5 Things You Didn’t Know About Shayna Baszler’s MMA Career
A Look At 'The Queen Of Spades' MMA Reign.
Though she has only been in the business since 2015, Sioux Falls, South Dakota's own Shayna Baszler has become one of the top female performers in NXT.
During her time with the promotion, commentators often make reference to her mixed martial arts background. However, despite the fact that she competed in MMA for nearly fifteen years, only her most hardcore fans know much about her career inside the cage.
Baszler has more than just another pro wrestler who dabbled in combat sports. The former Invicta FC headliner competed in 26 professional fights (along with two UFC exhibition bouts) and was one of mixed martial art's early female standouts. The 38-year-old has also faced some of the biggest names in the sport, including both reigning and former UFC champs.
In an effort to get newer fans up to speed, or perhaps provide a trip down memory lane for her longtime followers, it's time to take a look at some of the moments that defined Baszlers' noteworthy MMA run.
As we will see, Shayna Baszler was already a legit pro athlete long before her pro wrestling debut.
5. Baszler Has Wins Over Two UFC Title Challengers
Shayna Baszler finished her career with fifteen wins as a professional mixed martial artist. Moreover, the current NXT Women's Champion didn't pad her stats against lesser competition during her time in the cage.
In March 2006, 'The Queen of Spades' defeated Julie Kedzie at Freestyle Combat Challenge 22. Kedzie would go on to compete for the Ultimate Fighting Championship and give former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate a run for her money.
In 2010, Baszler won a unanimous decision victory in a bout against current UFC fighter Alexis Davis, at Freestyle Cage Fighting 40. As some fans may recall, Davis unsuccessfully challenged Ronda Rousey for the UFC Bantamweight Championship a few years back.
Another one of her signature wins came in 2006 at MARS: BodogFight —an event held in Tokyo, Japan. That evening she was able to submit Roxanne Modafferi in the first round. Modafferi recently challenged Nicco Montano for the UFC Women's Flyweight Championship but failed to capture the title.
Bazler would finish her career with a 15-11 record overall.