Written by Kelly Tuesday, 11 October 2011 10:57
In the lead up to Brace for War 12 this weekend, Fight News Australia speaks to female Impact MMA fighter, Bec “Rowdy” Hyatt in preparation for her debut bout against Tasmanian grappler and BJJ blue belt, Rhiannon Thompson.
FNA: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Bec. What first inspired you to get into martial arts and how old were you when you started training?
Bec: When I was 20 years old, I decided to start training in MMA. This is where I met my husband Dan, who was running class and taking personals. I had no aspirations to compete at that stage, but the more I learnt, the more serious I got and the more I wanted to some day fight.
FNA: For the fans out there, tell us a little bit about yourself, your gym and your team?
Bec: I'm 22 years old, mother of two beautiful children (3 and 10 months) and train out of IMPACT MMA in Brisbane. I have only been at IMPACT for 8 months since moving here from Tasmania but love it and wouldn't rather be anywhere else! Great coaches and a lot of good training partners around my weight!
FNA: In less than 6 days, you will be fighting on Kya Pate's Brace for War in Hobart making your MMA debut. Tell us what's going on in your head right now?
Bec: I'm very excited to finally be able to fight and no better place than in my home state! I've had a full 8 week camp for this fight and could not be anymore prepared. All that dieting or hard training, show time nearly here!
FNA: Your opponent is Rhiannon Thompson from TWCA with a fight record of 1 win by submission from 1 fight and is known for her strong grappling and BJJ. How do you prepare for a fighter like this? What sort of training/preparation do you implement?
Bec: Rhiannon is considered to be the best female fighter in the state and that's exactly why wanted this fight. I was lucky enough to see her debut last year and knew there and then that she was going to be my first opponent. We haven't necessarily prepared for her specifically, training has been well rounded. In saying that, I would love nothing more than for her to try and stand with me!
FNA: You competed in grappling competition, Enemy on the Floor earlier this year. How did you do?
Bec: Fighting to me is all about testing myself. I competed in my first grappling comp back in May at Enemy on the Floor in Toowoomba and placed second, losing in the final against a girl who I had already tapped out by armbar in the first round.
FNA: What's next for Bec Hyatt after Brace for War next week?
Bec: I have a few potential fights lined up for the rest of the year, but the main focus is this coming Saturday. Other than that, to continue to develop my skills set. I want to fight regularly and show the Australian MMA scene that women can fight and we can do it better than the guys sometimes! I also have aspirations of fighting overseas in Asian promotions, as I know they have a lot of female fighters my weight!
FNA: How did your fight name “Rowdy” come about?
Bec: My nickname was given to me by my husband when we first met and it stuck I guess can be a bit full on at times, a bit rowdy, some people say i should of been born a boy for this exact reason haha.
FNA: Your married to Australian MMA welterweight, Dan Hyatt and the mother of two children, how do you manage your training and parenting responsibilities?
Bec: I have been training for two years now in submission grappling, freestyle wrestling, boxing and muay thai, however an eight month period of that I was pregnant with my second child, so technically would be less then two years. Training full time and parenting two young children (8 months and 3 years) sometimes proves problematic, but we make it work because we love this sport so much! At the moment we are living comfortably so i dont need to find work, i am just lucky I'm able to focus entirely on getting better as a fighter full time. I was supposed to have my first fight mid way through last year but fell pregnant.
FNA: Any words of wisdom you would like to share to aspiring female MMA fighters?
Bec: Find a gym with as many male fighters around your weight as possible! I'm lucky enough to have 5 or 6 training partners within 5 kilos of me, which is ideal for my sparring and competitive work! Its unrealistic to think you will find a gym with a lot of female fighters, so don't be scared away by that fact. If you want to fight, get your rounds in with the guys as much as possible!
FNA: Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today, before we close, is there any fans or supporters you'd like to give a shout out to?
Bec: Thank you to my sponsors Suburban Armour Clothing, Pillfreak, Erkules Supplement Nutrition, Cover Up Upholstery and all my trainers at IMPACT MMA for the preparation and guidance. Also a big thank you to Jodie and Adam Richardson for looking after my two boys so I can train twice a day leading into this fight, without them, I wouldn't be as half prepared as I am!
Bec Hyatt