Impressed by Ronda Rousey, judoka Sara Collins loving life in MMA earlier than first Bellator headliner

Sara Collins sat and watched the fights at Etihad Enviornment, although she couldn’t actually see them straight and needed to watch on the big hanging screens as a substitute.

On the evening of Nov. 14, 2015 (or the day of Nov. 15 in Australia), Collins watched UFC 193 play out, seated among the many 56,213 others in attendance.

Collins was strictly a judoka on the time. She hadn’t skilled in any respect for her MMA profession. She was in attendance to help teammate (and future MMA coach) Daniel Kelly, who defeated Steve Montgomery on the occasion’s undercard in Melbourne.

Kelly wasn’t the one judoka on the cardboard, after all. Ronda Rousey headlined the occasion and was knocked out by Holly Holm in some of the legendary moments in UFC historical past.

“I simply keep in mind I used to be only a actually massive fan of Ronda,” Collins not too long ago advised MMA Junkie Radio. “She used our fitness center to coach at main as much as that struggle, so I used to be simply actually heartbroken for her when she misplaced, extra so.”

Regardless of seeing a hero fall, Collins was additional impressed to take up MMA. A practitioner since age seven, Collins competed internationally in judo however by no means fairly reached the purpose of medaling. Accidents made her journey bump and in the end pushed her down the MMA path in full pressure.

“I’ve had three surgical procedures on my knee and a snapped Achilles that I needed to have surgically repaired,” Collins mentioned. “All of them include lengthy rehab instances. They most likely have slowed down my profession, however I’m nonetheless strolling. So so long as I can stroll, I can struggle.”

Since her skilled debut in 2019, Collins has but to lose – although solely competing 5 instances in these 5 years. Now 34, her constant success has landed her a significant promotional headliner as Collins (5-0) fights Leah McCourt (8-3) within the Bellator Champions Series essential occasion Saturday at OVO Wembley Enviornment in London.

“I really feel like I’m extra skilled than my file exhibits simply because I haven’t had the chance to struggle greater than yearly, which is nothing,” Collins mentioned. “I’m prepared. I’ve completed a variety of work, particularly within the final two years, to spherical out my sport. I hope that exhibits on this subsequent struggle.”

Collins is coming off consecutive wins over veterans Sinead Kavanagh and Pam Sorenson. Regardless of her late entry into MMA, Collins is discovering success – very similar to her coach Kelly did a few years in the past. Kelly debuted within the UFC at age 37, but went 6-4 within the promotion with wins over the likes of Rashad Evans and Antonio Carlos Junior, amongst others.

“He had 10 fights within the UFC,” Collins mentioned. “He began as a judoka after which went into MMA fairly late in his profession. I really feel like as a result of he’s my essential coach, he’s attempting to get me to do what he did and get the judo working in MMA fights like he did. That’s most likely the fighter I attempt to imitate probably the most.”

The Bellator model’s future is unsure following the PFL’s acquisition of the promotion. McCourt was penciled in to struggle ladies’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg previous to the acquisition and subsequent “tremendous struggle” reserving vs. multitime PFL champion Larissa Pacheco.

A method or one other, a win over McCourt will push Collins’ inventory as much as new ranges.

“I haven’t been advised something to date about my subsequent struggle, so full focus is on this struggle,” Collins mentioned. “No matter occurs, we’ll take care of the following struggle after this one. … I’d like to struggle once more earlier than the yr is completed, simply so I can get two fights on this yr. If that is towards the winner of Cris and Larissa, I’m glad to struggle one in all them. I believe it’s superior. However any struggle earlier than the top of the yr after this one could be good as nicely.