UFC Fight Night 155: Germaine de Randamie talks about her controversial fight with Holly Holm and more (Exclusive)
At UFC Fight Night 155, Germaine de Randamie is about to face Aspen Ladd in the main event of the night.
Before her fight, I have the chance to ask her a few questions. Coming off a controversial win over Holly Holm and a win over Raquel Pennington here's what she had to say.
Tune in to Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 2 HD to catch all the live action from UFC Fight Night 155 at 5:30 AM on the 14th of July.
Q. Your return to the Octagon came after a 21-month break after defeating Holly Holm. How important was defeating Raquel Pennington to you at the time?
It was the most important thing to me. Not because of the Holly thing. I had gotten very badly injured. For a long time, I was never really sure if I would ever be able to come back and fight ever again. It was seriously all about me. It was not about anything else. It was me, my team, my coaches, my friends, my family, everyone that supported me during those 21 months that I was not able to fight. It was for us. It was absolutely the most important thing.
Q. Your victory over Holly Holm saw some controversy and you received a lot of hate for it. Was it difficult to cope with that hate?
Oh no, not at all. To be honest, I have said it before recently in an interview. Some fighters get caught using steroids, using cocaine, a hit and run, and they are forgiven. I got a life sentence for everything that happened during the Holly fight. It is what it is. I can't turn around. It was unintentional and I've got to move on. I'm really looking forward to fighting Aspen Ladd. She is young, up-and-coming and she is hungry. I have my hands full with her ahead of this fight.
Q. What has your training been like ahead of this fight?
Good! It was a very short training camp. I had a fight like 5... 6 weeks ago. It was short, explosive and I'm ready to go.
Q. What is your opinion of your opponent, Aspen Ladd?
I respect her. She is an athlete. She is a colleague. I have the utmost respect for her, but we have to fight. After that we will shake hands and after that we move on, no matter what happens.
Q. Outside of fighting, what are your hobbies?
I play soccer. I am a little bit sad that Holland lost to United States (laughs). I feel a little bit pressure that I have to make it up. I love surfing. I love my dog, spending time with my dog.