Sara McMann Q&A: Learning Patience, Being Drawn to Combat Sports and Skydiving

UFC bantamweight fighter Sara McMann is currently taking a break from active mixed martial arts competition while she and her husband are expecting another child later this year.  MyMMANews reporter Tony Reid talks with McMann.

Tony Reid – Best advice you could give to a younger you?

Sara McMann – “Oh my God…Learn some patience! I am still working on that. I am the most impatient person ever. Every time I learn a new skill I want to immediately do it proficiently. I want to apply it. I am relentless and very driven in the aspect. It has gotten me to where I am, but it has caused a lot of frustrated nights. There are literally times when I’m like “I am not leaving this gym until my hook is the way it should be, and my elbow is high.” I won’t leave until I get it right. People put years and years into acquiring those skills and I am mad that I can’t get it over night.”

TR – Best inspiration to fight?

SM – “The reason why I do this and the reason I wrestled was the fact that I am drawn to combative sports. Why I am as invested as I am to grow and become better is because I think everybody should get the most out of everything they have. Whatever your talent or desires or inclinations are you should absolutely get the 100% most out of it that you can. I don’t want to leave this life with any untapped potential.”

TR – Best thing about MMA compared to other sports?

Sara McMann – “I think what makes it so great is that you don’t have to have a certain body type. If you are in the NBA, the odds are you have to be pretty tall. Not everyone but statistically speaking. If you are in the NFL, you need to be a certain size. Different things limit people from competing in different arenas. In MMA we have so many weight classes, you can be tall and thin and use your leverage and height, you can be short and stocky and use your explosiveness and fight on the inside, you can be great at any type of style and to achieve a certain level of excellence it can help you excel in other aspects and styles of the sport. There is no cookie cutter mold to be great in MMA.”

TR – Best dinner guests? Three people, past or present, who would they be?

Sara McMann – “Number one would be Jim Morrison. Marcelo Garcia would be number two. The third would be Charlize Theron. Every one of these people would be to pick their brain. I admire all of them.”

TR – Best guilty pleasure?

Sara McMann – “Skydiving. It’s super dangerous. I probably shouldn’t be doing it. I have down it four times and I am going to sign up so I can jump solo.”

TR – Best lesson life has handed you?

Sara McMann – “Pain is the root of all knowledge.”

Tony Reid

In July of 2008 Tony Reid launched an MMA inspired clothing line that he named Reid Fight Wear. He saw a need in the MMA clothing market for a more classic, clean and timeless design and less of the dated styles seen then. In the process of major life changes, Tony cashed out his 401(k), emptied his bank account and put his heart and soul into building the brand. In August 2009 Tony began writing for TapouT and MMA Worldwide Magazines. There he created Rattling the Cage, an MMA specific news site and home for all of his work. In May of 2012 Reid began writing for Ultimate MMA Magazine, launching an MMA Legends and MMA Officials Series. Also in May of the same year he started appearing regularly on ESPN 92.3 WVSL as the MMA Insider. In early August of 2012 Reid was named General Manager of UFC Fighter Tim Boetsch’s Barbarian Combat Sports in Sunbury, PA. By December 2012 Reid started contributing to Fighters Only Magazine. "The World's Leading MMA and Lifestyle Magazine" is sold in over 30 countries around the world and has the largest reach of any international magazine of its type. In May of 2013 Reid became a monthly segment host on Sirius XM Radio. Appearing the first Thursday of every month on TapouT Radio on SiriusXM (Sirius 92 XM 208) in a segment he created called "On Blast!" where he puts people in the MMA world on notice. In June of 2013 Reid began writing for the UK based MMA Uncaged Magazine. In August of 2013, Reid launched "Rattling the Cage with Tony Reid" a talk radio show he hosted on ESPN 92.3 WVSL "The Valley's Sports Leader". The show aired over 100 episodes and featured some of the biggest and brightest stars in the world of combat sports. It was one of the most successful shows in the station's history. In May of 2016 Reid became a feature writer for FloCombat. In September of the same year Reid began writing for ONE Championship, Asia’s largest global sports media property in history. Reid is happy to now join the team at MyMMANews as a contributor.

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