Against All Odds

I've got nothing to prove. I've been through the wash. Ran over by cars. Hit by dudes in the alleys. I have done it all. Nothing was going to stop me from getting this belt. This has been 13 years grinding. And it's finally come to fruition. And it's my time.

As we settle the score with this rollercoaster year 2021 that we're about to say goodbye to and raise our hopes high and build plans for what we expect 2022 to deliver, I see no better moment than this one to share a little story of grind, relentlessness and glory.

Mixed martial arts (MMA), with well over half a billion fans worldwide, is the third most popular sport on the planet. Some may find it violent. Others find thrill and inspiration in it. Although certainly a bit extreme, it requires ultimate courage and the highest of capabilities, both mental and physical.

Ever since MMA moved from the underground battlefields into the mainstream and took over the main stage, no woman has achieved more than Amanda “The Lioness” Nunes. The greatest female mixed martial artist of all time. A dominant champion of two weight classes who ruled for years without any opponent coming even close to dethroning her. Her upcoming contest against Julianna Pe?a, a fighter known only to hard core MMA fans, was supposed to be just another day at the office.

Heading into the match with The Lioness in Las Vegas on December 11th, 2021, Julianna Pe?a was the biggest underdog on the entire fight card of 14 matches. All the odds were against her. Las Vegas bookies gave her almost no chance and for every dollar bet on her, you had an opportunity to win seven. In the weeks leading to the event, press conferences, media reports and vlogs were unilateral. All they paid attention to was the Champ, her family, trainings and rituals. The world was sleeping on Julianna Pe?a. But did she care? Not at all. Every chance she got, she insisted that she is the next world champion. Respectfully and with just the right dose of cockiness, she kept repeating that over and over again, as if it was some untold secret that only she knew and the world was yet to discover.

Jam-packed arena in Las Vegas. The world’s biggest martial arts stage. The Wembley of modern gladiators. Thousands in attendance and millions watching around the world in anticipation of a clash for the ages. The Champion closes first round in a dominant fashion, and nobody expected the fight to last much longer. World’s biggest bookies changed betting odds further up in favor of Nunes. Once again, the world seemed to have written her off… but Juli had other plans. Second round was one of the most exciting rounds in the history of the sport of mixed martial arts. Julianna Pe?a shook the world! Not only did she win, but she did it in such a spectacular fashion that all of us MMA fans were left with mouth wide open. What an upset!

Humble in victory she was. And not surprised at all. Or, in her own words:

Next time the world doubts you, think of Julianna Pe?a. And think of the grind and self-belief that makes the difference between underdogs and favorites. You decide, and the time is now. ?

Happy New Year, Champions! ??