Transgender MMA Fighters – Get to Know Them
Sports and transgenderism together have cultivated heaps of discussions and discourses. In this article, we’re not going to talk about those issues. We’ve created this to introduce you to transgender MMA fighters and their career achievements.
What is MMA?
MMA stands for Mixed Martial Arts. Other people refer to it as cage fighting, ultimate fighting, and no-holds-barred (NHB) fighting. Its first term before the formality was Vale Tudo and it originates in Brazil.
Along with grappling, striking, and ground fighting, some elements from the world’s combat styles can also be seen in this sport. The most popular element often used by the fighters is the Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Millions of people watch UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), the most famous and prestigious MMA competition in the world. It has cultivated many household names such as Georges St-Pierre, Ronda Rousey, and Conor McGregor.
Fallon Fox
She is the most popular transgender MMA fighter, not only because of the controversies that surrounded her career but because of her successful experience as a fighter.
Beginnings
Born on November 29, 1975, in Toledo, Ohio, USA, she remembers growing up with struggles about her gender identity. When she was a teenager, she didn’t know what transgenderism was and identified as a gay man.
But when she knew the correct term for her gender identity when she was 17, she still went on as a heterosexual male. She married a woman and had a daughter with her at the age of 19 before joining the US Navy.
In the navy, she was an operations specialist on the USS Enterprise. She left the navy and eventually went on to pursue college at the University of Toledo. However, because of the stress brought upon by her then-unresolved gender dysphoria, she quit school.
Transition
After quitting university, she moved to Chicago with her daughter and got a job as a truck driver. After having enough money saved, she went to Bangkok, Thailand, and underwent several feminizing surgeries.
- Gender Reassignment Surgery (GRS)
- Breast Augmentation
- Hair Transplant
Her Fighting Style
Fox started her jiu jitsu training in 2008. She initially did so to get back in shape and to learn how to defend herself as a woman. As she trained, she started feeling empowered—along with finding a passion for Mixed Martial Arts.
After jiu jitsu, she proceeded by studying Muay Thai. As she was training, she also competed in amateur Submission Fighting Tournaments and MMA competitions. She also uses wrestling techniques in her fights at UFC.
Staying and Retiring on MMA
She isn’t active in MMA anymore due to injuries that she suffered as a professional fighter. When asked about what inspired her to stay amidst the character lambasting she received, she shared during an Outsports interview:
What drove me to want to stay in the sport was my whole goal for becoming an MMA fighter, and that was to be like my heroes, some of the cisgender women in MMA I watched from 2006 on. That’s where I belonged. That’s who I was, and I wasn’t going to let anyone stop me from being that
And when people were privy as to why she retired, she clarified by sharing,
I would have kept going but the injuries were the biggest reason—Some people suspected it was the UFC not letting me in, but that wasn’t the ultimate goal. Some people would ask if I wanted to fight in the UFC, and yeah, I would have taken that opportunity. But even without that I would have just kept fighting.
Memorable Fights
She started her career strongly in MMA in the women’s division. She was able to defeat Allanna Jones, Ericka Newsome, and Elisha Helsper in her first three consecutive fights. However, her streak was over when seasoned fighter Ashlee Evans-Smith defeated her in 2015.
Alana McLaughlin
Currently, Alana is the only active transgender professional MMA fighter after Fallon Fox retired. Just like Fox, she received a lot of criticism when she debuted as an MMA fighter.
Beginnings
She was born on June 26, 1983, in Danville, Illinois, USA. Growing up in a conservative family in West Columbia, South Carolina, she experienced oppression at a very young age. When she was a child, her parents sent her to conversion therapy to make her more masculine.
Along with the control of her gender, her parents also controlled her social life. She wasn’t allowed to play sports until reaching junior high. As an impressive athlete who joined a cross-country team, she received a scholarship at Newberry College.
When she transferred to Winthrop University, her mother told her that she’d rather have a son who died from war instead of someone who’d transformed into a woman.
Transition
At the age of 20, she joined the U.S. Army Special Forces. She was deployed as a medical sergeant in Afghanistan and was part of a 12-person unit. Six years later, she didn’t re-enlist herself. In 2015, she got her fine arts degree at UNC-Asheville.
In 2016, she grabbed the chance to get her gender-reassignment surgery performed in Bangkok, Thailand. When she returned to the US after her surgery, she got a job behind a meat counter at a grocery store.
Her Fighting Style
Just like Fallon Fox, she started gaining interest in MMA to protect herself. During an interview with The Guardian, she shared,
My whole life I was a runt, I was undersized, I was bullied, I was raped, I was beaten, like I did not have an easy time—the story of my life has been trying to physically resist people that were larger and stronger and more skilled than me.
Her training was done with MMA Masters in Florida which is a gym that specializes in MMA. She is best known for her techniques in wrestling and her first professional win was made possible by a rear-naked choke in a fight against Celine Provost.
Memorable Fights
Currently, her record is 1-0-0 and she’s just starting her career as an MMA transgender fighter.
Do you know any amateur transgender MMA fighters and do you want them to be featured in this article? Join the conversation by commenting below.
