Getting choked out feels a lot better than getting knocked out.
It's hard because the phrase 'woman trapped in a man's body' is thrown around a lot, but that's like shorthand. It's deeper than that. There's so much more to it.
Do you ever wonder what the Amazons would have looked like in real life? I think in MMA, like, you see it - that warrior spirit. You see that determination. You see that heart. You see that bravery.
Media is set up to give information to the people - at least that's what it says. But we all know in the U.S. that media is a capitalistic system, people are getting paid to write things, they have bosses and editors, and they have bosses, and they put pressure on people to write intriguing stories that catch the eye.
I expected that someone was going to out me; you just can't go through life with a microscope on your career without someone delving into your past a little bit.
I looked up the Queen of Swords and I read the meaning. It was a tarot card. The description of the tarot card sounded to me like the description of a certain type of woman: She's strong, she's proud, she's intelligent and all these different things. I was like, that's how I want to be.
MMA is the most dangerous sport there is for a transgender, with all the body contact, I know that.
Winning a pro tournament is another step toward getting fights against higher-ranked opponents.
My role models are every single woman that steps inside of the cage - inside of an octagon, inside a ring, or on a mat - and proves to themselves and to others that they can do what they need to do. Those are my heroes. Those are my sheroes. Those are the people that I look up to.
I'm very good at submissions from the ground. I have good takedowns and good striking, so I'm pretty well-rounded.
I don't believe that a transgender fighter should have to disclose her personal medical history to other female fighters before they fight.
I was looking for a way to lose a little weight and discovered MMA and its disciplines, and I fell in love with it.
I would say to those kids that were like me not to give up.
The testosterone levels of a normal male can be anywhere from 300-1,000 nanograms. For the average female, it's 10-70. Mine is around 7.
Matt Mitrione went well beyond disagreeing with the medical experts who say I should be able to compete as a woman, and personally attacked me as a fighter, as a woman, and as a human being.
I see similarities between Jackie Robinson and myself.
Transgender women especially feel like we have to fit the binary system to a T in order to not be recognized as trans.
Right after I got out of the military, I realized that I wasn't surrounded by men all of the time. I started behaving - and outwardly - how I truly felt inside. And I decided that it would be a good idea if I transitioned.
I like playing video games in my spare time.
But I got into MMA for the sport. I love fighting.
