Q&A with Female MMA Fighter Marissa “Shorty” Caldwell (4-1)

Marissa “SHORTY” Caldwell (4-1)

Marissa is 23, fights out of Cincinnati Ohio with Rod Housley and Team Vision (Lou Aldridge, Scott O’Brien, and Jeremy Pender), holds a BJJ blue belt under Aaron Thomas (a brown belt under Carlson Gracie Jr.)
She holds a job as a mentor at a rehab center for clients with special needs, coached grade school volleyball, taught beginner piano, volunteered at a crisis pregnancy center, and a team member of two christian retreats.
Marissa is sponsored by 3B, Fight Ribbon and Actual Fighter.
On September 18th Marissa “Shorty” Caldwell (4-1) will square off against the 2009 National Amateur Women’s Champion Jessica “Evil” Eye (6-0) of Strong Style Fight Team in the Main Event of the NAAFS “Eve of Destruction” Ohio’s first ever all female MMA Event.

MMAmadhouse.com was very pleased to be granted this interview with Marissa Caldwell, this is how it went down!

MadHouse- How is training coming along and how much are you looking forward to your fight with Jessica Eye on September 18th?

Marissa- Training is great… my team kicks my butt on a daily basis. I love that I have so many talented, but more importantly hard working fighters around me. I love that I go through so much hard training that the fights always seem like the easy part.

I’m pumped for the 18th! It’s the second time I’ll be going into a town to fight their “poster girl.” Also it’ll be the second time I get to hand an undefeated girl her first heart breaking loss.

MadHouse- NAAFS “Eve of Destruction” Sept. 18th is an all female MMA event, how do you feel about being the Main Event on a card that is sure to get a great amount of coverage across North America and beyond?

Marissa- It’s really just another fight for me. I do my best to stay focused on whats most important. I’m going to go in and do work, if that catches National attention awesome but even if it doesn’t I still come out knowing I gave my all and have no regrets.

MadHouse- What do you know about Jessica Eye and how do you see the fight going down?

Marissa- Jessica seems to have done well for herself in her area, but I don’t think she’s ever really been tested yet. I’ll be happy to do that for her. From what I’ve seen of her previous fights, September 18th will be a very bad night for her. I plan on dominating every aspect of this fight.

MadHouse- Please tell all the MMAmadhouse.com readers and your fans something we don’t know about Marissa Caldwell?

Marissa- I hate dolls, mannequins and wax figures… they freak me out. I hate onions, peppers and chives. I like red licorice not black. I like black olives not green. Repetitive noises like car blinkers clicking drives me insane, I like to draw, I like to fish, I hate high heels, I’m afraid of the dark if I’m by myself, I love karaoke, as much as I pretend to not care what people think I do, I’m my own biggest critic…honestly though the thing the fans should know is I’m really nothing special. I hurt, I bleed, I cry, I smile and laugh and live life the same way everyone else does just trying to make sense of it all and how I fit into the big picture. I think fighting above all else has made me face myself more than anything else ever could. I have been pushed to limits, dealt with frustration, raised my hands in triumph and held my head in disappointment, but I keep going and I learn a little more about who I am every-time I step out of the cage.

MadHouse- What are your goals and is there any one you’d like to meet in regards to MMA?

Marissa- Well I try to take it one fight at a time, but everyone dreams. I have had a fight offer recently for Japan but couldn’t take it because it was too close to this fight with Jessica. Strikeforce has been thrown around… I’d love to fight the best of the best in the future. I made my pro debut against Jan Finney at 145 which wasn’t the smartest fight of my career at the time, but it has been the most exciting thus far. I’d love to rematch her again one day at 135. In regards to meeting anyone in MMA, I’ve met Randy Couture, Rich Franklin, Jorge Gurgel, Kendall Grove, Ed Herman, Jens Pulver, and I’ll be doing a seminar with Jeremy Horn next Friday (put on by Intimidation Cage Fighting), but it’s like saying which of your colleagues you’d like to meet. We all get in there and give it our all, some have just been doing it longer or have been working harder so that’s where their recognition comes from. I’d love to pick the brains of many fighters but the top two for me would be Anderson Silva and Fedor Emelianenko

MadHouse- I always ask this question. If you had a fight tomorrow night what would you choose as your walk out music?

Marissa- I would come out to Best I Am by Flaw.

MadHouse- Are there any rule changes you like to see implemented in the world of women’s MMA?

Marissa- I think we should get as close as we can to NHB. A fight is a fight and you should be ready for anything. I’m not condoning life threatening, but I think that fighters should be down to fight no matter the rules.

MadHouse- What do you like to do for fun when not training?

Marissa- Play putt putt, go bowling, hang with my team, go to parks, spend time with my boyfriend, and surprisingly enough…sometimes I go to the gym for fun too

MadHouse- Do you prefer a ring or a cage to fight in and why?

Marissa- I practice in both, and I don’t really have a preference. It’s obviously an advantage to be able to back your opponent into a corner in a ring, but it’s also nice to work a lot of stuff off the cage that you wouldn’t be able to do against ropes. I’d say if I had to choose though, I’d pick the cage. There is something enthralling about being locked in a small space with someone you know wants to smash you just as bad as you want to smash them.

MadHouse- Where do you see yourself in five years?

Marissa- I really don’t know. I’d love to fight for Strikeforce or Bellator within the next year and keep going with that as long as possible, but in 5 years I really hope to be settling down and be starting a family of my own. I’ve always wanted to be a good wife and mother. Hopefully the next 5 years will bring some amazing experiences and opportunities. I’d love to go to Brazil and train there. I’d also like to one day be one of the first females to fight in the UFC. I’d fight a guy to get in if I had to. There are a lot of women that are very technical, strong and work hard and for Dana to say there just isn’t enough talent for a women’s division, lights a fire in me to prove him otherwise. Wherever I am in 5 years I know I’ll be happy, because I already have what is most important to me… faith, family and friends.

MadHouse- Nice, please feel free to thank any people or sponsors. Its been a pleasure to interview you and MMAmadhouse.com wishes you the best in the future and I look forward to following your career. Thank You

Marissa- My family and whatever higher power is up there that seems to like me at least a lil to not have smited me yet Team Vision is my family. Rod Housley has given me support, opportunities, and most of all he’s the best second dad a girl could ask for. I owe so much thanks to him and my gym. Aaron Thomas, Lou Aldridge, Scott O’Brien, and Jeremy Pender. They’ve all given me some “swagger” and I improve everyday with their knowledge and encouragement.

My sponsors 3B, Fight Ribbon and Actual Fighter.

Last but certainly not least, a big thank you to NAAFS for giving me the opportunity. WHO DEY THINK GONNA BEAT ME?

Props to Marissa Caldwell for the photos