Published: April 10, 2008 05:04 pm         

Female ISU student participating in MMA events

TERRE HAUTE — Two women stand locked inside a metal cage, each facing her intimidating opponent, with no way to escape. Almost anything goes while these two fighters spar, strategize and attempt to find the other’s weakness. Minutes seem like hours as each round passes, leaving fighters bloody, sweaty and even teary.

On Feb. 16, Ashley Yoder, a sophomore criminology major at ISU who lives in Mitchell, voluntarily entered a cage to face what could have been the beating of her life. As part of a mixed martial arts competition, hers was not merely the first fight of the day.

“This was my first fight” ever, Yoder said. “It is really hard to find fights since female cage fighting isn’t a very big sport, yet.”

Yoder, who manages a city pool during the summer, got into cage fighting after one of her employees – who has fought for more than two years – invited her to a workout.

“I really started taking it serious and thought this could be something different,” Yoder said, and now “I have been training for nine months.”

Yoder is a level-three fighter who says not many local women can match her fitness level.

“I work out with 15 guys every week,” Yoder said. “We do technique, lift and … cardio. If you could see some of the exercises they have us do, you wouldn’t want to start training.”

Mixed martial arts is a full contact sport in which a wide variety of fighting techniques are used. The techniques used in mixed martial arts competition generally fall into two categories: striking techniques including kicks and punches; and grappling techniques including clinch holds, sweeps, takedowns and throws. Organizers first began putting together tournaments in the early 1990s, and the sport has continued to gain popularity throughout the Midwest with monthly matches drawing hundreds of fans.

Ultimate Fight Championship, the International Fight League and PRIDE are among the most popular mixed martial arts franchises.

Even with this increase in popularity, there aren’t a large number of women competing in the Midwest.

Teresa Ortega, owner of Kamikaze Karate in Terre Haute and a former martial arts competitor, says the sport of mixed martial arts continues to evolve. It’s not a sport that generally appeals to women, she said, because it requires serious commitment and is so physically demanding. Competitors may come out of the cage with numerous injuries, looking as though they were in a car wreck.

“Many people believe that female mixed martial arts fighters are about where the men were in the mid-’90s,” Ortega said, “… still trying to find their place in the sport, and still refining techniques.”

Another obstacle for female mixed martial arts fighters is that men are unwilling to seriously accept or include women in the competition, Ortega said.

“Dana White, president of Ultimate Fight Championship, has said that he will not have women on UFC cards. There’s a lot of controversy about it right now,” Ortega said.

Even with the controversy surrounding the sport, Yoder has no plans to back down. She’s even considering the possibility of turning cage fighting into a career.

“Of course I have a love for it,” Yoder said. “They tell you that your first fight in the cage will let you know if you were meant for it, and I am.”

Yoder’s first fight went three rounds – each three minutes in length – and ended with a split decision from the judges. Her opponent won by one point, Yoder said.

“I have confirmed I will fight her again, but as of right now, she says no,” Yoder said.

Yoder continues to train and plans to fight in Iowa in May. She believes her hard work of the last several months will pay off in the Iowa cage.

“It’s not a team going together and depending on each other. It’s you and your two corners,” she said. “Hopefully, you will see me on TV with a title belt.”

Educational News Service is a wire service of the Indiana State University Communication Department that provides student-written stories to news organizations.