Settling into Pro Ranks, Kyra Batari More than Ready for RFA 15

Following a successful amateur career in which she won multiple titles, women’s 115-pound fighter Kyra “Mogwai” Batara made her pro debut at BAMMA USA: Badbeat 12 this past March.

According to Batara, she’d accomplished everything she could as an amateur, so turning pro this year was the logical step.

“Going into the fight with Misha (Nassiri), I was very excited making my pro debut,” said Batara. “After getting both Tuff-N-Uff titles, I felt it was time to go pro.

“When I got that first-round submission (against Nassiri), it was the greatest feeling in the world.”

Regardless of whether it was a pro or amateur fight, Batara told MMAWeekly.com that she’s approached each fight the same.

“I’ve treated every match like I’m going against the best in the world,” she said. “I’m not going to get big-headed out there or think that I’m better than anybody else – every match is important to me – I don’t care what stage it’s on.

“It made a difference because it was my pro debut, but now getting ready for fight camps is going to all be the same.”

While her view on each fight might not alter, Batara (1-0) has made alterations in her training and should be a steadier fighter on her feet when she returns to action this Friday at RFA 15 in Culver City, Calif., against Rosa Acevedo (1-1).

“I’ve been working on my stand-up a lot more and have switched up my workout routines,” said Batara. “I feel like working that has improved my hands tremendously.

“I’ve upped my workouts and feel really strong. I feel throughout the past few months I’ve taken things a bit more seriously now that I’m a professional and have been dialing things in.”

When it comes to facing Acevedo, Batara was initially hesitant because of a perceived weight difference, but now feels that the two should match up with each other well.

“I had seen that she had fought at 120 pounds, so I was a little nervous about the weight, but I’ve heard that she’s a natural 115-pounder and was asked to go up in weight for that fight, so I’m not worried about it,” said Batara of Acevedo. “She’s a very tough opponent, so it’s going to be a very good fight.”

Looking forward, Batara intends on staying active in MMA this year while continuing her growth as a fighter.

“I would like to get in two more fights before the end of the year, but there’s no ultimate goal because I’m still so fresh in my fight career,” she said. “Right now I’m just going fight-by-fight, though I would like to get on the RFA card in August.

“I just want to keep on training hard and get as much mat time as I can.”