Ballito beauty packs a punch
Amanda Lino is South Africa's first national amateur woman MMA fighter.
People who say Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a male sport have not met Ballito’s Amanda Lino, who recently became South Africa’s first national amateur woman MMA fighter.
Lino will travel with the South African MMA team to the Amateur World Champs and will be the first woman in Africa to go to the tournament, which will be hosted in Las Vegas in July.
The 23-year-old has only been doing MMA for three years.
“I started mainly to get fit and the sport really taught me discipline. Besides helping me lose weight, I enjoyed it so much I decided I wanted to compete,” said Lino.
However, she struggled to get her first fight because of the lack of female competitors in the sport.
“I trained for about a year doing sparring, conditioning and fitness. When I got my first fight I was competing in the above 80 kilogram weight division,” said Lino.
Since that first fight in 2011 which she won, Lino has dropped two weight divisions and is now at her ideal weight at 63 kilograms, which is testament to the fitness requirements of the sport.
She trains at the small Ballito Bulldogs dojo which is run by her coach Guy Sheehan. Her hard work in the Rocky style gym has paid off as she will soon make her way to Las Vegas.
“At the moment I am preparing for the champs and honing my skills. The tournament is an elimination format with fights every day,” said Lino. To progress, she will have to beat each of her opponents.
“We are not too sure what to expect so I am just going to be ready for anything,” she said.
“She is becoming known for her devastating power. In her last fight she knocked out her opponent in eight seconds,” said Sheehan.
Looking to the future, Lino hopes to see the sport become professional for women fighters.
“I want to prove that girls can fight,” she said.
“A lot of people associate MMA with street fighting, but it really is not that hectic, it is a controlled sport. It is not just about hitting someone, you learn how to protect yourself,” said Lino.
Lino is appealing for sponsors to help her get to Las Vegas and is hosting a fundraising event at Salt Rock beach on Saturday, June 7.
There will be a surfing contest at 7am followed by a Mr and Ms Fitness competition on the beach. Then at 6pm there will be a prize giving and after party at Burnedale.
Contact Lino on 076 678 2156 for information.
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