Ana Julaton's ONE FC debut is apparently inspired by women fighters in the MMA. Dubbed as "The Hurricane," the three-time world boxing champion is set to begin her first fight in her home country, Philippines.
A number of fighters have already transitioned from their respective combat sports, either from boxing to MMA, or vice versa. Ana Julaton's ONE FC stint makes her an addition to that list.
Born and raised in San Francisco, California to Filipino parents, Ana Julaton began practicing Taekwondo at the age of 10. While she did pursue a professional boxing career, as she grew older, she claims that she never forgot about her martial arts roots.
In an interview with Inside Sports, Julaton has expressed her fascination about the insurgence of Women's MMA.
"It was great to see female fighters showcased in MMA. It did inspire me to go back to my martial arts roots," said Ana Julaton on her ONE FC fight.
But like any other boxer who plans to transition into MMA, the process has always been a long and winding road. And while she does have an adept experience using both her hands and feet, "The Hurricane" admits that her experience has been "both fun and tough".
"It requires a lot of time, harnessing strikes and defenses, everyday sparring sessions, evaluating strategy and techniques," she explained.
"I can't tell you how long the process has been but each day feels like a week because so much needs to be done on a daily basis," Ana Julaton added.
The existence and immediate rise of ONE FC as a prominent mixed martial arts Promotion Company has been nothing but beneficial for fighters like Ana Julaton who are looking to jump-start a new combat sports career.
Rightfully so, she has also been grateful for the opportunity given, not only to showcase her talents, but to also do it in front of her countrymen.
"To have an opportunity to fight in ONE FC in front of 1 billion people globally is quite a stage," she added. "I've always wanted to fight a boxing world title fight in the Philippines. This MMA debut feels like that."
