Liz Welch

Liz Welch eager to compete at Maverick MMA, holding down three jobs while training

It will have been three-plus years since her last fight when Liz Welch (0-1-1) enters the Maverick MMA cage, September 30.  The 35-year old Driven MMA prospect will be taking on Jessica Ruiz (1-0) at 115-pounds in a fight that was originally supposed to take place for another promotion earlier in the year.

Liz Welch vs. Jessica Ruiz take 2

Ruiz and Welch were supposed to fight at Dead Serious 24 in March, however the fight fell through the week of the contest. Now that the fight is with Maverick, Welch is satisfied knowing that she will be competing on the same card as three of her teammates.Liz Welch, Maverick MMA 3

“I have no ill will towards Jessica,” Welch said. “I’ve had to pull out of a fight before so I understand stuff happens and to me MMA is the most awesome sport in the world and if there weren’t girls like Jessica to get in there with then this wouldn’t be possible for me.”

How did this fight come to be under the Maverick MMA banner?

“My coach put my name in for the Maverick card and they matched us up.  I don’t know if she requested me or anything like that but I am happy.”

Welch is currently holding down three jobs in between the time she spends in the gym preparing for her upcoming fight. During the day she teaches pre-school and kindergarten students, and during the nights and on weekends she serves drinks at two different bars.

Why the extended layoff?

“I took about a year and a half off from training completely.  I just had other stuff going on in my life.  I started training again around the middle of 2015. I’ve just been trying to fight ever since then but something has happened each and every time since. I had to pull out of one, then the fight with Jessica was cancelled, then another girl back out in August.  I haven’t had much luck I guess.”

Training

“I’ve been training almost nine years.  I started out at Modern Martial Arts.  Then I trained with Weapons Nine, then Strategic Combat.  That’s where I met James (Meals of Driven MMA).  He asked me to come spar with a few of his girls.  I started sparring over there and moved there permanently because it was a better MMA program for me.”

Last fight was a draw.  What did Liz Welch learn in that matchup?

“I rushed in on the girl.  She had better stand up than me.  She was a boxer.  I had to take her to the ground and I just couldn’t find the submissions I was going for.  This time I plan on not rushing in.  Read her a little before I start moving.  I would love to knock her out but we’ll see what happens. Also, I added strength and conditioning into the camp so I’m curious to see how that play into it.”

What will you tell the school children on Monday morning should you have a few lumps and bruises?

“I tell them that I do Karate.  I feel like I train way harder than it is in the cage.  Train hard, fight easy.  I really don’t plan on being too messed up come Monday.  I feel like training is harder than the fight.”

Plan going foward

“I plan on going pro before I turn 40! My ultimate goal is to teach and coach, so I want to fight as many times as my body will let me.”

Thanks

“I would like to thank my coaches at Driven, James Meals, Spyda, Animal, Handel, and then of course my team, my training partners and Bulldogs and Barbells for strength and conditioning.”

Maverick MMA 3 will be headlined by a rematch between the organization’s featherweight champion Scott Heckman and challenger Rob Sullivan.  The event takes place at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

Liz Welch, Maverick MMA

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