‘Spanish Sensation’ Claudia Diaz determined to have a breakout year with Combate Global
Claudia Diaz has found a home with Combate Global.
The 26-year-old Spanish prospect returned to action after an extended hiatus from mixed martial arts against the extremely popular Dulce Garcia on April 30 and picked up a violent finish in the second round. Emotions ran high when the referee stopped the contest.
“I was like training a long time training for my comeback on MMA,” Diaz told MyMMANews. “I was crying because it’s the emotions of everything what I do.
“Two years ago I did two losses in my career. Of course, I was positive. Keep training, everything. But of course it’s hard. I didn’t know who’s gonna be here, everything is new. I’m gonna be fighting the superstar of them. It’s pressure.
“And when I just finish I feel like, oh my god, I do what I was working a lot on that. And what I thinking because I see this in my head. Everyday I see me winning. I just cry and say thank you to God. He give me this and I do. And I was very happy.”
Before capturing her first professional victory inside the cage, Diaz was signed to ONE Warrior Series while training in Thailand at Tiger Muay Thai. Her run with the developmental league was uneventful but rich in learning lessons.
“Of course, nobody likes to lose,” Diaz said. “Also in MMA, it is very important the record. I was 0-2. But after these losses, I think I need more experience in everything. Get more ready. Then after that, there were two years of not doing MMA. But I fight a lot of Muay Thai and kickboxing in these two years.
“Then I get a lot of experience so I work on my jiu-jitsu, my wrestling there in Tiger in Thailand. I just get better at that then I feel like when I come back to MMA I was more ready than when I fight before.
“More ready in my head, more ready on my body, on everything. A different Claudia, you know.”
Combate Global is cultivating some the best talent in the Latin world. Campbell McLaren even labeled Diaz “The Spanish Sensation” and it is taking off.
“With ONE Championship was good, they treat me good and everything,” she said. “But I feel like they are more for Asian people and I’m Latina.
“In Combate Global, they love Latina people. And I feel like this work more me. They are very nice with me. The owner is here in Miami also. Univision the channel where we gonna fight is there too. I am very happy with this promotion.”
With everything in motion from a promotional standpoint, she has been training at MMA Masters since arriving stateside and is determined to strike while the iron is hot.
“I fight next week again,” Diaz revealed. “ After that, I have three fights more with them. My contract is five fights.
“Then I want to finish this year the contract with them. I think if I stay here, I can fight every two months. I will do like that.”
Diaz will step into the cage on June 25 and looks to carry the momentum forward with more weapons in the arsenal.
“In my next fight I gonna be more smart than before,” she said. “Better striking, better jiu-jitsu, better wrestling, better in everything because I really worked a lot since I’m here. I’m another Claudia than my last fight.
“Just one month and a half but I feel very different. I can see many things than before I never see. And I feel like I’m gonna do very good in this one.”
