Sarah J.: From Amateur Rings to Regional Titles

Sarah J. lost her first three amateur bouts. She'll tell you that herself, unprompted, usually right before explaining why it stopped mattering to her.

"I wasn't losing because I wasn't tough enough," she says. "I was losing because I hadn't put in the footwork hours yet. Once that clicked, everything else did too."

Six years and a regional title later, Sarah trains at 5am most mornings before coaching the gym's beginner sessions in the evening — the same sessions she once sat through as the newest fighter in the room.

Read more about her training background on her fighter profile.