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What started as a dream shared by a father and daughter turned into a career for Miranda Maverick, the UFC fighter from Buffalo is climbing the world rankings.
“A professional athlete was never something I thought I’d be,” Miranda Maverick said.
Buffalo native Miranda Maverick began fighting at 17 years old.
“Once I began jiu-jitsu, within two weeks I was hooked. I started fighting soon after I turned 18,” said Maverick.
Miranda still says wrestling wasn’t her base for her MMA career, but she did use wrestling to train in high school and during her undergrad at Drury.
“In high school I was the only female on the wrestling team then college hit and I was the only girl on that wrestling team. I don’t think that’s even an oddity in the sport and luckily more and more girls are becoming involved in,” Maverick said.
More girls including her little sister because it seems to run in the family.
“Actually my sister placed second state this year on the Buffalo wrestling team. So she did really good. My brother and sister are the team captains of the women’s and men’s, respectively. So it has been really exciting to see her get that opportunity that I didn’t have,” Maverick said.
Miranda is now 24 years old and ranked 13th in the world in the UFC women’s flyweight rankings.
“Yeah, that was the ultimate goal was to get to the UFC, then it was to become ranked, and then when both those things happened, to become world champion,” Maverick said.
And she’s ready to take down anybody who stands in the way of that dream.
“I step into the cage, kind of, I guess hating the other person, whether I actually do or not. I might really respect them, really like them, but I blame them for every pound I’ve had to lose, for every bit of training and soreness I went through. I just see it as that person’s fault,” said Maverick.
There’s no clear path or bracket to reaching that dream of becoming a world champion.
“Really, if they wanted to I could win the next fight and then be fighting for the title, but I would guess in another year or so three or four fights possibly down the road, I will get to fight for that title,” said Maverick.
And while she’s achieved a lot, she’s also learned a lot in her fighting career.
“It also teaches you a little bit of humbleness in my opinion, everybody should be punched in the face so one, they know that they’re not made a rock, but also so that they know they aren’t the biggest baddest person in the world,” Maverick said.
Miranda Maverick’s next fight is July 24th.
O-ZONE STORY ON MAVERICK FROM 2016 WHEN SHE WAS AT DRURY
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