My next fight announcement! My uncle passed away. Meerkatsu! Tuff-N-Uff!
My next fight is set for April 20th against Antonina Shevchenko! I’m so excited to have a fight set. My last one was against Sijara in NY and dropped the decision, despite having leveled up. I’m grateful to the UFC for the new fight, the chance to go to Russia, the opponent, and for the chance to show what I can do on the biggest, most coveted fighting stage in the world.
The day after I was offered the fight, it got leaked but I haven’t been allowed to say anything or talk about it until yesterday. :/ THERE’S A MOLE! (just kidding… but not really kidding)
I’m enjoying the nuance of training for a southpaw. I’ve FOUGHT a southpaw once….on 24 hours notice (Nicco for the title) but didn’t train for it. Can you imagine that in my 42 fights I’ve never run into a southpaw? I think? Unless one of my Japanese opponents was a southpaw and I never really noticed because I used to stink at stand up? Haha
One of my uncles on my mom’s side had cancer and finally passed away on Tuesday. We knew it was coming. I was just so angry at his situation – he lived in a house built probably in 1900, still heated by a coal stove in the kitchen. He wouldn’t leave. As his illness progressed and he became bedridden with one arm, he couldn’t keep up his house. Or his stove. And it’s freezing in New York. My mom had to rush over and relight his stove. Have you ever made coals in a stove catch on fire before?!? Neither have I! My mom is amazing btw. Not only her words, but her self-less actions teach me how to be a good human being. After I moved from Japan to Vegas, Mom picked up her life in Massachusetts to move in with me to enjoy being with her daughter, and also share my rent and support me. Then, she moved to New York several years later to support her brother, my Uncle. My mom’s Lithuanian family are such hard workers and our average life-span is about 95 years old. lol This is why it looks like I don’t age…. He didn’t live to his full potential. I think he was 69 or 70?
Anyway, I’m so glad that he passed without so much pain in a hospital. But I wasn’t there, so it didn’t really feel like something happened. Now, I have my fight booked to go to the funeral, car rental, hotel, etc….and it’s hitting me. This week it’s been getting harder and harder every day. We weren’t SUPER close, but I tried hard to get to know him as an adult, and visited as much as I could over the past five years since I moved back from Japan. I’m so glad I made those efforts. When I had travel money to spare, I didn’t go on vacation and sightseeing (other than Japan, but that’s ‘home.’) I went and visit him and family. I have no regrets.
A few years ago, Mom, Uncle Fran, and my other aunt and uncle visited Auriesville shrine. He power-walked ahead of us, and I took this picture of him in the nature. I thought was beautiful and symbolic. Off he goes.
My Uncle Fran was a smart man, loved history, and a talented musician who used to be in a band. I remember him quoting all sorts of facts and I said, “Gee, Uncle Fran, you’re so smart.” He replied, “Well, we are all very knowledgeable on what we know, and very ignorant on what we don’t know.” I thought that was very profound, despite being so simplistic.
I just want to give a big shout-out and huge thanks to my Mind and Body for holding it together while my Heart is hurting. For anybody who’s read my book “Memoirs of a Happy Warrior,” you’ll know how I discovered that those three aspects of me work together to operate “Roxanne Modafferi” efficiently. I’ve written out full conversations with myself in my book (found here: http://roxannemodafferi.net/RBlog/store/books/) . For example:
Heart: I don’t feel like doing anything today. Can we go back to bed?
Mind: You just had breakfast. We need to take a walk. Go, body.
Body: Okay. *goes*
Heart: But I’m not gonna do my sprints today.
Body: Ooh it’s the stop sign, time to sprint to the fire hydrant. *sprint*
Heart: Let’s go back to bed now.
Mind: It’s 9 AM, time to go to the gym.
Body: *gets in car*
Heart: I’m not gonna do my burpies for cardio. I don’t feel like making an effort.
Mind: It’s Tuesday, 30 mins before mitts, burpie time!
Body: *does burpies*
My autopilot is amazing. I’ve been really productive this week. Well, I’m always productive, but I just haven’t let up. Kids classes are going great, got chores done, had dinner with a friend, made strides and improvements in my striking and wrestling. Business as usual. For the most part. My friend Cat had to cancel her training trip. I have a jury duty next Wednesday which is stressing me out. My mom won’t talk to me. I keep calling and texting and she just keeps saying she’s busy. :/ I’m hoping it rains, not snows, when I visit. This will be like the fourth time I visit New York in a three month period. And so many travel delays. ~_~;
My friend and former training partner Chelsea Rae won her Tuff-N-Uff fight! I’m so so happy for her! Yaaay! Great to see all that cage control stuff we did paying off. 🙂 And she’s the queen of hard scrambles.
I went with Serena, and took my Tasmanian friends/temporary teammates Adam and Katie, and my visiting Indian fighter/housemate Manjit. It was their first time to Tuff-N-Uff! Great, exciting fights and great event as always! Thanks, Jeff, for looking after us!
And thanks, Adam and Katie, for being there for me in general. Adam noticed me crying in the corner of the mat after class and came over and asked me if I wanted to talk. Serena knows when I’m upset and always supports me, and always has my back for whatever I need always. I’m lucky to have such great people around me. Lots of friends online, fans, and people I barely know have been messaging me words and comments of support. Thanks, guys. I love you all!
Another gold star goes to Seymour Yang, AKA Meerkatsu, who sent me his new rash guards and leggings with his new foot-locking unicorns and tiger designs! OMG SO EXCITING! I wasn’t expecting it!! It really made my week!!
Available on http://www.meerkatsu.com  or https://t.co/rxmjGhixLZ
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