Bosco Baracus
21-08-2009, 19:20
Having defeated Marloes Coenen, Belgian fighter Cindy Dandois says she's ready for "Cyborg"
by John Morgan on Aug 21, 2009 at 9:20 am ET
http://mmajunkie.com/dyn/images/fighters/cindy-dandois-2.jpgFor a brief period in women's MMA, it seemed the fashionable thing to do was to call out fan favorite Gina Carano (7-1).
Everyone wanted a piece of "The Face of Women's MMA," knowing that a win could catapult them to instant stardom.
For Belgian fighter Cindy Dandois (1-0), Carano's just the start. Dandois, whose lone career win came against Strikeforce's top female contender Marloes Coenen (16-3), wants Carano, slugger Erin Toughill (10-2-1) and, oh yeah, champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (8-1).
"My goal is to fight Gina Carano, Erin Toughill and 'Cyborg,'" Dandois recently told MMAjunkie.com (http://mmajunkie.com/) through an interpreter. "If Strikeforce decides to give me a fight with one of them, I will train like an animal to show I deserved the shot."
It's a lofty goal, but then Dandois is used to challenges. A top-level judoka and two-time national champion, Dandois proved her grappling talents in both the women's and men's divisions.
"I did fight a few times in the men's division because the competition with the women was too easy," Dandois said. "If I drive more than an hour to a competition I want to fight; I don't care if it is a man or a woman.
"Grappling competition is like training. There aren't many risks involved. If I feel a man is too strong I can always tap. But the truth is: I learn more fighting men from my weight class than fighting women."
Following the birth of her first child, Dandois took up mixed martial arts in order to shed a few extra pounds. Seeking the motivation that only an impending fight could bring, Dandois asked her brother to help find her a few amateur fights. Instead, she ended up facing eight-year veteran Coenen.
"A fight is a fight," Dandois told M-1 Global following the win. "We made a good gameplan, and it worked."
With her confidence still riding high following the January win, Dandois now has her sights set on fighting Strikeforce's top-three women.
"Fact is, I train every day, I work full time and I am a mother," Dandois said. "I don't say that I have to fight Gina or Cris right now. But that is what I want to be growing to. I want to fight everybody who wants to face me.
"I've got nothing to lose because I am doing what I like most. I am showing my children you can do anything, as long you work hard for it. Everybody told me I was crazy to face Marloes Coenen on my first fight. Afterward, everybody told me I did great."
Dandois relaizes she may have to wait in the line that is quickly forming to face Santos. But after beating Coenen, Dandois believes Toughill should be residing at the front of that queue.
"Though I like Marloes Coenen very much, I think Erin deserves a shot at the title before Coenen," Dandois said. "Erin has been fighting more than ten years now. She has beaten Marloes with an amazing knockout, and she did win all of her last fights.
"Also, I have to say Erin gave up a lot to fight. She had to work very hard to go down in weight. And I like the style from Erin; she will always go for the knockout. Though I know not everybody will be happy that am saying this, I think Erin deserves a shot for the title first."
While Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said Santos' next challenger would likely be Coenen, he also said a future contender would come from an eight-fighter tournament. While Dandois has not yet signed with the organization, she's hoping that she can secure one of the spots in the playoff.
"I think every woman in the 135-pound or 145-pound division wants to fight in Strikeforce," Dandois said. "It is amazing what they have done for women's MMA by putting a female fight in the main event. It would be an honor to fight for Strikeforce.
"Fighting in Strikeforce's tournament would be an amazing experience. I have been training now for less than a year, and I can learn from every fight. If Strikeforce asks me to fight in this tournament I would not hesitate. I would take the possibility to show the world a fighting career isn't finished after two children."
With one stunning upset already to her credit, Dandois is focused on earning more. And Dandois is ready to prove to her children – and the world – that she's just getting started.
"I was reading an article a while ago that was saying that women's MMA would never be popular because woman are stopping MMA after having a baby," Dandois said. "Well I started doing MMA after having my children, so the door to MMA is also open for mothers.
"Training and working hard is the key to success."
John Morgan is the lead staff reporter for MMAjunkie.com.
by John Morgan on Aug 21, 2009 at 9:20 am ET
http://mmajunkie.com/dyn/images/fighters/cindy-dandois-2.jpgFor a brief period in women's MMA, it seemed the fashionable thing to do was to call out fan favorite Gina Carano (7-1).
Everyone wanted a piece of "The Face of Women's MMA," knowing that a win could catapult them to instant stardom.
For Belgian fighter Cindy Dandois (1-0), Carano's just the start. Dandois, whose lone career win came against Strikeforce's top female contender Marloes Coenen (16-3), wants Carano, slugger Erin Toughill (10-2-1) and, oh yeah, champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (8-1).
"My goal is to fight Gina Carano, Erin Toughill and 'Cyborg,'" Dandois recently told MMAjunkie.com (http://mmajunkie.com/) through an interpreter. "If Strikeforce decides to give me a fight with one of them, I will train like an animal to show I deserved the shot."
It's a lofty goal, but then Dandois is used to challenges. A top-level judoka and two-time national champion, Dandois proved her grappling talents in both the women's and men's divisions.
"I did fight a few times in the men's division because the competition with the women was too easy," Dandois said. "If I drive more than an hour to a competition I want to fight; I don't care if it is a man or a woman.
"Grappling competition is like training. There aren't many risks involved. If I feel a man is too strong I can always tap. But the truth is: I learn more fighting men from my weight class than fighting women."
Following the birth of her first child, Dandois took up mixed martial arts in order to shed a few extra pounds. Seeking the motivation that only an impending fight could bring, Dandois asked her brother to help find her a few amateur fights. Instead, she ended up facing eight-year veteran Coenen.
"A fight is a fight," Dandois told M-1 Global following the win. "We made a good gameplan, and it worked."
With her confidence still riding high following the January win, Dandois now has her sights set on fighting Strikeforce's top-three women.
"Fact is, I train every day, I work full time and I am a mother," Dandois said. "I don't say that I have to fight Gina or Cris right now. But that is what I want to be growing to. I want to fight everybody who wants to face me.
"I've got nothing to lose because I am doing what I like most. I am showing my children you can do anything, as long you work hard for it. Everybody told me I was crazy to face Marloes Coenen on my first fight. Afterward, everybody told me I did great."
Dandois relaizes she may have to wait in the line that is quickly forming to face Santos. But after beating Coenen, Dandois believes Toughill should be residing at the front of that queue.
"Though I like Marloes Coenen very much, I think Erin deserves a shot at the title before Coenen," Dandois said. "Erin has been fighting more than ten years now. She has beaten Marloes with an amazing knockout, and she did win all of her last fights.
"Also, I have to say Erin gave up a lot to fight. She had to work very hard to go down in weight. And I like the style from Erin; she will always go for the knockout. Though I know not everybody will be happy that am saying this, I think Erin deserves a shot for the title first."
While Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said Santos' next challenger would likely be Coenen, he also said a future contender would come from an eight-fighter tournament. While Dandois has not yet signed with the organization, she's hoping that she can secure one of the spots in the playoff.
"I think every woman in the 135-pound or 145-pound division wants to fight in Strikeforce," Dandois said. "It is amazing what they have done for women's MMA by putting a female fight in the main event. It would be an honor to fight for Strikeforce.
"Fighting in Strikeforce's tournament would be an amazing experience. I have been training now for less than a year, and I can learn from every fight. If Strikeforce asks me to fight in this tournament I would not hesitate. I would take the possibility to show the world a fighting career isn't finished after two children."
With one stunning upset already to her credit, Dandois is focused on earning more. And Dandois is ready to prove to her children – and the world – that she's just getting started.
"I was reading an article a while ago that was saying that women's MMA would never be popular because woman are stopping MMA after having a baby," Dandois said. "Well I started doing MMA after having my children, so the door to MMA is also open for mothers.
"Training and working hard is the key to success."
John Morgan is the lead staff reporter for MMAjunkie.com.