(Picture courtesy Ester Lin/InvictaFC) It’s been a long road for Colleen Schneider. Having fought all over the world and for many organizations, Schneider finds herself in Bellator in 2017 on one of the biggest cards in the company’s history. After Rebecca Ruth fell out due to injury, Schneider will be face Chrissie Daniels at “Bellator: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” at the L.A. Forum in Los Angeles this Saturday. Schneider will be a part of the preliminary card which will stream on Bellator.com.
Since her MMA debut in 2009, Schneider had a passion for the sport and became a sponge. Having practiced taekwondo before getting into the cage, she has since taken up everything she needed to be a complete fighter. This meant moving from San Francisco to Las Vegas, and ultimately L.A., where she currently trains at California MMA under WEC vet Chad George.
Many people would find changing gyms so often as a hindrance, but Schneider sees it as a way to find her “fighter self”.
“I felt I had all these tools in MMA from my traditional mixed martial arts background, but it took me a while to use those effectively in MMA. Part of it when you first start you got to figure out wrestling and grappling and punching. I could kick really well but I have to add everything else in. It takes tome to make it your own. It’s kind of the beauty of it. The way the fighters move are so uniquely them. As I have grown I have made my style and the way I fight more my own.”
Having been fighting for Invicta at 135, Schneider will be moving down to 125, a weight she is very familiar with. Schneider was the Super Fight League flyweight champion in 2013. She tells us the move back will be an adjustment, but she will feel stronger doing so.
Coming off a title loss to Tonya Evinger, Schneider is once again looking for a golden opportunity. With a win, she would be in the argument to become the first ever Bellator flyweight champion. Two of Bellator’s stars, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and Anastasia Yankova, are two of the top contenders for the title. Schneider feels one is more qualified to face her for a title.
“I think it makes more sense for MacFarlane to be a contender,” Schneider expressed. “I think Yankova has potential but I think she needs a little more time and experience in the cage for that.”
Haven’t seen MMA action since May, Schneider expressed she wants to fight more often in 2017, and feels her new promotion will give a chance to show off her skills to more fans more often.
“I hate having so much time off, and I have been waiting to fight. Just wasn’t given the opportunity. I am super excited t get back in the cage. I would fight every month if I could.”
We will be live in L.A. for Bellator throughout the week, so check in daily for new content.
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