If you’re one of the many people who’s been following McDojoLife’s quest to put on a sparring match between a female MMA fighter and an internet troll who claims that even a woman trained in martial arts couldn’t beat him in a fight, you’ve probably been riding an intense emotional roller coaster.
For those unacquainted with the story, the short version is this: Kristopher Zylinski commented on a public article that even a trained woman would lose to an untrained man in a fight. McDojoLife took him to task and asked if he was willing to prove it if they offered him a match against a female MMA fighter. He agreed, and 7-0 amateur fighter Anna Dempster was chosen as his opponent. Unfortunately, Dempster suffered an eye injury during training and had to pull out, leading to an urgent call for a replacement fighter. Earlier today, it was revealed that the chosen replacement, Sarah Patterson, also suffered a bad eye injury during training. (Although Patterson doesn’t want the photos shared, we’ve seen a picture of her injury and can confirm that, yes, it’s real.)
This time, McDojoLife was prepared. They had a backup fighter ready, and now, Tara LaRosa is stepping up with just a week of preparation. After the matchup was confirmed, LaRosa had this to say on the official event page on Facebook:
“A friend tagged me in on the search for a replacement and I responded as a joke… welp, I guess **** got real, so here I am! I feel like I should say something like “hey, hold my beer for a second” or “hey y’all, watch this” in my best redneck accent. It fits. I’m part redneck. So, I guess… here we go!
If you don’t know me, I’ve been training in martial arts since 1995. I got into Shotokan karate in hs, and then got involved with Judo in college. I placed 2nd at collegiate nationals in 2001. Shortly after, I started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA (which was referred to as NHB back then).
I had one amateur fight and my mom got scared, and said you’re moving with you’re auntie and uncle in Bel-Aire… wait no, that was Fresh Prince.
So I had an ammy fight Nov 2001, then went pro in April 2002. I’ve been training and fighting ever since.
If you want more, check wiki. Also, I’m on twitch almost every weekday from 2:30-5:30pm, so come in and ask me anything! Follow me on twitter for better interaction, I’m not very good at FB lol
Welp, that’s me! …so, here goes nothin’!”
LaRosa’s comment was accompanied by a Wikipedia article detailing her career and accomplishments. Her current record is 22-5, and she’s an Invicta veteran and appeared on TUF in 2013. She also has an extensive record in jiu-jitsu competition, and 12 of her MMA wins were by submission.
The fight will still be held on Saturday, January 6, and those who can’t attend will still be able to watch the livestream for free on the McDojoLife Facebook page. A GoFundMe is still active, and all funds will go towards paying for costs of the event and as a fight bonus for LaRosa for stepping up to fight.
The post After Second Fighter Suffers Eye Injury, 22-5 MMA Fighter Tara LaRosa Steps Up To Fight Internet Troll appeared first on Jiu-Jitsu Times.