Exclusive: Leah Gotti Eyeing MMA After Boxing Win: “I’ve wrestled and fought my whole life”
After a TKO victory in Misfits boxing, Leah Gotti may be looking at taking up MMA next. She defeated model and ring girl Amber Fields by TKO and was unimpressed with the challenge. With boxing experience, plus her collegiate wrestling background, Gotti could be a great fit for MMA.
Leah Gotti in MMA
After her debut victory in boxing, Leah Gotti sat down for an interview with LowKickMMA’s Tim Wheaton on MMA After Dark. Gotti is a lifetime athlete. In college, she competed in football and softball but was a standout in wrestling. In preparation for her boxing match, she moved to Colorado to dedicate herself to training. Whatever she does, she commits herself fully to it. Right now, she is training for a half-marathon.
In an interview, Leah Gotti explained:
They kept asking me questions like, ‘How do you feel about her experience in the combat world?’ The thing is, she has no real experience in combat sports—she’s been a ring girl, and that’s not the same. I’ve wrestled and fought my whole life, and that is real experience in combat sports.”
She continued and explained that whatever she does next, it will be taken with the utmost gravity:
“A lot of different fight promotions have been asking if I’d be interested in fighting. I’m open to trying a different style of fighting if the opportunity arises, but they need to give me time to train properly. I’m not going to just say, ‘Yeah, I’ll take an MMA fight right now.’ No, I need to get back in the gym and practice the basics—single legs, double legs, and all that. I need to get my fundamentals right.
“Training for one sport is one thing, but when you’re competing at this level, you have to be on point. I’ve always been good at learning different mechanics in sports because I’ve played multiple sports, but this level of competition requires meticulous preparation.”
She concluded by saying:
“You need to be able to tap into your anger and aggression. At the beginning of my boxing and wrestling training, I was often timid. It usually took someone slamming me or hitting me hard enough to bring out that aggression. Being able to channel that intensity is crucial for success.”
