6 months ago
It's a sport dominated by men, but a few women from the International City are literally kicking and screaming their way in.
Three female students from Force One Kickboxing Studios in Warner Robins have entered into an Extreme Fight Night competition in Augusta this weekend.
It started out as venture to increase personal fitness for the three young ladies, but it has now evolved into serious training.
They're preparing for a fight on a male-dominated card with 12 total contests this weekend in Augusta, including some MMA-style fights in a caged octagon, all on Pay-Per-View.
"I guess you can say I have been fighting my whole life. I have two brothers, and they kind of have beat me all my life, so, good training," said Erica Taylor.
"You can only work out so much in front of a mirror or a bag," said Jenny Grabowski. "Actually getting in the ring against somebody and seeing how well you can put it together and stay calm and fight."
The ladies will fight in the upright kickboxing style, which involves punching, kicking, knees, and a tremendous amount of endurance and strength.
"It's a good stress reliever. You can't come in here and have a punch coming at your face and be thinking about the bad day you had. So it's a relief from the day and a way for you to come in and get that energy out." said Grabowski.
"We're not tap, tap, we're full contact. We hit hard. Hit harder than the guys sometimes. You just never know what to expect," said Taylor.
The three ladies have been training for months to get ready for the big day.
For Taylor, it's not her first fight time in the ring, but for Grabowski and Chrizelda Crowell, this match will be their fighting debut. One they say are prepared for physically. It's the mental part that's a bit more challenging.
"A lot of the tension and nervous energy comes from you wanting to get in there and of course you never really know what to expect," said Taylor.
"I think about it every night before I go to bed. 'What do I need to do for this fight? Should I do this? Oh my God!' But I'm excited and ready to get it over with," said Crowell.
She plans to fight with one goal in mind, "I hope I can mess her up," she said laughing, "not me getting messed up."
The girls say they're excited about the chance to show off their skills.
"It's the opportunity that a lot of people don't have. To get into the cage and fight and see what its all about, so I'm looking forward to the challenge," said Grabowski.
The ladies travel to Augusta to participate in a night of mixed martial arts and kickboxing in the cage on Saturday at the Bell Auditorium. The bouts begin at 8 pm.
