BEC RAWLINGS
Rawlings, it’s about the feeling they get
when they step into battle. And it’s the
feeling they get when they have their
ability to fight taken away from them,
even if it is only momentarily.
At UFC Fight Night 85, Rawlings gets
to relive the feeling of battle once again.
And it’s a feeling she plans to make the
most of.
“I can’t wait to get in there,” says
Rawlings. “I’ve been going stir-crazy
just being on the sidelines, so I’m pretty
excited just to get back in there and do
what I love the most. It’s a whole lot
of mixed emotions — it sucks being an
athlete and having to sit back and watch
others do what I love but I’m itching to
get back in there.”
For her anticipated return to the UFC’s
Octagon, Rawlings has drawn 22-fight
veteran Seo Hee Ham. The pair were
originally slated to meet at UFC Fight
Night 65; however, due to injury, Ham
was forced to withdraw from the event.
Rawlings went on to defeat Lisa Ellis in
the first round of their bout and now, it’s
a case of deja-vu for the Australian.
“It’s a great matchup,” Rawlings
said. “I was excited about our matchup
the first time we got matched. I was
bummed when she pulled out with
an injury. It’s cool we got rematched
and we get to go in there. She’s a
great fighter, she’s exciting and people
love to watch her fight. The UFC
obviously want that fight because
they’ve rebooked it [laughs]. Really, it
doesn’t matter who’s in front of me.
The same thing still runs through my
head — I’ve gotta stop you, I’ve gotta
win, I’ve gotta beat your arse before
you beat mine. It doesn’t really change
anything in my mind.”
UFC Fight Night 85 will mark
just the second time that Rawlings
will have fought in Australia over
the course of three-and-a-half years.
Fighting abroad has its novelties, but
for any fighter, there really is nothing
like being able to go to war in their
own backyard. Rawlings knows exactly
what it means for her, and there’s a lot
that she has to look forward to for her
bout on March 20.34 | FIGHT AUSTRALIA fightaustralia.com.au