This weekend, Lexie and I went to a big ugly Cagemaster’s Cage Fighting event. There were more than a dozen amateur fights on the card and I couldn’t have been happier. I know that’s odd, actually weird. I’m over the age of 40, I have my masters degree, I write thank you notes, was a debutante and have four children. But I love fights, boxing, martial arts, kickboxing and now cage fighting.
The crowd is full of twentyfive year- olds with tattoos. I don’t match them but I know more and appreciate the fighters. I can’t find a single friend my age who wants to go to a cage fight with me .What’s wrong with me?
I can trace my love of boxing back to my childhood. First I met Ali when I was seven or eight. And while I was growing up my dad and I watched the heavy weight bouts on ABC on Friday nights. Howard Cosell was the announcer and the championship fights were something everybody watched and talked about. That was quality time I spent with my dad, so I took boxing very seriously as a little girl.
Thirteen years ago I took up Taekwondo and that involves a lot of sparring or fighting, especially in our school. I learned things. Then, along came cage fighting and it has become a part of even the most traditional Martial Arts programs. Though most cage fighters have minimal training compared to martial artists.
I love movies about fighters, I generally hate movies with guns. It’s the art, heart and passion of a fight I love so. Gun fights are soul-less.
A few of the great moments at the cage fights were note worthy.
Pastor Greg, a cool young minister said the prayer before the fights started. He said, “And remember Jesus never tapped out.”
Second great moment. There were a half dozen super skinny hippsters sitting behind us, complete with fat black geek glasses, funny wool hats, button down plaid shirts and I Phones. They looked like perfect high teck dweebs but they were yelling ,”Kill him, smash his face in.” They should have been hanging out in an expensive coffee shop, not the cage fights.
A friend of ours who is one of the highest ranked female boxers in the country, Kim Conner Hamby was a judge. Sometimes Kim comes to our TKD schools and works with us in boxing. I swear, this125 
pound woman hits like Joe Frazier in 1972, but faster. Holding the pads for her wrecks my shoulders for a week. Every time I see Kim she’s sweaty in baggy shorts and a sports bra, but at the fights she looked beautiful. Lex and I heard guys talking about how hot she was. Kim “Hot Girl” Hamby.
And finally, a very young fighter walked in as his theme song blasted, “Eye Of The Tiger” from Rocky III. It was so cliche. The boy was young and soft looking, with a single tattoo of Snoopy on his shoulder. Seriously, Snoopy? The match up was almost sad and we immediately assumed he didn’t have a chance. Then his opponent came out to Eminem’s I’m Not Afraid. He had a black hoodie covering his face. When he peeled it off we saw he was covered with scary looking tatts. It wasn’t looking good for Snoopy. But half way through the first round Snoopy hit Eminem with an uppercut, then a big muay thai kick. The punk went down on his knees and Snoopy managed a rear naked choke. Eye of the Tiger, Baby, Eye of the Tiger.
I love the combat, the passion and the spectacle. It’s good stuff. Just remember, always keep your hands up and sometimes Snoopy wins.