On October 28th at Bellator 34, something happened that had never taken place before: Megumi Fujii competed in a mixed martial arts bout and her hand was not raised in victory at its conclusion. Fujii was upset by Zoila Frausto, who became Bellator 115-Pound Women’s Champion.

One week after suffering her first loss in 23 career bouts, Fujii has spoken out about the fight and her future. The long-time pound-for-pound queen, who has also trained some of the sport’s best female fighters, believes that the loss has given her a strength that she was missing before the fight.

This posting was translated in its entirety by Roxanne Modafferi from the original entry here.

“I learn a lot from my teacher. And this time, we had a long talk after I got back from the States. Thank you so much, teacher.

There’s a lot that I’m lacking. Of course, in life, and also as a fighter. There’s a lot.

In order to get stronger, the most important thing one needs…that’s to lose. I’ve lost many times in other combat sports, but in MMA I’ve never lost. It’s a loss, true, but those aren’t the same kind of losses. In life, after failures or setbacks or sadness, a great strength and kindness is born.

And now, with this loss…I believe that I’ve received something which I was missing. I think absolutely everyone must experience something like this. So therefore, gratefully, I’ll take it and keep on going with my life. If we think like this, we can overcome.

I say this a lot. However, even with this result, nothing changed with people. But now it’s because of this that I’ve been able to relax and take it easy. Shapeless; I feel that I’m enveloped in warmth. The gloomy feelings from the fight are over.

Thank you so much for reading all this.”

In previous blog entries, Fujii stated that she felt that she had won the tournament final against Frausto but did not believe that complaining would help. As fans continue to debate the fight’s outcome, with many feeling that Fujii had deserved the victory, the diminutive Japanese star is now at peace with the decision and has shifted her focus from the past to the future; to getting better and stronger.

Fujii’s contributions to the sport extend well beyond her fights inside the ring. She is responsible for training some of the top female fighters in Japan at the Abe Ani Combat Club. Among them are former Smackgirl Middleweight Champion and current Strikeforce contender Hitomi Akano, reigning Valkyrie Flyweight Champion Yasuko Tamada and unbeaten Jewels prospect Ayaka Hamasaki.

While many fans in North America were not familiar with Fujii’s career or skills prior to her Bellator debut in June, she won over the viewing audience with a trio of impressive victories. Though she was defeated in the tournament final, Fujii’s legacy and impact on the sport of MMA, especially in Japan, are both invaluable and undeniable.