MMARising.com: If you had the chance to face Elena again in one year’s time, what would you do differently in terms of preparation and game plan for that fight?
Michelle: There are a lot of things that I would have done differently, but I think that it would be wisest to keep those thoughts between myself and my coaches for now because I’m sure that Elena and I will meet in the ring again!
MMARising.com: At long last, women’s MMA is finally beginning to receive some of the attention that it deserves, with major stars such as Gina Carano attracting new fans and exposure from the media. What do you feel the coming year holds in store for the women’s division of mixed martial arts?
Michelle: I foresee them opening a women’s division in the WEC, but for sure I see Strikeforce becoming even more popular and showcasing females, as they have been already. People are going to start realizing that female fighters have a lot to bring to the table!!!
MMARising.com: Here in North America, Strikeforce has taken over as the new leader in women’s MMA, and currently has an impressive roster that includes the likes of Carano, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, Sarah Kaufman and Shayna Baszler, among others. If the opportunity arose to fight for Strikeforce, which fighters would you like to face and what weight class would best suit you? Is the 115-pound class still ideal?
Michelle: I would love to fight for Strikeforce and be among that list of names. There is no particular fighter that I am gunning for right now. I normally fight at 115 lbs., but Coach Jackson would like me to fight at 105 lbs.
MMARising.com: Newer fans to the sport may not be aware that women’s MMA has been very popular in Japan for quite some time. The former SmackGIRL promotion, which ceased operations last year, held an incredible 66 events between 2001 and 2008 and featured nearly every top female fighter in the world at one time or another. If given the chance, would you like to compete for one of the new all-female promotions in Japan (Valkyrie and Jewels) or for another top promotion such as DEEP?
Michelle: It’s always been a dream of mine to fight in Japan. If the opportunity came up, I would definitely be the first to say HELL YEAH! Plus the girls over there are my size!
MMARising.com: One major difference between women’s MMA in North America and that of Japan is that there are very few skilled female strikers in Japanese mixed martial arts and nearly all fights end by submission or decision. Former DEEP Lightweight (106-Pound) Champion Hisae Watanabe was a rare exception to this, but she retired in early 2008. With your superior striking and well-rounded abilities, do you feel that you could one day hold a major title in Japan?
Michelle: As long as I continue to train hard and keep learning, there is only one direction that I can head; that’s up, right to the top! Every day presents a new challenge and that’s what excites me about the sport. I want to compete with the best. Coaches Jackson and Winkeljohn are the ones that will tell me when I’m ready for that.
MMARising.com: If you had the opportunity to compete against any female fighter in the world, regardless of weight class, who would it be and why? Perhaps a battle with #1-ranked female fighter Megumi Fujii?
Michelle: Megumi Fujii has always been a goal of mine because she is incredibly talented and has been an MMA icon for as long as I can remember. She is highly skilled and respected. I would one day love to be put in the same category as her, and hopefully one day we will meet in the ring.