MMA Fighter Mia Hayes’s Toughest Battle

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Mia Hayes is ready to fight tonight at the Tuff-n-uff MMA card in Las Vegas, but even though she is in for a battle with Brittany Griffin in the amateur ranks, her biggest war has been raging on the pat few years. Hayes was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in 2008.

“The doctors gave me a scenario (that) I had a year to five years to live,” Hayes stated. “I didn’t accept it. In 2008 I decided to follow my dream and become a fighter.”

Fightergirls interviewed Hayes on “Sportsgeeks” this week.

Hayes was a fan of Mohammed Ali going up, and wanted to become a boxer. She would ultimately change over to tae kwon do in 2003, and a few years ago, she started to train at Universal Grappling Academy in Victorville, CA. She found the strength in her coaches and team to continue her training during her fight with cancer.

After three months worth of kimo therapy, Hayes couldn’t take being on the drugs and not fulfilling her dream. She took the drastic move of getting off the kimo and changing her approach to her disease.

“I changed my diet. I am a total vegetarian now. I workout. I stay spiritually fed. So far I am shocking the doctors. The doctors don’t know what to say. The tumors and everything that is coming up on the tests have been decreasing.”

You would think that it would be tough enough to fight off breast cancer, but Hayes decided to adopt three little girls shortly after she was diagnosed.

“I had to start on kimo therapy, and had to close my daycare down,” Hayes admitted. “I said, ‘I’m not going to let that stop me.’ I still want to be able to reach out to children and help out children that are in need, so I got into foster care.”

Hayes also has four other children of her own, and sees them as an added motivation for her to fight on Friday.

“It’s an inspirational journey to see their mom…step in that ring face the cancer, face the opponent, and face the world, and say ‘We can do this!’”

The Tuff-n-uff MMA event is at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas this Friday starting at 7 p.m. pacific time. For those not in the area, you can see the card streamed live for only $10 by going to http://www.GoFightLive.tv.

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• Martial Arts/Combat
• MMA

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