Irene Aldana: Personifying the fighting pride of Mexican MMA

Welcome to our Community
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Feel free to Sign Up today.
Sign up

Drake

Cunning Linguist
Jul 9, 2017
465
615


Being the first to do something is always a special and memorable feat no matter the endeavor. There is an uncountable number of things that someone or something could be first at or first to do. As that’s the case when literally racing someone, it can turn everything else into metaphorical versions of it too.

After a goal or objective is completed for the very first time, history more often than not will end up repeating itself at some point down the line. It just depends on how much. Perhaps it could even do so multiple times before the other beginnings can unfold in their own right.

In MMA, there have been numerous world titleholders that have hailed from locations like the United States of America and Brazil. For the most part, those two countries have completely dominated the sport in terms of having its best and most accomplished combatants. And that’s not to say that there haven’t been champions from elsewhere, because that simply would not be true.

But to take the top of the MMA mountain that most consider the UFC to be, for example, there have been 82 total champions overall in the promotion’s history, that’s including interims and the superfight title from 1995 to 1996. Only 12 of those have been natives from locations that weren’t either the USA or Brazil.

Still being the very young sport compared to others around the world that MMA is, it’s not a big surprise to see two nations being the primary powerhouses for the initial 25 years. And as seen in recent years, more and more fighters from around the world are starting to establish themselves as legitimate contenders to be the inaugural major MMA titleholders in their country’s history.

Just this past weekend, the world of boxing saw history be made in fantastic upset fashion as the heavy betting favorite in reigning British heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua was toppled for the only time in his 23-fight career. Sending him packing in the seventh-round of their bout was Andy Ruiz Jr. who is now the first of his kind as a Mexican American heavyweight boxing champion.

The MMA world has indeed seen several titlists with a Mexican heritage just like Ruiz reach the pinnacle of their sport. Whether it was former champions like Cain Velasquez, Dominick Cruz, and Gilbert Melendez or current UFC flyweight champion, Henry Cejudo… However, there’s never been a champion in the UFC that represents the country to its absolute fullest. But that might not be the case for much longer.

Currently riding a three-fight winning streak and approaching the biggest fight of her career, Irene Aldana is closer than ever to claiming that fundamental label.

Continued (exclusive interview): Irene Aldana: Personifying the fighting pride of Mexican MMA