Popular mixed martial arts reality show The Ultimate Fighter is a way for the UFC to develop its talent, market its product and entertain its fans.
But for fighters like TUF 18 contestant Jessica Rakoczy, the show represents much more than that. It is an opportunity for a better life.
“It was the biggest chance of my life,” Rakoczy told sportsnet.ca in a phone interview. “I’ve had boxing titles, but this is the best opportunity that I could ever have in the fight game.”
Rakoczy, a single mother, was raised in Hamilton, Ont., and after briefly moving to Denver in 2000 she has been living and training in Las Vegas for over 12 years. She is one of 16 women vying for a six-figure UFC contract on the new season of TUF.
Watch The Ultimate Fighter 18 every Wednesday on Sportsnet 360 starting with the season premiere on Sept. 4 and get weekly episode recaps on sportsnet.ca – Broadcast Schedule
Though Rakoczy, 36, is relatively new to MMA, with only five pro fights under her belt, she is a seasoned veteran of combat sports.
Before transitioning to MMA, Rakoczy was a pro boxer, winning multiple world titles including the WBC Female World Lightweight Championship.
While she was pregnant with her son, Rakoczy started watching a lot of MMA and that’s when she decided she wanted to give it a try.
Without knowing much about the sport, she made her MMA debut in October 2009 but wasn’t successful in her first several bouts.
“The first two fights, I wasn’t very smart about it and I took them because I just had a son and I was really stressed out,” Rakoczy said.
In her debut she was TKO’d by Michelle Ould at the first Tachi Palace Fights event and her follow-up performance four months later didn’t go much better, as she lost to eventual Bellator champion Zoila Frausto Gurgel by submission.
Just two months after that, despite making vast improvements in the gym, she fell to 0-3 after losing a split decision to the popular Felice Herrig at Bellator 14 in Chicago. Rakoczy insists she won the fight and that Herrig was awarded a biased hometown decision.
Following the loss to Herrig, Rakoczy, still determined to make a mark in MMA, continued training and developing her skill set.
“I wasn’t sure how to finish, so I definitely went back to the drawing board and tried to learn little things,” Rakoczy explained.
“I thought I would be fine with just my striking. There’s just so much to MMA that I didn’t realize.”
She isn’t a member of an MMA team. Instead she trains with her coach – kickboxing champion Dewey Cooper – either at his house or at Mayweather Boxing Club, which is home to boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
In order to improve her grappling, she trains jiu-jitsu at the gym of Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion and new UFC light-heavyweight Robert Drysdale.
Though she’s known for her striking prowess, Rakoczy said she truly enjoys learning about grappling and how to apply certain techniques in a fight.
“You feel helpless when you don’t know how to defend anything, so I’m enjoying it a lot more than when I first started.”
We’ve seen in the past pro boxers fail at MMA – cough, James Toney, cough – because they don’t choose to, or are unable to adapt their style and stance to MMA. Rakoczy, though, said she can take some of what she used in the Sweet Science and apply it effectively in the cage.
“My movement in boxing has helped me get out of the way of kicks or takedowns. Being able to move on my feet is definitely an asset to me.”
Rakoczy typically competes in the 125-pound division, but she said the opportunity to appear on TUF 18 was too great to pass up simply for a size disadvantage.
Filming for the show recently concluded, but the competitors and media are under a strict embargo from the UFC to ensure no results or spoilers are leaked to the public until the episodes air, so you’ll have to watch the show to find out what happens with Rakoczy and the other fighters.
In the premiere episode, 16 women will compete for eight spots on the show, which features coaches Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate.
Sixteen men will also vie for eight spots in the TUF house in the first season of the show that features both sexes.
Regardless of how far she makes it in the tournament – she needs to win her first fight just to makes it into the house – Rakoczy said her TUF 18 experience was good.
“Everything was definitely a positive, even when you get hurt. To have to keep going and have your mind strong when your body is hurting and telling you to stop – just to have that mind over matter, it’s very rewarding to know that you can still finish and do well.”
The female side of the TUF 18 cast features some talented veterans, but Rakoczy wasn’t intimidated by names like Tara LaRosa, Shayna Baszler or Roxanne Modafferi because she wasn’t aware of who they were.
“I can honestly tell you that I didn’t know not one girl,” explained Rakoczy, who said she doesn’t own a computer. “But I know what it’s like to be a fighter and the sacrifice it takes. This has been such a blessing and I can’t wait for everything to be shown. It’s such a huge opportunity for women in general.”
Rakoczy has been through a lot in her life, including the death of her mother when she was a teen.
TUF 18 has afforded Rakoczy the chance not only to improve her skills as a mixed martial artist, but also to improve the lives of herself and her son.
It’s that type of human element that adds to the show’s appeal.
