My TUF 26 Fight Week blog – Roxy vs Nicco for the title

I got a link online to watch the last TUF episode, so I watched it on Monday. It’s always interesting to watch my own fights because I forget half of what happened and how it happened. My fight against Sijara was great, but since I lost, it made me feel really down. I knew I had to snap out of it since I would be fighting Barb that Friday. I tried. I’d been dieting, salt cutting, and water loading. My weight cut was going according to schedule. I got my final massage therapy from Teri and I felt great. In fact, I’ve never felt so great! I was also in great shape. I did my final set of running stairs. I reviewed the game plan with Coach John on mitts lightly. My mind was ready. My emotions were ready.

Wednesday evening, I taught my 4 o’clock kids class, and then started my weight cut by putting on a sauna suit, sweat clothes, doing cardio like jump rope and the bike, and hitting mitts with John. I had stopped eating and drinking at 3 PM that afternoon. It was hard to keep a sweat going in the cool wintertime, so I ended up doing a bath for like 15 minutes at home and losing a pound.

TUF was on that night, so I monitored my social media for people’s replies and actions. People were supportive and kind to me, about my fight, and about the fact that I wouldn’t have the title shot. Finally it was released that I’d fight Barb. Yay.

I planned to get up at 4:30 so Serena and I could go to my teammate Casey’s house. My apartment ran out of hot water quickly, so I needed a house’s bathtub to cut. The hotel rooms that were provided had showers only. WTF That was a big source of stress for me, trying to figure out where I’d cut weight. Eric and Andrew were staying at John’s so I thought there wouldn’t be a tub for me to cut in. Serena’s parent’s house’s water heater JUST broke, so they were out.

I went to bed.

2:30 AM my phone rang. I’d been leaving my phone on because my schedule was erratic and I was scared of missing a USADA drug testing surprise visit. I jolted awake and grabbed my phone. It was an unknown number.

USADA?!?!?!?!?!

Roxy: “…. hello…?

man: Yes, hi this is Mick, the match maker at the UFC.”

Roxy: “…….oh….hi…”

Mick: “Sorry to call at this time (something like this, I was half asleep) but ….. Sijara most likely won’t make weight. Would you like to step in and fight for the title?”

Roxy: “uh…………….. YES!!!!!! Yes!”

Mick: “So you’d have to make 125 on the dot.”

Roxy: “Yes! No problem! I mean, I know I just fought Sijara on the show but I’ll fight her again.”

Mick: “….You’d be fighting Nicco.”

Roxy: “…omg I am half asleep…. of course, Nicco. Great.”

Mick: “Haha don’t worry, I am, too. We still have to get a hold of Dana. We’ll let you know when it’s confirmed.”

Roxy: “Okay! Bye!” *squints at the clock* Omg it’s 2:30.

I was shaking from the adrenaline of being jolted awake. Then I thought, man, there’s no way she’s going to miss weight. This happens every time she fights. She’s gonna cut her hair or something and be fine. Dang it. Oh well.

It took me an hour to go back to sleep, but I got another hour in before I had to wake up to go to Casey’s.



I only did two salt baths instead of my normal four, thanks to cutting out salt earlier in the week!

Thanks Serena and Casey! Captain came to support me but I was already done. Thanks anyway!

124.5 pounds! I texted Mick the photo of my scale reading that weight, and he confirmed that Sijara was out and I was in. “Are you sure? She’s so determined to do it…” I said. “No, she’s in the hospital with kidney failure,” he wrote.



Dang, that’s horrible!! Worrisome! I hoped she was okay, but omg I was fighting for the title!??

It started to sink in. We drove to the Monte Carlo and hung out until weigh ins.

We did the official weigh-ins.



I’m not allowed to wear anything crazy for weigh-ins like I usually do, so I did a pose: the Vulcan Salute.