Former UFC vet exclaims after landing a job as an English teacher
UFC fighters often explore other combat sports outside of MMA or turn coaches after their time in the octagon. Some are known for exploring other jobs too; in a recent case, a teaching job.
Roxanne Modafferi is a retired American fighter of Italian descent who racked up 45 professional MMA bouts, nine of which came inside the octagon. She primarily fought at flyweight across various promotions such as Smackgirl, Strikeforce, and Invicta.
Retired since February 2022 after her last fight against Casey O'Neill at UFC 271, Modafferi recently took to Twitter to announce that she has landed a new job as an English teacher in Japan:
"I got the job! As an English teacher! Yay #ESL Mrs. Roman has entered the classroom!"
"Hired! The 'fighting English teacher' is back" [Translation from Japanese via Google]
The accompanying picture was a mirror selfie of a bespectacled Modafferi looking ecstatic.
Check out her tweet below:
I got the job! As an English teacher! Yay #ESL 雇われた！「戦っている英語の教師」が戻ってきた！ Mrs. Roman has entered the classroom! https://t.co/gS4lkRPFb8
'The Happy Warrior' holds a major in Japanese language and literature, which factors in well for her job as an English teacher in the country. She also has prior experience in the same role, having taught English in Japan right after her graduation in 2005.
Modafferi is also an accomplished writer who regularly contributes to the MMA website Bloody Elbow and has published two books, 'How to be Positive: Mental Training by the Happy Warrior' and her autobiography, 'Memoirs of a Happy Warrior'.
Former UFC champion Luke Rockhold comes back from retirement but leaves the promotion
Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold tentatively announced his retirement after his last fight against Paulo Costa in August 2022. A three-fight skid and a three-year hiatus from the cage due to injury contributed to his decision.
However, Rockhold has decided to return to combat sports and announced that his request to be released from the UFC has been granted. In an interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, he spoke about his relationship with Dana White:
“I’ve done my thing in this sport, and I’ve always been amicable with Hunter Campbell at least. Me and Dana [White] always haven’t seen eye-to-eye, and we’ve had our differences, but I’ve been through some injuries and some things, and I’ve done my thing. I asked for a release. I asked for my freedom to be able to go and do things elsewhere. And I was granted that."
Rockhold then mentioned the latest high-profile fighters to exit the UFC, Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou, as reference points for his future prospects in the sport.
Check out his comments below: