SchenkMMA

SchenkMMA: Presents An Interview With Cecy Padilla

2016-06-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to bring you another new interview with a new up and coming amateur female MMA fighter. Her name is Cecy Padilla and she is ready to break into the Women's MMA scene. She is coming to us from California.

So without further a due let's welcome Cecy to our great community, and let's get this interview started.

Where do you currently train?

I train in Lakewood, CA with Systematic MMA in an Aikido Studio.

Describe a day in your life.

A day in my life would start by waking up at 5:30 AM for school. I stay at school until 12-12:30 then go to work until 5 PM. Once I get out of work, I go to training from 6:30 to 8. Then I drive an hour to get back home to do homework and eat dinner. I only sleep for about four to five hours.

What are your hobbies?

My hobbies include: collecting Pop! Figures, reading books, star gazing and cooking. I love food.

What is the last book you read?

The last book I read was The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

What is your favorite non training food to eat?

My favorite non-training food to eat is stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut with ham and pepperoni.

If you weren't a fighter what would you be?

I honestly have no clue what else I would be if I were not a fighter. This is something I cannot see out of my life. However, I guess I would have to say that I might be a softball player.

How many Amateur fights have you had?

I have not had any amateur fights yet, but I am looking forward to them.

Tell me about that moment when you realized that you had an all around fight game. When your stand up and ground game came together for you.

Honestly, I think it would have to be about a year ago when I was sparring with one of the guys I train with. I just flowed with the movements and I just instinctively knew what to do on the ground and standing up. It all felt so natural and I was able to keep myself calm. That’s when I knew I had a really good match.

Who do you look up to in Women's MMA and why?

I look up to Michelle Watersonand Ronda Rousey. Michelle Waterson because we’re the same buildand she really caught my attention when I was younger. She prettymuch introduced me into Women’s MMA and has remained an inspirationto me. Ronda Rousey has a special place in my heart because she hasbroken so many barriers for women and has really brought attention towhat women can do.

What do you think about adding MMA to the Olympics?

I think MMA should be allowed to the Olympics. The Olympics brings the world together, and what better way to let everyone participate than using martial arts from his or her homeland mixed with another’s.

If you could train with one person who would it be?

I would love to train with NickDiaz.

Do you ever think you will be a trainer?

I do not think I would be a trainer per say, but I do want to help athletes. I am planning on getting a degree in Sports Psychology.

If you could have all of your fans know one thing that's important to you what would it be?

When I get fans, I would like them to know that it is important to me to always to respectful, especially towards my opponent.

If someone was going to write a book about you what would the title be? And why would that be the title?

If someone were to write a book about me, I think the title would be "Respectfully Not Giving A F@&k" (given by my older brother). That is the person I am. I do what I want, I’m carefree, don’t really following all the rules, but I never mean to cause trouble, or make waves with anyone.

Any sponsors or people you would like to thank?

People I would like to thank are: my coach, Eddie Lloyd for never giving up on me, my teammates that always help me do better, and my family for supporting me. Also I would like to thank SchenkMMA for giving me this opportunity.

Last but not least is my great sponsor OutColdMMA who was founded and is owned by Darren Uyematsu. I can't thank all of you enough for all of your support and help on my journey to become the best fighter I can be.

How To Get Noticed By MMA Sponsors:

2014-10-29T10:22:00.000-05:00

68 Popular Fighters and MMA Leaders

Give Their 3 Best Tips

By: Solmadrid Vazquez

Check out another great article that Somadrid wrote over at MMA Somnia.

This article is trying to answer the question about "how do you get noticed by MMA sponsors" and there is some great feedback not only from fighters who are currently in the game today, but also from some great old and new MMA leaders. Also there is some feedback in this article from some of our own WMMA community fighters and leaders. Check it out and let me know what you think.

You can read the full article here.

24 Pro Fighters, Managers, And Coaches Reveal Their Best Tips To Land A Sponsorship

2014-07-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

Written by Somadrid Vazques

(Reach out to him at Google+ and Twitter)

Check out this great article that was written by Somadrid over at MMA Somnia.

He put together a great article with some tips from some of our WMMA and MMA greats on how to get Sponsors and Sponsorship's for your fights. A very timely article and one that I think addresses a need that we currently have in the WMMA community especially. So with that being said give him a few minutes of your time and see what these folks have to say.

P.S. - Look for me in the article. Somadrid was nice enough to ask for my advice and he was kind enough to reach out to some of us old folks in the community. When I say old folks I mean like MarQ from Wombat and Sam. You both know what I mean by old timers in the WMMA community.

As for the article you can click on this link to take you to the full article.

Thanks again Somadrid for asking me to be involved with your article, I do appreciate it.

TUF 19 Picks: Edgar vs. Penn

2014-07-06T16:00:00.000-05:00

Here we go once again, in the Octagon squaring off to see who can pick the most UFC fights correctly is me and my 6 year old son. Let's see who does the best this time.

My Son's Picks:

Penn
VanBuren
Lima
Lewis
Ortiz
Ronson
Tuerxun
Martins
Walsh
Dufresne
Drysdale

My Picks:

Penn
VanBuren
Gordon
Lewis
Scoggins
Ronson
Issa
Martins
Walsh
Moras
Drysdale

Come back on Monday to see who won.

The Winners were:

Edgar
Anderson
Gordon
Lewis
Ortiz
Lee
Issa
Martins
Walsh
Moras
Drysdale

That puts the score for this fight at:

My Son: 5 Win picks

Me: 7 Win picks.

I walk away with the "Win" this time!! Needless to say my son isn't very happy, but I told him there is always next time.

UFC 175 Picks: Weidman vs. Machida

2014-07-05T16:52:00.000-05:00

So here we are again the battle continues between me and my 6 year old son to see who can pick the most winners off of tonight's UFC fight card. So no more talk is needed let's get to it.

My son's picks:

Weidman
Rousey
Struve
Hall
Brimage
Faber
Alcanatara
Comozzi
Roop
Zachrich
Casy

My Picks:

Weidman
Rousey - (Even though I don't ever like to pick the Female fights, but my son said it wasn't fair if I didn't pick so here you go.)
Mitrione
Hall
Doane
Faber
Alcontara
Camozzi
Font
Vasconcelos
Bush

So now all that is left is the fighting. Come back tomorrow to see who won.

So the Winners were:

Weidman
Rousey
Hall
Doane
Faber
Robertson
Santos
Font
Zachrich
Casey

That puts the scores for this fight at:

My Son: 6 win picks.

Me: 6 win picks.

It was a tie for this fight!!

New Services - Adding "Social Media Management" Services to SchenkMMA

2014-04-12T19:00:00.000-05:00

SchenkMMA is excited to offer the new service line of "Social Media Management" for any and all Female MMA Fighters. (Pro or Ammy)

The Current Services that are being offered are listed below:

Facebook:

Setup of Personal Facebook page.
Setup of Business Facebook page. (if needed)
Setup of Sports Figure Facebook page. (if needed)
Management of all above mentioned Facebook pages. (if needed)
Integration of Facebook into your existing or new website. (if needed)

LinkedIn:

Setup of Personal LinkedIn page.
Setup of Business LinkedIn page. (if needed)
Management of your LinkedIn page. (if needed)
Integration of LinkedIn page into your existing or new website. (if needed)

Twitter:

Setup of Personal Twitter page.
Setup of Business Twitter page. (if needed)
Management of your Twitter page. (if needed)
Integration of Twitter page into your existing or new website. (if needed)

Google +:

Setup of Personal Google + page.
Setup of Business Google + page. (if needed)
Management of your Google + page. (if needed)
Integration of Google + page into your existing or new website. (if needed)

YouTube:

Setup of Personal YouTube page.
Setup of Business YouTube page. (if needed)
Management of your YouTube page. (if needed)
Integration of YouTube page into your existing or new website. (if needed)

Pinterest:

Setup of Personal Pinterest page.
Management of your Pinterest page. (if needed)
Integration of Pinterest page into your existing or new website. (if needed)

Instagram:

Setup of Personal Instagram page.
Setup of Business Instagram page. (if needed)
Management of your Instagram page. (if needed)
Integration of Instagram page into your existing or new website. (if needed)

Klout:

Setup of Personal Klout page.
Management of your Klout page. (if needed)
Integration of Klout page into your existing or new website. (if needed)

Blog:

Setup of a Personal Blog.
Setup of a Business Blog. (if needed)
Management of your Blog. (if needed)
Integration of Blog into your existing or new website. (if needed)

UFC 162 Picks and (Results)

2013-07-06T16:22:00.000-05:00

So tonight is the night for UFC 162!! Will the "Spider" finally fall to "The All-American"? I guess only time will tell. So as in the classic style of SchenkMMA we are going to list our picks for this fight. As always you will have my picks and the picks of my 5 year old son, and we will see who comes out on top this time.

The Fight Card is below:

Main Card (Live on PPV, 10 p.m. ET)
-Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman
-Frankie Edgar vs. Charles Oliveira
-Roger Gracie vs. Tim Kennedy
-Dennis Siver vs. Cub Swanson
-Tim Boetsch vs. Mark Munoz

Preliminary Card (Live on FX, 8 p.m. ET)
-Andrew Craig vs. Chris Leben
-Norman Parke vs. Kazuki Tokudome
-Edson Barboza vs. Rafaello Oliveira
-Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Dave Herman

Preliminary Card (Live on Facebook, 7 p.m. ET)
-Seth Baczynski vs. Brian Melancon
-David Mitchell vs. Mike Pierce

The 5 year old picks:

Silva

Oliveira

Gracie

Munoz

Siver

Leben

Parke

Gonzaga

Oliveria

Melancon

Mitchell

My Picks:

Silva

Edgar

Kennedy

Munoz

Siver

Leben

Tokudome

Gonzaga

Barboza

Baczynski

Pierce

So let's see who will be the winner tonight, the 5 year old, or me?

The results are in...

5 year old: 4 out of 11 right.

Me: 6 out of 11 right.

Winner is: Me!!

Invicta Fight's 2

2012-07-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you missed any of the Invicta fights on the Invicta Fight Card 2 that happened this last weekend check out the link below so you won't have to say out loud ever again that you missed another great Women's MMA fight card.

Invicta Fight Card 2

NAGA Schedule for 2012

2012-06-04T22:04:00.000-05:00

I was talking with someone the other day and they said they liked how I had posted the NAGA schedule for 2011 on the site, so I went out and got the rest of the NAGA schedule for 2012 and here you go.

JUNE 30 -NAGA HARTFORD -HARTFORD,CT

JULY 14 -NAGA U.S.OPEN -ORLANDO,FL

JULY 14 –NAGA MONTREAL–MONTREAL,CANADA

JULY 21 -NAGA GEORGIA-ATLANTA,GA

AUGUST 4&5 –NAGA BATTLE AT THE BEACH -WILDWOOD,NJ

AUGUST 18&19 -NAGA ILLINOIS -CHICAGO,IL

AUGUST 25&26 –NAGA TEXAS -HOUSTON,TX

SEPTEMBER 8 –NAGA WEST COAST –LAS VEGAS,NV

SEPTEMBER 8 –NAGA NEW YORK –ALBANY,NY

SEPTEMBER 15 –NAGA SAN FRANCISCO –SAN FRANCISCO,CA

SEPTEMBER 22 –NAGA SALT LAKE CITY -SALT LAKE CITY,UT

SEPTEMBER 22 –REALITY FIGHTING -MOHEGAN SUN,CT

SEPTEMBER 29 –NAGA OKLAHOMA –OKLAHOMA CITY,OK

SEPTEMBER 29 –NAGA PENNSYLVANIA –PHILADELPHIA,PA

OCTOBER 6&7 –NAGA FLORIDA –WEST PALM BEACH,FL

OCTOBER 13 –NAGA NORTHEAST –WARWICK,RI

OCTOBER 13 –NAGA MISSOURI –ST.LOUIS,MO

OCTOBER 20&21–NAGA HAWAII –HONOLULU,HI

OCTOBER 27 –NAGA NORTH CAROLINA -CHARLOTTE,NC

NOVEMBER 3&4 –NAGA MID WEST –CHICAGO,IL

NOVEMBER 10 –NAGA EUROPE –PARIS,FRANCE

NOVEMBER 10 –NAGA OHIO –COLUMBUS,OH

NOVEMBER 17&18 –NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP –NEWARK,NJ

NOVEMBER 17 –NAGA TENNESSEE –NASHVILLE,TN (SchenkMMA will be at this event.)

DECEMBER 1 –NAGA SOUTHEAST –ATLANTA,GA

DECEMBER 8 –NAGA PAN AMERICAN –TAMPA,FL

DECEMBER 15&16 –NAGA WORLD JUJITSU –DALLAS,TX

JANUARY 5, 2013 -REALITY FIGHTING -MOHEGAN SUN,CT

Changes at SchenkMMA

2012-05-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am making a few changes around here at SchenkMMA and I thought it would only be fair to share them with the WMMA Community as soon as I was ready for them to take effect.

Here at SchenkMMA we have had many success and some failures as we have been working behind the scenes with many Female MMA fighters in our community. We can say that we have learned a lot since we opened our doors and we are very thankful to all of the WMMA Community (What a great community we truly have to be a part of) and the Female fighters for all you have taught our team over the years. With that being said I have decided to make some changes here at SchenkMMA.

First and foremost the biggest change I am going to make is this, from this point forward SchenkMMA is NO LONGER charging for any of our services. (I know what you might be thinking right now... How can this be a business and still provide a service if it isn't making any money? Or you could be like Slade thinking right now dang it Chris I guess there goes the shirt from Tussle you were going to order. :) Slade I'm still good for the shirt and you can count on this when I tell you I will be ordering my shirt very soon.) My main driver for SchenkMMA has always been and still continues to be to Help Female MMA Fighters any way I can and I intended to keep doing that very thing.

Over the past few months (really since the first of the year) I have been analyzing the MMA Management business and I had two questions that kept coming back to me.

1. What is the thing you like least about this business?

And

2. Would you still continue to do this business even if you weren't getting any money to do it?

The answer to question number 1 is that the part I think everyone gets all wrapped up in or that will destroy a relationship between a Fighter and Management quicker than anything else is the "Money". It was my least favorite aspect of the business so I am just going to do away with it. Going forward all of SchenkMMA services will be FREE. If the fighter or anyone else would like to make a donation to SchenkMMA for the work that is being done, or that was done then that is great and that will be accepted but it is not required. Also any donations that are made to SchenkMMA a small portion will be used for upkeep but the rest will be turned back around and reinvested into the the WMMA Community and the Female MMA Fighters. I started this to help Female MMA Fighters to achieve their dreams and to be the best they can be, I never went into this to make money. The relationships with the Fighters, Sponsors, Promoters, and others are what is important to me and sometimes in life you just need to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.

The answer to question number 2 is "Yes" I would do this even if I wasn't getting paid. WMMA and MMA in general is a passion of mine. I enjoy being in this community and I am honored that everyone in this community as welcomed me with open arms. Some arms have been crossed at times but then again not everyone is going to love you at first sight, sometimes they need to get to know you before they will warm up to you. :) But all and all I have nothing but love for the WMMA community and the great people who work within the community everyday to keep things moving forward.

Of course you can imagine how this message went over with the SchenkMMA staff. They weren't pleased at the idea of working and not getting paid. I can't blame them for feeling that way and I told them I understood. If this was something they didn't feel they could be a part or get behind of to please let me know and I would pay them out and they were free to go. As of today I am the only one left, but that doesn't change my mission or my goals for SchenkMMA. Some times things have to be bigger than Money, and while I know most if not all of the people out there think I am crazy for doing this I just felt this is what needed to be done.

So with all of that being said where does SchenkMMA stand today? I have a staff of one. I will still keep up the Twitter, Facebook, and the SchenkMMA blog. I will still continue to offer any of the SchenkMMA services that were offered before and I am still willing to do anything I can to help any and all Female MMA Fighters that need or want some help. The services I am still providing are listed below and would love to help anyone, anyway I can.

Media Relations
Public Relations
Contract Negotiations
Social Media Campaigns
Branding
Sponsorships - Helping Find or Helping you Negotiate
Marketing
Management
Finding Fighting Opportunities
Etc..

Thanks for taking the time to read this small novel of a post, and please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you. :)

Chris Schenk

Founder of SchenkMMA
(Lebe deine Träume, oder Versuch sterben)

Email: SchenkMMA@gmail.com

Getting to know WMMA via Twitter Series: Jenna (Harley SoCal) Bernick

2012-02-10T17:00:00.000-06:00

It's been a little while since we have done a spotlight and we are happy and honored to be able to start this series back up with doing a spotlight on Jenna Bernick or Harley So-Cal as some of you might know her. She is a Heavyweight Female MMA fighter and has a fight coming up in March in Utah. If you happen to be in the area we know she would love your support. Also as most fighters Jenna can always use sponsors who are willing to help with her training. If you are interested in sponsoring Jenna please feel to contact her either on Facebook or Twitter.

SchenkMMA: Tell us about yourself.

Jenna: My name is Jenna Bernick, most know me by Harley or Harley SoCal.I'm 36, live in Moorpark CA by way of Fayetteville, NC. My father was Air
Force so we moved out to Ventura County when I was 5 years old. I love
motorcycles, tattoo's, MMA and just being myself. I do have wife,
Stacey, and we have been together now 2 years. I've never been happier
and she supports me in everything I do. Plan and simple I'm just me,
like it or not lol. I can be your best friend or your worst enemy but
that that is for you to choose. I really am a nice, outgoing
person,like meeting new people and hearing their stories. I'm very
happy where my life has me right now, I wouldn't change it for the
world! I have great people around me and have met some awesome people
involved with WMMA. Can't wait to see what the future holds!

SchenkMMA: What Martial Arts have you studied?

Jenna: I've studied Tae Kwon Do mostly. Grew up playing different type of sports.

SchenkMMA: What got you interested in WMMA?

Jenna: What got me interested, well not really sure lol. I've always been
involved in contact sports but MMA was a challenge. Was learning
different types of things like BJJ, Muay Thai, wrestling and so on. I
just love the sport, the people I've met and that makes me want to be
more involved as much as I can.

SchenkMMA: Why do you follow SchenkMMA?

Jenna: Very informative on what is going on with WMMA. Helpful in many aspects and really willing to help out those who need it.

SchenkMMA: Anyone you would like to send a shout out to? or mention?

Jenna: There are a number of people but that would take forever lol. But
first is my girl, Stacey, thank you for supporting me in my journey.
Thank you to my Coach Henry Castro at KO Studio in Westlake. My
sponsors HouseCat MMA, Bella Boxer, Grit Mouthguards and Roger Fulton
of California Vitamins. And just thanks to everyone in WMMA who
support and believe in me. You can check out my fan page on FB under
Harley's Fan page or follow me on twitter @harley_socal

Thanks for doing this spotlight on me, I really appreciate it
and am grateful for your support!!!

As I tell people before a fight, Chin down, gloves up and kick some ass!!!!!

SchenkMMA: Big 3 of 2011 and A Big Thank You

2012-01-20T17:30:00.000-06:00

2011 was quite the year for Women's MMA. We saw a lot of things in 2011 we didn't think we would ever see. From the sale of Strikeforce, to a new Champion in the 135lb division, to an earthquake that shook Japan but also our WMMA community. 2011 was quite the year. As far as the SchenkMMA blog goes we saw a lot more posting this year then from the years before. We actually increased our followers by 3 this year. I know 3 doesn't seem like a lot but hey we had 1 follower in 2009, 3 followers in 2010, and 6 followers by the end of 2011. Step back folks if we keep growing at this rate we might break 20 followers by 2014. :)

But hey at the end of the day it doesn't really matter how many followers we have or how many posts we can post in a year what matters the most is the friends we have been able to make along the way. We here at SchenkMMA are thankful for each and everyone of you that choose to follow us and interact with us in real life and on Twitter and Facebook. We are truly honored and thankful to be part of the WMMA Community and hope that each day that goes by we can work with each of you to make this community the best it can be.

Ok, Ok, I know get off of your soap box and move on already. :) One last thing I wanted to leave you with was the Top 3 Posts on SchenkMMA for the year 2011. When I went back and looked at the numbers I really couldn't believe it myself but here they are.

In 1st place in 2011 - Our sit down conversation with Miesha Tate. This post has had 9,062 hits in 2011. "Thank You" Miesha for taking the time out of your very busy life to sit down and chat with us for a couple of minutes we truly appreciate it.

In 2nd place in 2011 - Our posting of the NAGA schedule. Who would of ever thought this post would get 1,814 hits in 2011. We wanted to say "Thank You" to the NAGA association for all that they do and for the great events they put on each year. We had the chance to go to a few of these events in 2011 and they are truly very professionally run.

In 3rd place in 2011 - Our interview with Cindy Dandois. This post had 977 hits in 2011. "Thank You" Cindy for doing this interview with us, and thank you for your willingness to speak to us even though you didn't know who we were when we reached out to you. You truly are a class act and a great ambassador for the sport of WMMA. Last but not least Congratulations again on your new baby, and for the conversations we have had though out the year we are truly honored to call you our friend.

So that's it. If you are still reading this then we want to say "Thank You" to you for your support and for your willingness to listen to what we have to say. WMMA and MMA are truly the best sports on the planet and we are thankful to be a small part of it each and every day.

Thanks again to all of our Fans and Followers you are all truly appreciated.

WMMA Awards: Part 3

2012-01-19T17:20:00.000-06:00

Just in case you missed the WMMA Awards for 2011 we thought we would post the links to the awards show so that you could listen to them in case you missed them. The WMMA Awards were so big this year that it actually had to be split up into three different shows just to be able to honor all of the winners in 2011.

Part 3 of the show gave the following awards, and was presented by MarQ from Wombat Sports and Chris Schenk from our very own SchenkMMA.

Female Bantamweight (135lb) of the Year.
Submission of the Year.
Fight of the Year.
Female Fighter of the Year.
Female Featherweight (145lb) Fighter of the Year.
Female Newcomer of the Year.

I know you are thinking to yourself right now well who won these awards? Well our answer to you is you are still going to have to listen to find out. The link to the show is below.

WMMA Awards Part 3

WMMA Awards: Part 2

2012-01-18T17:15:00.000-06:00

Just in case you missed the WMMA Awards for 2011 we thought we would post the links to the awards show so that you could listen to them in case you missed them. The WMMA Awards were so big this year that it actually had to be split up into three different shows just to be able to honor all of the winners in 2011.

Part 2 of the show gave the following awards, and was presented by MarQ from Wombat Sports and Sam Wilson (Just in case you didn't know Sam won the 2010 WMMA Legacy Award).

Headline of the Year.
Sponsor of the Year.
Amateur Female Fighter of the Year.
Mighty Mia Inspirational Fighter of the Year.
Special Discussion on who we lost in Female MMA in 2011.

WMMA Awards: Part 1

2012-01-17T17:05:00.000-06:00

Just in case you missed the WMMA Awards for 2011 we thought we would post the links to the awards show so that you could listen to them in case you missed them. The WMMA Awards were so big this year that it actually had to be split up into three different shows just to be able to honor all of the winners in 2011.

Part 1 of the show gave the following awards, and was presented by MarQ from Wombat Sports and Katrina Belcher from The Ultimate Female Fighter.

Knockout of the Year.
Promotion of the Year.
Female Strawweight (106lbs) of the Year.
Female Flyweight (115lbs) of the Year.
Female Super Flyweight (125lbs) of the Year.

I know you are thinking to yourself right now well who won these awards? Well our answer to you is you are going to have to listen to find out. The link to the show is below.

WMMA Awards Part 1

SchenkMMA CEO on MMA Gospel Radio

2012-01-16T20:00:00.000-06:00

SchenkMMA's very own CEO was invited to be on an MMA Gospel MMA Round Table to close out 2011. If you would like to check out the Round Table discussion please click on the link below.

MMA Gospel #116: End of 2011 MMA Round Table Discussion.

SchenkMMA: SchenkMMA CEO on Wombat Sports

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

The CEO of SchenkMMA was recently a guest on Wombat Sports to discuss the current and future states of WMMA with MarQ. If you are interested in hearing the discussion please check out the link below.

Wombat Sports Podcast: Featuring Chris Schenk CEO of SchenkMMA.

SchenkMMA: Presents an Interview with Jody Bottone

2011-12-05T22:32:00.001-06:00

We are honored and privileged to bring you an interview with Jody Bottone. In case you don't know who Jody is you might know her on Twitter as MuayThaiJody. She is also the awesome Graphic Designer who helped us take our new logo from a concept on a piece of paper to the finished product which we just unveiled last week. We are grateful to Jody for her willingness to work many hours with our team to make our logo what it is today. We would highly recommend Jody to anyone who is looking for a logo redesign or an initial logo build, she has great customer service and as you can see by our new logo she is a great Graphic Designer. Without giving away all of her secrets here is our interview with Jody.

SchenkMMA: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Jody: My name is Jody and I live in NJ, the Jersey shore area (not to be confused with that TV show), I have a wonderful husband and two awesome dogs, a bulldog mix and a greyhound. I am a graphic artist by day and at night I'm either hanging at home or at the gym doing Muay Thai.

SchenkMMA: How did you get interested in Martial Arts?

Jody: I enjoy working out and wanted to do something outside of a home workout without joining a typical gym. I was always a big fan of kickboxing videos so I thought I'd look for some real form of kickboxing to learn, might as well earn a belt & learn some self defense while working out. I didn't realize that I'd become hooked so fast. It quickly became more than a workout, I really wanted to learn the proper form and technique then not too long after I started to spar (which I never thought I'd do). Martial arts is great, you're constantly pushing yourself, pushing your own boundaries.

SchenkMMA: Do you currently practice any Martial Arts? If you do what belts do you hold in what Martial Arts?

Jody: I currently practice Muay Thai. I began training in April 08. I'm at my third gym now so my belts aren't consistent. The first gym I trained at for almost 2 years where I received a purple belt. I was spending just as much money traveling to the gym as my monthly membership and couldn't afford it anymore so I switched gyms, stayed with the 2nd gym for 1-1/2 years where I went from white to purple again. Then just this past June I switched gyms again and now I currently train at Girl Fight MMA where I have a white belt.

SchenkMMA: What got you interested in MMA?

Jody: My first interest was Muay Thai but everybody at the gym talked about UFC / WEC, and even though I didn't have much interest in the ground part I started watching so I could see the stand up part. I quickly became hooked and would watch all the free fights on TV. I then started to follow WMMA as well. There's been some big changes in the sport for women just in the last few years. It was so awesome seeing Cyborg v Carano for the first Strikeforce 145 belt then seeing them add the 135 belt. Hopefully more changes to come soon.

SchenkMMA: What do you do for work?

Jody: I'm a graphic artist. I work for a transportation company full time We have our own print shop with printing presses so we do everything in house; business cards, forms, annual reports, signs, brochures, postcards, posters, banners, etc. I've also worked on instruction manuals and packaging for some playstation and Wii games; I've done CD inserts, photo retouches, logos, book covers, etc. I have a portfolio online at http://www.jodybottone.com/portfolio.html with some of my work.

SchenkMMA: Tell us about your hobbies?

Jody: Muay Thai of course, other than that I like to hang out with my husband and my dogs.

SchenkMMA: What is the last book you read?

Jody: I'm reading a series of books called the Spook's Stories by Joseph Delaney, so the Spook's Nightmare, book 7 was the last book I read. Starting book 8 this week!

SchenkMMA: What is a normal day in your life like?

Jody: Get up at 5:15, get to work at 7am, at lunch I do a run/walk during the week weather permitting. At home, I lift weights 3x a week and do bag work or some form of cardio, I also go the gym for Muay Thai about 3x a week. Then, its cook, eat, clean, sleep, repeat!

SchenkMMA: What is one of your life motto’s you try to live by?

Jody: Just Do It (Nike got it right)

SchenkMMA: What is your dream job to one day be doing?

Jody: Well of course I love my full time job but since I like graphic arts and I love MMA it would be awesome to be able to do any type of graphic arts in the MMA industry, that would be ideal! Fight posters, program books, ads, clothes, anything would be awesome and it would be fun!

SchenkMMA: Which is your favorite MMA promotion currently and why?

Jody: UFC. My husband & I love to go to UFC fights, we go to the weigh ins and Q&A the day before, we make a whole trip out of it. I'm so lucky my husband likes watching the fights too! We've been to a lot of great places and met lots of cool people. Can't wait to see where UFC takes us in 2012!!

SchenkMMA: What drives your passion for MMA? And WMMA?

Jody: The challenge, the focus, and how I'm constantly able to push myself. The longest minutes (seconds) of my life are in the gym but the rewards are well worth it! These are tough workouts, you need to be focused, learn to trust your body and not let your mind stop you. When you think you can't do something, you just do it, you don't stop, you don't quit, you just do it....and that's what I love! After all this time I am still amazed at what my body can do. I feel I can always challenge myself and grow in this sport as there will always be room for improvement. Martial arts has made a big difference in my life, I've learned respect, humility and I feel more confident and balanced too.

SchenkMMA: What is your favorite kind of music to listen to?

Jody: I like rock, heavy metal.

SchenkMMA: What is your favorite blog that you read at least a couple of times a week?

Jody: I probably check out cagepotato.com the most.

SchenkMMA: Is there anyone you would like to thank or send a shout out to?

Jody: You of course! I'd like to thank you for this interview! I'd also like to thank Prairie Rugilo from Girl Fight MMA for the use of the gym and Karen O'Brien for the awesome picture!

* Last but not least Jody from all of us here at SchenkMMA we are very thankful for all you have done for us and we look forward to working more with you in the future.

SchenkMMA: New Logo!!!

2011-11-21T21:06:00.001-06:00

Check out our new Logo!!! Leave us a message and let us know what you think.

UFC 139 Picks: SchenkMMA Team vs. 4 Year Old

2011-11-19T12:00:00.000-06:00

Ok once again it is time for the SchenkMMA team picks for the latest UFC event which just happens to be UFC 139 with Shogun vs. Hendo as the main event. But this time we are going to throw in a little twist into the mix and see how things come out. This time we are going to list the SchenkMMA team picks and also we called in the CEO's 4 year old son to make his picks and we are going to see who comes out on top. So let's get this started and see if the Office staff or a 4 year old does better at picking the winners of a UFC 139. We also added some comments from the 4 year old as to why he made each of his picks.

P.S. - We might add that the 4 year old is already an avid MMA watcher and has already started training in MMA so he might have a slight advantage going into this contest.

Mauricio Rua vs Dan Henderson

SchenkMMA Team: Henderson

4 year old: Henderson (because he looks like a Champion - quote from 4 year old)

Wanderlei Silva vs Chung Le

SchenkMMA Team: Chung Le

4 year old: Chung Le (because he doesn't like Axe Murders - quote from 4 year old)

Urijah Faber vs Brian Bowles

SchenkMMA Team: Urijah Faber

4 year old: Brian Bowles (Because I like the way his last name sounds - quote from 4 year old)

Martin Kampmann vs Rick Story

SchenkMMA Team: Martin Kampmann

4 year old: Rick Story (Because I like to hear stories - quote from 4 year old)

Stephan Bonnar vs Kyle Kingsbury

SchenkMMA Team: Stephan Bonnar

4 year old: Stephan Bonnar (Because I don't know the other guy - quote from 4 year old)

Ryan Bader vs Jason Brilz

SchenkMMA Team: Ryan Bader

4 year old: Ryan Bader (Because he looks like a mean wrestler - quote from 4 year old)

Michael McDonald vs Alex Soto

SchenkMMA Team: Alex Soto

4 year old: Alex Soto (Because I like his nickname - quote from 4 year old)

Tom Lawlor vs Chris Weidman

SchenkMMA Team: Tom Lawlor

4 year old: Chris Weidman (Because I don't like things that are dirty - quote from 4 year old)

Gleison Tibau vs Rafael Dos Anjos

SchenkMMA Team: Gleison Tibau

4 year old: Rafael Dos Anjos (Because I like him he's a good fighter - quote from 4 year old)

Miguel Angel Torres vs Nick Pace

SchenkMMA Team: Miguel Torres

4 year old: Nick Pace (Because I like his name - quote from 4 year old)

Matt Brown vs Seth Baczynski

SchenkMMA Team: Seth Baczynski

4 year old: Matt Brown (Because Brown is going to win and that other guy is just going to loose - quote from 4 year old)

Shamar Bailey vs Danny Castillo

SchenkMMA Team: Danny Castillo

4 year old: Danny Castillo (Because Bailey is just going to loose - quote from 4 year old)

Getting to know WMMA via Twitter Series: Wombat Sports

2011-11-18T19:00:00.000-06:00

If you are in the WMMA community and you haven't been to the Wombat Sports site then I don't know if you can really (honestly) say that you are in the WMMA community. MarQ is the one of the leaders in WMMA journalism and his site is second to none. If you haven't checked it out yet then please follow this link (Wombat Sports) and give it look it will be well worth any time you can spend reading and educating yourself in the world of Women's Combat Sports. So without further a due let's get right to this week's Spotlight with MarQ and Wombat Sports.

SchenkMMA: Tell us about yourself.

Wombat: I am the news editor of WombatSports.com - the biggest site for Women's fighting sports; such as MMA, boxing, grappling, and kickboxing. I was also a chair of the G2 Women's MMA Summit this past summer.

SchenkMMA: What Martial Arts have you studied?

Wombat: I studied karate when I was younger, and, although it not necessarily a martial art, I did wrestle in high school.

SchenkMMA: What got you interested in WMMA?

Wombat: I conducted an interview with Kaitlin Young right before her match with Gina Carano on my entertainment podcast "Somewhere in Vegas" in 2008. After watching her fight Gina, I was hooked.

SchenkMMA: Why do you follow SchenkMMA?

Wombat: It's been a great mutual relationship. Between the interviews on both of our sites to helping each other when needed, it's more than worth the follow.

SchenkMMA: Anyone you would like to send a shout out to? or mention?

Wombat: The journalists I have worked with to help promote the sport - Rob from MMA Rising, Tim from WMMA Today, Veronica and Kristen from WMMA Round-up. Also three people that have helped the sport this past year especially - Sam Wilson, Slade Bittler, and Janet Martin. All the fighters of course. Finally Mia Hayes, who even after her death has helped the sport grow stronger, and the WMMA community come closer together.

UFC on Fox Picks From The SchenkMMA Staff

2011-11-12T12:00:00.000-06:00

We have went back and forth in the office on this upcoming UFC card but eventually you have to make some decisions. This is what the "Majority" of the staff has decided are our picks for this fight card.

Cain Valasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos - The Staff has picked Cain Valasquez to win this fight and to retain his belt. I think Junior has a good chance at taking Cain's belt but as I stated above the "Majority" thinks this is Cain's fight.

Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida - The Staff is going for Ben Henderson on this one but I am have watched and liked Guida since he started I love his heart and I think we are all going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

Pablo Garza vs. Dustin Poirier - All of the staff think Pablo Garza is going to win this fight.

Ricardo Lamas vs. Cub Swanson - The Staff is picking Cub Swanson by Decision to win this fight.

Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama - The "Majority" on this fight were pulling for Darren Uyenoyama so that is our decision for this fight.

Robert Peralta vs. Mackens Semerzier - The Staff is pulling for Mackens Semerzier to win this fight.

Paul Bradley vs. Mike Pierce - Everyone in the office thinks this is Mike Pierce's fight.

Matt Lucas vs. Aaron Rosa - The Staff said they liked how Aaron Rosa likes to brawl so the "Majority" vote is for him.

Getting to know WMMA via Twitter Series: Marie Hunte

2011-11-11T19:00:00.000-06:00

We are honored here at SchenkMMA to be able to bring you not only the top names in WMMA today but also the up and comers. This week you will get a chance to meet Marie Hunte she is just getting started down the path to becoming a fighter but as anyone who follows this young lady knows she has the heart of lion and the will to accomplish anything she puts her mind to. If you aren't following her currently on Twitter you should look her up and give her a follow. We'll help you out by putting a link to her Twitter account right here - MH_Wildcat. So without further a due we would like to introduce you to Marie Hunte.

SchenkMMA: Tell us about yourself.

Marie: My name is Marie Hunte. I'm 27 years old. I live in Mississauga Ontario but I was born in Trinidad and Tobago. I've always been sort of athletic. What I mean by sort of is that I'm always training in something but when it was time to compete I've never been able to get out there. But now it's time to get in there and put in the work. I'd like to say I have a back up plan so to speak... I still have a full time job (Starbucks) and a college diploma (Everest- banking and financial services) but my passions are martial arts and writing...

Currently writing my first book... (young adult/teen fiction), working hard to pay the bills and training at Xtreme Couture Toronto...

SchenkMMA: What Martial Arts have you studied?

Marie: In the past I've studied boxing (novice) and a little bit of Muay Thai (also novice).... until I re-aggrivated an old injury that has kept me on the sidelines for about a year and a half... But I want to get into a full MMA game...

SchenkMMA: What got you interested in WMMA?

Marie: What got me into WMMA was MMA it's self... I've been watching it for about 5 maybe 6 years now but didn't get bit by the bug until I saw UFC 100... there was something about the complete over-all game of GSP, or even Frank Mir (even though he got pounded out by Lesner) But what did it that night for me was Dan Henderson's KO win... I've always been a fan of Boxing but found that MMA saticfied something more within me.... So I went looking to see what the ladies looked like... and saw Kerry Vera, Cyborg, Miesha Tate, Tara LaRosa, Sarah Kaufman and yes Gina Conviction herself... and I knew that this was something I wanted to do... They inspired me...

SchenkMMA: Why do you follow SchenkMMA?

Marie: I follow because SchenkMMA is showing all female fighters love and support. I know first hand how hard it is to get that for what we do... For people to believe what we're doing and that we are just as good as, if not better than, the big boys. And I also wanted to return the favor... they're following me too. :)

SchenkMMA: Anyone you would like to send a shout out to? or mention?

Marie: As of right now... I just want to thank you for this opportunity to get to know me a little better... there's so much more but one step at a time. I also want to thank all of my followers for sticking with me through my venting and rambling... and just out right randomness...

Oh and before I forget... COMING SOON!!!! Precision FightWear

Getting to know WMMA via Twitter Series: Ashley Salazar

2011-11-04T19:00:00.000-05:00

We have been trying to get out these Spotlights out every Friday but some times that just doesn't work out that way. We are honored to have been able to finally get Ashley Salazar in our Spotlight and we think it was well worth the wait and we hope you will too. If you don't know who Ashley Salazar is maybe you know her as a Model? no, maybe you know her as an actress? no, maybe you know her from her extensive photography portfolio? no, then we are sure you must know Ashley as the WMMA fighter that she is and training hard to become everyday. So without further a due and comments by us that I am sure you could do without we present to you our loyal fans and followers Ashley Salazar.

SchenkMMA: Tell us about yourself.

Ashley: Professionally I do a little bit of everything, modeling, acting,
photography, I want to one day own a few magazine publications and
also be a film director. Hobby wise I like to work out, spent time
with my family and friends and am always thinking about how I can step
up my game. To be honest, a lot of my life has been so dramatic that
one day I should just write a book but I won't bore you with all that,
just know I am one hell of a go-getter and I don't plan on stopping
anytime soon.

SchenkMMA: What Martial Arts have you studied?

Ashley: Meditation, assessment, distance, evasion, blocking, striking, Muay
Thai Kick Boxing, Western Boxing, & Tae Kwon Do, Clenching, throws &
takedowns, submission wrestling, ground & pound and in the future
hopefully weapons as well.

SchenkMMA: What got you interested in WMMA?

Ashley: I started doing MMA myself one day when I was offered a fight title as
a "hot girl" fight here in Saint Louis. After my first fight what can
I say, I was hooked. There are things that I never had in my life that
MMA has given me, I can't even begin to explain what is has done for
me. Confidence in myself, knowing how to protect myself from being
abused, the friends I've made are beyond priceless. I am so thankful
to anyone who has ever been a training partner or a coach of mine
despite a few broken bridges along the way.

SchenkMMA: Why do you follow SchenkMMA?

Ashley: Because the MMA info that comes out of SchenkMMA is great, up to date and not just some "fake" news promo tweets that a lot of these MMA
companies put out. Also because they support me and the movement of
WMMA which some seem to think isn't existent.

SchenkMMA: Anyone you would like to send a shout out to? or mention?

Ashley: My amazing unstoppable team: DeehJhay Redd Entertainment®,
Elite-Showcase, Chillin with Jeff and Kenny-C, Marq Piocos, Slade, HB Models Management and Marketing, My webmaster Donald :)
Paul Brown (living rock god) The entire staff & featured family at
Missoohlalaa.com aka Ian, Brandon, Tara, Jeremy, and Courtney Nicole and Karina.

All these amazing kick ass people, friends and fans: @bestdamnmodels
Bob Bullard, Stewart Smith, John L. Ocasio Gorotiza ! @ColinParris
@SusanneSaville (buy her book) @whblogspot @mmablogspot @SexyLadyShow
@tomcblock @hotnonymous @sweetdaddyD69 @bobw1o @MissPrettyBrwn
@soldierboy1000 @tennhilljack @DennissdaMenace @OddSocietyCo
@dcmason09 Mike Dye , Chris Eugene Inman, Ryan Burns, Brian Pusczek,
Matt Erickson, John Bonner, Hungreed Pereyra , Jake Wilke, Jason Ray ,
MUA Lanete Oretta (Book her!), Judson Corbello, Corey James ( HAPPY
BIRTHDAY), Christopher Edenloff Œ , Gary Powers, Ekay AllDay, Adrian
Ruess-Kneebone, Erwin Prera Jr, Winfield Agonoy, Jason Ray , Jeremy
Hayward, Cory Kimbrough , Victor Lopez, John Austin , David Castillo ,
George Seals (prettyboybeats), Jack Monday, Danial Soprano Spina ,
Jeremy Beile, Jim McClelland-Hopper BU3 Jim Hopper US Navy Upland,
California, and lastly Ralph Rodriguez III :)

And SPECIAL thanks and BIG shout out to SchenkMMA !!!

Getting to know WMMA via Twitter Series: Bree Davis

2011-10-07T20:00:00.000-05:00

This weeks Spotlight is about Bree Davis most of you probably know her on Twitter as BJJJuneBug13. She is a great lady and is always willing to chat with anyone who has something good to say. She is a very motivated and driven person and it is our pleasure to have her in our Spotlight this week. So without further a due here is Bree Davis.

SchenkMMA: Tell us about yourself.

Bree:

About me? Let's see... I'm 38 years old & live just outside of Seattle, WA. I have 2 pretty amazing kids, I spend WAY too much time on Twitter & I can't imagine how I ever lived without my iPhone. Aside from that, my life is all about martial arts.

SchenkMMA: What Martial Arts have you studied?

Bree:

I grew up in a wrestling family (dad's a coach & brothers wrestled) so I suppose I got the bug early, but in West Michigan, there aren't many options. As an adult, in Seattle, I discovered kickboxing & fell in love. That academy also offered Taekwondo & Hap Ki Do, so I studied those as well. Mostly I focused on TKD, going to 3rd degree black belt. Though I loved teaching, I knew that style wasn't for me. I turned to Muay Thai, which led to MMA & now Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Kinda feels like coming full-circle after being born into wrestling. I'm very passionate about teaching women's self-defense, fitness MMA, kickboxing & BJJ!

SchenkMMA: What got you interested in WMMA?

Bree:

I became interested in MMA in general at the taekwondo school. I'd heard about the UFC but it didn't sound appealing til I heard Randy Couture was involved. I'd watched him wrestle in college & checked it out to support him. I got hooked fast. I didn't really follow WMMA until I started training in it... I guess about 2006. But I never did get to train with many women then.... After being attacked on 2 separate occasions & using my MMA training to successfully defend myself, I decided more women needed to know about this. For fun, fitness, self-defense, as a career, or to support husbands/boyfriends who are into MMA, it's a terrific sport for women! I'm incredibly lucky to get to make a living coaching them.

SchenkMMA: Why do you follow SchenkMMA?

Bree:

Who wouldn't!? SchenkMMA supports & highlights women as a very legitimate segment of the MMA community. With so many barriers still to break down, it's awesome seeing the ladies get some MMA love.

SchenkMMA: Anyone you would like to send a shout out to? or mention?

Bree:

Shoutout to Schenk for highlighting women in MMA! ....to my brothers & sisters at Gracie-Barra Seattle for putting up with me every day & to my kids really who want me to stop typing & DRIVE already!