Jussely Canada Interview

Jussely Canada is a student of someone well known to women's MMA fans, Sarah Maloy. At just sixteen years of age, Jussely has already done quite well in Grappling and Pankration tournaments and has her sights set on an MMA career when she turns eighteen. I have really enjoyed interacting with Jussely, she has a very positive attitude and outlook and is very humble. I think that for many years to come we will be hearing more and more of the name Jussely Canada.

Q: Have you always been athletic?
A: Yes I have been. I've played a whole bunch of sports. I played softball most of my life. I got burned out on that so I started with Martial Arts about a year ago.

Q: What about MMA made you want to try that?
A: I just figured out that women did it and I have always watched and been interested in fighting. So I just thought I would try it.

Q: I know you have said your parents are very supportive but were they concnerned at first?
A: Yes! My mom didn't think I was gonna go through with it. She still cries at everything I do whenever I am fighting.

Q: Do you expect it to be harder for them when you are actually fighting and they have to watch you getting punched?
A: Yeah I do. My mom and dad both when I when I went to Pankration they took it very hard when I was getting hit.

Q: With your Grappling and Pankration, is there anything you are most proud of so far?
A: I am really proud of going to Vegas to compete. I didn't win but I was doing it for three months and fought a girl who won it three years in a row and competed in the women's division that day.

Q: How hard is it to balance training with the every day life of being a high school student?
A: It is really hard to balance my homework and gym time. I go home and do homework at go to the gym about 5:00PM and stay till about 8:45PM.

Q: Is the plan to fight as soon as you turn eighteen?
A: Yes, that is my plan right now.

Q: Is it hard to see people you know fighting and know that you still have to wait over a year?
A: Yes it is very hard. I have only watched Sarah fight once cause she fights out of state so much. Her boxing fight, it is hard to see her get hit. I watched her husband (Blake Welch) fight once and that made me really fall in love with it, her was the first fight I went to.

Q: How important has Sarah been to your training?
A: She is very important to my training. She pushed me to be my best in everything I do. One day I walked in after Vegas and said "I need you to do me a favor, I need you to just beat me so once I get hit by a professional fighter, it won't be anything to get hit by the girls my size."

Q: What is the best thing about training with her?
A: That would be grappling, she makes me better at what I am not very good at. Sparring with her is really fun. The support her and her husband give me is awesome.

Q: Besides Sarah are there other female fighters you enjoy watching?
A: I love watching Cassie Rodish and Liz Carmouche. I think they are amazing athletes and awesome people.

Q: One thing I like is that a lot of people your age, doing what you are doing and meeting who you meet, they might get a big head, you are the opposite, what do you attribute that to?
A: I don't think I am ever better than anyone else. I was raised like that. I am very thankful for what I have. The people I have met, I just see them as regular people.

Q: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
A: I see myself still fighting. I want to open my own gym eventually. I would wanna be a champion somewhere, like Invicta or UFC.

Q: Sarah did her boxing match, would you ever wanna do boxing?
A: I like MMA a lot better. I could see myself boxing but first I wanna take MMA fights.

Q: Anyone you want to thank?
A: All my training partners and coaches. My family and friends.