Alex Chambers is on her way to a full recovery following a devastating knee injury that has seen her sidelined since September last year.
The Aussie, who now spends most of her time in Florida training with world renowned American Top Team, is adamant she will be back inside the Octagon before 2016 is over and with a fight card plannedย for down under later in the year, the timing couldnโt be more perfect.
โThings are feeling good. I havenโt started sparring yet but Iโm definitely targeting a return to the Octagon before the end of the year. So, Iโm just taking it a day at a time, rehabbing it hard and weโll see how we go from there,โ Chambers told Fight News Australia.
Chambers is no stranger to injuries though, having been through a knee reconstruction before, butย has managed to maintain a positive attitude despite the setback.
โA lot of it is mental and building the confidence back up. Thatโs definitely a big part of coming back from a knee reconstruction. Iโve been through it before, and a lot of other injuries, throughout my career. Itโs just about focusing on what I can do and focusing on the positives day by day โ realisingย how far Iโve come from the day it happened and what I can do now. It helps looking at it like that and just wanting to get back into the sport I love. That is motivating enough.โ
Since Chambers made her professional MMA debut she has amassed aย record ofย 5-3 fighting for promotions like BRACE, Invicta and now the UFC. Her victory over Kailin Curran is the stuff of legends, posting one of the best come-back wins of 2015.
Chambers is one of thirty three rostered fighters that makes up the strawweight division; a division that boasts some of the UFCโs best talent making it highly competitive and exciting to boot.ย Itโs champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, is a lethal weapon on the feet and has defended theย belt twice since beating Carla Esparza for the title in March of last year. The talent nipping at her heels is deep but at the top of the heap is Claudia Gadelha โ a woman that took Jedrzejczyk the distance and lost in a controversial split decision.
โThe strawweight division is an exciting division. Itโs a very dynamic division and thereโs been a lot of changes in the last six months. Itโs one of the most talent-rich divisions in the UFC. Itโs also one of the most competitive so it makes me feel very privledgedย to be apart of it. What do I see happening? Will there be a new champ? Iโm excited about this rematch between the champ Joanna and Claudia. They both have evolved as fighters since they last fought just over a year ago now. To be honest with you, itโs tough to pick a winner, weโll see,โ Chambers said.
โI think there are a lot of people that want to see the rematch. Whoโs next in line? Itโs pretty tough to pick the next in line in a division where everyone is really only one fight away. I think the UFCโs probably going to make that call after they see the result from the rematch. Rose has been doing really well. Carla just had a great comeback. So weโll see. Anything can happen in this division.โ
The second womenโs title up for grabs during International Fight Week is for the bantamweight strap and Chambers has no doubt that teammate Amanda Nunes is going to bring it against current champion Miesha Tate.
โI think itโs going to be an exciting fight. Youโve seen Amandaโs record and what sheโs done. Sheโs a killer. She has that finishing instinct and goes for it and that is what makes her an exciting fighter. Her mindset is so sharp right now, sheโs so focused on getting that belt and she works very hard. I believe sheโs going to show everyone what she is capable of at UFC 200.โ
While there has been many highs and lows on her journey as a fighter, Chambers says herย biggest takeaway has been the friendships she has made along the way and simply getting to do what she loves to do every day โ something most people only dream of.
With MMA growing in popularity in Australia, andย mentalities changing for the better, there is no question that this sport-crazy countryย will continue to produceย talent at an international level. For Chambers being able to reach the pinnacle of her sport has been both humbling and a privilege and while she doesnโt necessarily like to consider herself a pioneer for MMA in Australia, she most certainly is just that.