to continue fighting and make her suffer for her transgressions rather then end it like I should have. In the ensuing scramble, while I was still seated on the ground, she reared back her leg and threw a knee directly to the head of a grounded opponent. My hands were up as I saw it coming, but there was no question that she had done this on purpose to get out of a fight she knew she would be pulverized in and it was ruled a loss on her end due to the illegal knee.
So why in the fuck is the commission now, almost 2 months later, trying to overturn this to a TKO in her favor!? Not even a ‘no-contest’, but a full on loss. The doctor who made the call was directly behind me, and though I pleaded and begged to continue, they would not allow it. There is zero way this can be allowed to take place, or else what integrity does the state of New York have!? Flex Fight Series has been the most disorganized, unprofessional, and corrupt promotion I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. There is clearly money that has changed hands, with people at the top in their back pocket. Especially because this same promotion has undergone several name changes because of fraud and tax evasion and is skirting legalities in order to not get shut down.
The fight game is hard enough as is, with people favoring certain people to try and sabotage others, but this is the most incredulous and disgusting thing I have ever witnessed. The number of employees for Flex Fight Series harassing me and slandering my name online with libelous content is incredible. I dare those weak little baby men to ever step foot with me in the cage and go toe to toe, as it is clear their mouth is doing all the talking that their hands can’t cash.
If you think this is the end of everything, you are mistaken. I can be equally petty, and I will fight this corruption with my dying breath. I would be ashamed to be a New York fighter, and anyone who allows this is a true scumbag of a human. Fight fairly without flouting your money around in order to get your way like a god damn child you despicable, corrupt, lowlife ingrates. Keep crying about your bullshit behavior and things from months in the past and people will see you for what you truly are. I’m gonna keep doing what I do and not sinking to immoral, illegal, and cheating behavior. Pathetic.
