Ring of Fire Champ Michelle Blalock: Intensity Helps Make Up For Late Start

Michelle Blalock

Whether it’s inside the cage or out, if there’s one word that describes female 125-pound fighter Michelle “Bobcat” Blalock it would be “intense.”

As she recently relayed to MMAWeekly.com, “I’m kind of intense as a person anyway, so it makes me an intense fighter.

“Losing is not an option for me. That cage door shuts and I become the machine that I’m trained to become and back it up with my heart, soul, and reason.”

Having originally gotten into MMA through Sambo when she took her daughter to begin martial arts training, Blalock’s intensity is what has helped her win her six previous fights and claim the Ring of Fire Young Guns title in the process.

“It’s good pressure,” she said about being champion. “I think that if you didn’t have that, you wouldn’t have any place to push yourself to go.

“It’s kind of surreal when you’re looking from the inside out. It will kind of hit you that somebody wants to be where I’m at. I think it’s great.”

At Ring of Fire 40 in Broomfield, Colo., on April 16, Blalock will get her opportunity to maintain her position as she faces late replacement Casey Noland, the fourth fighter to be attached to the match-up.

“I think it’s beneficial and helpful to know as much as you can about your opponent, but in truth my gameplan is to be well-rounded,” commented Blalock.

“We’ve changed opponents so many times that I just make sure that my boxing, kickboxing, and wrestling is good. I just walk in there and have no preference; I think that’s more helpful than anything else.”

Michelle Blalock throwing down with Audrey Pang

With the 125-pound women’s division dominated by the likes of Tara LaRosa, Rosi Sexton, and fellow Coloradan Cat Zingano, being in her mid-30’s, Blalock knows she has to move fast if she’s to get a shot at some of those top fighters.

“I have a short window to do this in,” she admitted. “I started late and I’m competing against girls who are 10 years younger than me on average. I don’t have a lot of time.

“It would be great to be challenged and get in the cage with them at some point, but I don’t know if I would set that goal by the end of the year.”

Wanting to get as far along as she can as fast as she can very much reflects the way Blalock is in the cage. She’s intense, relentless, and doesn’t intend on stopping until she achieves her MMA goals.

“I want to say thank you to all the fans for making it possible for us fighters and me to do what we do,” she closed out. “If it wasn’t for them, there wouldn’t be a sport.

“Come check out the show, it’s a great card, and it’s never going to be boring when you come watch the ‘Bobcat’ for sure.”