Can’t Keep a ‘Happy Warrior’ Down for Long
The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-views has changed: UFC 246 is only available on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Roxanne Modafferi’s July loss to Jennifer Maia was a difficult pill to swallow. Not only was it the second time she was beaten by the Brazilian, but Maia also missed the flyweight non-title limit by three-pounds. UFC 246, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, will be a chance for “The Happy Warrior” to move past what she admits was one of the most frustrating setbacks of her career.
On four different occasions in her career, Modafferi, 37, has had opponents miss weight, Maia being the most recent. For the Syndicate MMA fighter, this time stings more the usual because she does wonder if it had an effect on the fight. Especially since Modafferi could not score a single takedown in 18 attempts against Maia (via UFC). A notable departure from her April bout against Antonina Shevchenko, where she landed 10 of 12 takedown attempts.
“Who knows how much the weight loss played into the fight. I can’t say, ‘Oh, I lost because she missed weight.’ That sounds crappy. [But] it just gives me that factor of, I’ll never know how that fight would have gone if she made weight. It’s super annoying. I’m like legitimately angry about it. I don’t get angry very often.”
Along with talking about her loss to Maia and trying to turn a negative into a positive, Modafferi spoke on her upcoming bout against fast-rising flyweight sensation Maycee Barber, specifically if the hype around the 21-year-old is legit and if her 31-fight experience advantage can play a role. The conversation also included if missing weight has become acceptable in the sport, ideas for stricter penalties to curb the problem, how she maintains her happy demeanor after disappointments and much more.
