MMARising.com: Despite the loss to Sara, you became a member of the EliteXC roster and got to compete in what was arguably the biggest women’s bout in North America (at the time) when you took on Gina Carano at EliteXC: “Primetime” in front of millions of people on CBS. Going into that fight, what were your thoughts and how much pressure was put on you to perform well?

Kaitlin: I feel like the most pressure to perform came from me. I felt good about the fight beforehand, but I think that I didn’t perform to the best of my ability. I’m not really sure why, but I just don’t think I was in the right place mentally for that fight.

MMARising.com: Did you find that the high-profile nature of the fight, broadcasted live on network television, had a significant effect on you or were you simply concerned with Gina and nothing else?

Kaitlin: I was concerned with the fight, but I think there were more distractions than I had ever experienced. I had finals two weeks before the fight, a LOT more interviews and media time, and I had to travel out to California for the weekend for a promotional shoot. I think that all of these things interfered with my training to some extent. If I could do it over again, I would have been a little more stingy with my time.

Once I was actually in the cage, I didn’t care about anything but the fight. I didn’t notice the cameras or think about the millions of people that were watching through them. I hardly noticed the crowd. I was only thinking of fighting.

MMARising.com: That fight, which was an all-out war that disappointed no one, was stopped by the doctor after the second round due to swelling around your eye. Did you agree with the stoppage at the time or did you feel that you could have persevered and potentially even won the fight in round three?

Kaitlin: I don’t think that I would have won the fight if it had continued, as Gina was dominating, but I was far from finished.

It is very frustrating to me that the doctor claimed to have stopped the fight because of a supposed “orbital fracture” and then proceeded to issue me only a 30 day suspension (standard suspension for an orbital fracture is 6 months – unless cleared by a doctor). I think she knew that I did not have a broken eye socket. You don’t stop a fight because of a black eye.

MMARising.com: After the fight with Gina, you were set to face undefeated Canadian standout Sarah Kaufman at an EliteXC event in November, but the promotion folded after its October event and you, along with the rest of the roster, were left without a place to compete. How frustrating was it to not only have the fight with Sarah taken away – which no doubt would have been an amazing battle – but also to suddenly be left out in the cold entirely?

Kaitlin: It has been an odd year! I was so excited to get that fight and “redeem” myself after my last fight, but then it fell through. On top of the disappointment, I had dropped nearly all of my hours at work so that I could just go to school and train for that fight. Once the fight was cancelled, I found myself in a bit of a financial predicament.

MMARising.com: Rather than sit around and wait for an opportunity to come along, or compete in smaller shows in the interim, you opted to finish your schooling at the University of Minnesota instead, where you were majoring in Kinesiology. Having commented numerous times that you are aware that you cannot compete in MMA forever, do you feel that your education will be a significant asset in your life in the years ahead?

Kaitlin: I had about a semester and a half worth of full-time school left, so I decided to take a 20 credit semester followed by a 3 credit/3 week class and just get it done. I trained during that time, but didn’t think I would be able to have a successful fight camp with that sort of schedule.

I love fighting, but it is not a dependable source of income. It has already made my life much less stressful now that I have finished college and have a good job. They have been very understanding of my training, and I am able to carry health insurance through them – which is wonderful when you spend a lot of time sparring and grappling.

In addition to providing me with a career, my classes at the University of Minnesota also gave me a lot to think about in my own training, nutrition, etc.

MMARising.com: You’ve also been working as the strength and conditioning coach at a non-profit girls’ volleyball club near your home. Do many of your students know that you compete in mixed martial arts or do you focus strictly on volleyball while you are there?

Kaitlin: I don’t think any of them know. I would talk to them about it if they were to ask, but usually we are just focused on the girls’ strength training. Some of them have asked about my athletic background, and I tell them that I have competed in martial arts. I’m sure they will figure it out soon enough.