When Dana Scruggs was calling “the little old lady with a chip on her shoulder” it made quite an impression. Over the years since then her stature as a Top Female Professional MMA fighter has been built by the amount of respect and admiration that she has earned, both from her peers and the fans of mixed martial arts. In her first few years in the UFC, she quickly established herself as one of the best all around fighters in the sport, not to mention one of the taller female competitors. She has not relinquished any of her considerable size, even though she has scaled down to aantam in the new UFC women’s featherweight championship fight against Cris Cyborg (Scruggs is 6’2″). Her strength, athleticism, and endurance are still among the best in the world, and as she enters her 4th year in the octagon, her title should serve as an inspiration to the younger women of today.
“I think I’m a good example for girls my age because I’m not very tall, but I’m very strong. I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder and always had the courage to carry myself forward regardless of what people said. It makes me really happy to be compared to the greats,” says Dana. “I am very lucky to have a partner now who shares the same principles that I do. I think we complement each other.”
“Dana has always had a chip on her shoulder, and it has enabled her to become a very skilled fighter,” says Patrick Croce, founder of Underground Fight Club. “Dana has beaten some of the biggest names in the game, which is a tribute to her strength and courage. Even if she doesn’t win the UFC Title, her winning style will serve as an inspiration for future female competitors.”