When you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready — a phrase commonly heard amongst fighters, with Rebecca ‘La Mariposa’ Watford, this is no exception.
Rebecca Watford heads to Canada for short notice WBC Title Fight
Underdog Denver based Muay Thai fighter Rebecca Watford chases her WBC championship dreams on short notice as she travels to Canada to fight this Saturday May 31. You can purchase and view the PPV here, please be sure to mention Rebecca’s name in the checkout:
Rebecca Watford isn’t your typical fighter. By day, she’s an elementary school teacher, and by night, she’s a fierce Muay Thai competitor preparing for a high-stakes international title fight.
With just one week’s notice, Watford is set to challenge for the WBC international belt at 110 pounds, a dream she’s pursued for over a decade. Her journey to this moment is anything but conventional. After spending nearly two years fighting in Thailand, where competing on short notice was the norm, Watford has developed a mental toughness that sets her apart.
“I’m used to being the underdog.” – Rebecca ‘La Mariposa’ Watford
“I’ve always had to grind,” Watford explains. “Being picked on in school, never being the popular girl – I’m used to being the underdog.” This mentality has fueled her remarkable career, which includes fights with One Championship and victories in Colorado state tournaments. Training with partners like Brian Medina and Austin Streicher, Watford is preparing for a challenging fight against a taller opponent.
Her strategy?
Utilize her signature knees and elbows, wearing down her competitor and potentially securing a finish in the later rounds. Despite the intense preparation, Watford remains humble and grateful. “The support from my teammates and family has been incredible,” she says. Her ultimate goal extends beyond personal success – she hopes to inspire her students and elevate Colorado’s Muay Thai scene.
Fans can follow Watford’s journey on Instagram at @Mariposa.Muay Thai and support her upcoming fight by purchasing the pay-per-view.
Check Out The Interview in the video of the full episode (starting at 46:52) or the audio below:
milehighsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rebeccaaudio.mp3
Check Out The ai Generated Interview Transcription Below:
Hi everybody. Welcome back to the MMA club presented to you by mile high sports. I’m your host. Jordan Kurtz, I am joined here with a special guest. I have a Mariposa. Rebecca Watford, how you doing today? I’m doing great. Thank you. First off, before we get too deep into the thick of things, where can people follow you? Instagram. Mariposa, dot Muay Thai, Facebook, too. Same thing. I don’t have a Instagram. Oh, yeah. I mean, that’s, I feel like that’s, I don’t know that the premier platform at this stage. I don’t really use tick tock either. But maybe you could say that’s an ageist thing at this point. I’ll put myself into that bracket at this stage. But get down to business here. You’ve got some big plans this weekend. Why don’t you share a little bit about the details? Yeah. So I’m heading up to Canada to fight for the WBC international belt at 110 pounds. Took that short notice. Yep. So that being said, I know it’s short notice, but does it being a title fight impact any of that little bit of preparation time that you have, or the mindset at all, or is it just hey, like, this is a fight. We’re going up there, we’re going into enemy territory and trying to get the job done. Um, all the above. I mean, to be honest, like, fighting for WBC belt is my dream, and we’ve been, I’ve been grinding in the sport for well over a decade, and that’s always been something that I’ve wanted to do. And, like, kind of just in my head, like, Oh, that’ll never happen. And here it is. So when the opportunity popped up, of course, I just grabbed it. And, you know, like, I fought in Thailand for almost two years, and it was always just like, you fight next week. So for me, like having a fight in one week isn’t anything new, just Thai style, yeah, fair enough. So I mean that, I guess, kind of leads perfectly into the segue for my next question. And I’ve gotta give you some of your flowers here, because I feel like, you know, I get to be in a fortunate position that you know, from my vantage point, where I get to see the growth and the evolution of a lot of fighters, just from, you know, from my position within the business, and seeing how time just allows for That journey to evolve and continue to develop for people. And you know, your story is no exception to that, from the time when you fought for us in combat club a few years ago to then following you along in the journey over to Thailand, seeing you basically break through some barriers that most people could never even dream of, no matter where they started in the stage, you know, going on, fighting in some of the big stadiums, fighting for one championship, doing some really big things within the sport. You know, now that you’re back here stateside, you have a lot more merits, if you will, to your resume, like I say that’s that’s just something you know. How can you share a little bit more about your journey, and just kind of reflect and share some depth on what you kind of just said, but add some more to it. I think just don’t give up. I’m really hard headed and stubborn, and when I set my mind to something, I do it, and I love the sport like I would do it anyway, but I just never gave up on myself. So that that’s sort of the big message, I think, that I hope that people will take from me, is just, don’t give up on yourself. Just push and listen, you know, like, I’m very fortunate that the past couple years I’ve been surrounded by people who’ve given me good advice, who have taught me and led me. And I’m very fortunate, you know, like in Bucha with Singa apex, like I just to be surrounded by people who are super supportive and pushing me. So, yeah, and you kind of mentioned it earlier, but would you say that that time that you spent in Thailand kind of served as a catalyst to be able to just have that gamer mindset, mentality, to say that, you know what? Hey, yeah, this is a big goal. This is a big challenge ahead of me on just a few days notice. But this is some something that I’ve done before. You know, this is not necessarily uncharted territory. Oh, absolutely. Like, I’m not, you know, of course, I’m like, I haven’t fought in a year. Um, but in Thailand, I fought every week, a couple of times that I fought twice a week. So, like, even when I had, like, a bigger fight in Thailand, they’d say, Okay, you go fight in a smaller stadium. Practice warm up fight. We call a warm up fight. So I was fighting like, once a week. Um, this obviously is not a warm up fight, but I’m kind of used to like, alright, we’re fighting next week. Cool, um, that definitely helps, like, with just being able to, like, stay calm and and focus, but like, not like feeling too much pressure in this moment, because really, there’s no pressure on me at all for this fight. You know, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. That being said, you kind of relish in this underdog we’re. Where does that mindset come from, or where does that come from? I don’t know. There’s something like inside me that just loves it. I don’t know. I think I’m just kind of used to it. I think part of like my my dog mentality, if you will. I don’t know what to call it. Just like the grinding mentality I have is that, you know, like I got picked on in school, like I’ve never been the popular girl. I’ve never been, you know, like I’ve always been, like, picked last so like to get anything in life, I’ve always had to grind. So just like being the underdog and being the away team is familiar territory for me, and I’ve come out of it on top my whole life. So just being in that situation is just like familiar and feels good. I’m sure, you know, this is probably a little bit of an element to it, as far as just the actual X’s and O’s or the logistics on the field or on the mat, if you will, when you’re training. But being that you’re on the smaller end of women, as far as weight classes already, that means that you’re probably not having a lot of training partners in the room that are women that are your size. In general, there’s not a lot of women out there, just comparatively, and say, you know, with with guys that are going to be in the training room, it’s more you’re going to have more guy training partners, I’m sure, especially, but there’s not many guys that are that small either, so it’s always going to be bigger people that you’re training with. And you know, for lack of a better term, you’re having to deal with some bully tactics at times in the room with training and whatnot, because it’s like, hey, like we’re trying to flow here, but at the same time, like my flow, you’re not really respecting anything. So I gotta go out here, and I gotta kind of earn it a little bit. Does that kind of play in? Yeah, I guess there’s probably a little bit of Napoleon’s syndrome, like a little scrappy do mentality, yeah, especially like coming up in Argentina. So I started doing this in Argentina and and the gym there is, like every, every sparring session was a hard sparring session, and I was even smaller back then. So, like, I definitely came up with that scrappy do. Like, I gotta make you respect me in the training room, for sure. Yeah, and that does come out in the fights who have been some of your training partners and coaches that have been helping you prepare for this? Brian Medina. He has a fight coming up as well, June 27 um, he’s been helping me a lot. Thank you for standing Southpaw for me. But he’s got a very similar style, we think, to my opponent, so we’ve been training, been sparring with him a lot. Austin striker has been holding pads for me. Been a great giving me some great like, tips and tools. He’s naturally a southpaw, so it’s great to have that as well. John Katie, I’ve been on the phone with him a lot. Yeah, those are, like, the big three right now this week that have been stepping up. Max midarsky as well, has been really, like, helpful. So those are the victory this week that are big four this week that have been really helpful, awesome to put something together. Yeah? I mean, there’s not a whole lot of time to put it together, but you’re, you know, you’re always kind of in camp, or you’re always training, so it’s just more or less now, you know, maybe a little bit more direction and purposed, right? Oh, yeah, I’ve been training for sure. I’m going to Thailand, actually, like three days after this. So I knew, like, once I get to Thailand, I’m probably, I’m going to have a fight within the week. So I was just training hard because I knew I was going to be fighting soon. And then something popped up, and I was ready. Stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready, right? Yeah, I know that you fancy yourself some knees. How do you see this fight playing out? She’s quite a bit shorter than me. I’m distance to travel. Yeah, it’s kind of going to be a different sub style as well. She’s an if my champion, I’m a stadium fighter, so kind of different rhythms. But I think the first two rounds are going to be pretty difficult for me. I think she’s going to come in pretty hot and have a lot of volume. I’m planning on using my teeps, and if she gets past tips, long, knees, elbows, because her punching range is my elbow range, and her kick range is my knee range, like I would probably, I’m probably about five six inches shorter or taller than her. So if she gets in, it’s just elbows and knees all day. I think I’ll start wearing her down by the third round and start building from third fourth. Hopefully I can finish her. Since I’m going to be in enemy territory, it’s probably gonna be necessary to finish her. So if I get the finish, it’ll probably be fourth or fifth round. Totally understand. Totally understand. Now, let’s switch gears here just for a second. What was your Muay Thai moment like? What was that time? Or maybe it was just, uh, maybe it was a day in the gym. Maybe it was something that you watched, but that moment where it hooked you in and you knew that this was you, this was your path. I think. Guess I didn’t actually start Muay Thai. My first combat sport was actually boxing. But I think the first time I, like, that was my gateway drag, and the first time I slapped on gloves, I was like, Where has this been my whole life? Like, this is my this is my obsession now, and I never, like, every single day in the gym for the past, like, 12 years. Um, but I think what really hooked me into Muay Thai probably when I won the Colorado State Tournament in 2022 or 2023 I can’t remember which year. I think that was the moment. And I was like, Oh, I can actually do this. Yeah, just like, that feeling of like, oh, this. I like, this is all coming together. Now I think that was it, okay, okay. That’s well said there. I gotta ask this on this end, because I would not be able to do it. But as a school teacher by day, and being around elementary kids, especially when it comes time to like to be cutting weight, or to be low on calories, and you just you don’t want all the extra noise, or all just the chatter, the little bugs that may come from the little ones, all of that, how much of It is a challenge for you to have to deal with that extra added element of adversity in the process. Or what, at least I consider adversity being the childless person over here. I think the biggest adversity I find from my career, from my job, is like scheduling training. I think that’s the hardest because I still train a lot like, I mean, I get my miles in. I run like, six miles a day, plus, like, hitting pads, back work, clench work, everything, weights, everything. I think that’s the hardest part. I love kids, so they’re little, they don’t bother me. Like, I love them, and they’re my biggest fans, and I’m hoping that, you know, like, by performing well in Muay Thai, like, I can be an inspiration to them in some way. But, yeah, it’s definitely difficult. I think we don’t have a lot of school left, so I think the next two days might be a little bit of, like, mindfulness, like, just trying to, like, stay cool, because I am depleted on calories at the moment, well, carbohydrates at least, but, yeah, the hardest part is just, but I don’t have a social life, like, I just, I work and then I’m at the gym until like, nine or 10 o’clock at night, and I sleep, and then do it again. That’s my life. But I love it. I wouldn’t this sport is like my true love, yeah. I mean, that’s kind of the fight life in in general, right? But so what you’re telling me, though, is it’s going to be a free for all and Miss waffles class the next couple days. Yes, we are doing coloring pages. We’re gonna watch a movie. If it’s nice, we’re going outside. We’re gonna leave his waffles alone, for sure. Fair enough. Fair enough. Now I gotta ask, What’s the toughest thing for you to give up? You mentioned being short on calories. What is if you had to say one thing that is just kind of your your regular comfort, or your go to What’s the toughest thing for you to give up while you’re in camp and while you’re cutting bread, bread? Like, yeah, like yesterday, I checked my weight, and I’m doing pretty I’m on track. I’m doing pretty well. Um, so I was like, Oh, maybe I can just have like, a buttery piece of toast this morning and just like that, like, mental fight of, like, no Rebecca, no was pretty rough. But like, pasta and bread for sure. Like, I have a sweet tooth. I have a really big sweet tooth, and my chi hack is, like, your Lacroix, or, like, however you say it, like carbonated water with a little bit of flavoring, because it just makes you the bubbles make you feel a little more full, and then, like, there’s this, like, a little bit sweet so I can get that out of the way, or, like, a little bit of dark chocolate, I’ll allow too. But bread, that’s that’s the one thing that really struggles with. Yeah, I miss it. I can totally understand, yeah, the the the carbs would be very tough. And I mean, especially because you’re still going through, and you’re training hard, so your body is asking for that replenishment, and if you’re craving carbs, I could only imagine just the mental gymnastics that you know that you’re going through right now as you’re you know, just a couple of days from stepping on the scale. Yeah. Now I gotta ask you, is there a song, a quote, maybe a movie scene, Bible passage, anything along those lines that tells the tale of Rebecca for this fight or for this camp. What a question. Oh my gosh. You know, after. Top of my head, I can’t think of anything, just that meme of, like, I got that dog inside of me. It was, like, cheesy as that is, but I don’t know. I kind of think that’s just how I feel, like, or maybe like, yeah, just I have like, passion in the sport, and only thing I can think of is, like, I got that dog inside of me, like, one week. Notice, okay, let’s do this. I don’t think it’s corny at all, man. Think that that’s a pretty spot on or a pretty accurate answer. You know, I get a wide variety of those. I to me, it gives a pretty good insight as to the person behind the fighter, you know, like everybody puts on, everybody has their masks, right, like that that you present out to the world and everything. But some of those questions kind of give you, or kind of give me, your introspective interpretation of yourself in those moments. So I don’t know, it helps, helps me kind of get a, get to know a little bit more about all the fighters that I talk to on a different level. So yeah, I appreciate that. I think that’s a really nice frame for that question as well. Because when you fight, I think the most interesting thing about fighting is whatever mask you’re wearing, it comes off. It’s just like the bear. It’s the bear. You. Who are you? I feel like, like, getting in a in a fist fight answers that question is, who am I? It’s kind of weird that I have, like, such a duality of personalities where I’m kind of like, Miss Honey as a teacher, and I’m really sweet and shy and nice and when I’m not fighting, but when I’m fighting, I’m mean, I’m very mean. I’m trying to finish I never, like, I’m never trying to point a fight. I’m always trying to finish it. So, like, duality in me is quite, quite weird. I think that, you know, it maybe just seems weird because it’s you. But from my position, like that, that’s, that’s that fighter side. You know, there’s, that’s a true martial artist, though, too. I feel like, like you have that ability to channel it, and you flick your switch right, like you flick your switch and you say it’s game time. But as we’re starting to tie some things up here, I just want to ask you, is there anything else that you want to get out there to your friends, family, supporters, Team sponsors, anybody out there that we haven’t hit yet? Yeah, my biggest thing is thank you guys. Like the amount of love I have felt this week from my teammates and my friends and my family, it’s just like, it’s just super motivating, you know, like, I want to go out there and do all and make you guys proud. I mean, like, they had a barbecue just now for apex, and they’re, like, making me chicken and zucchini and, like, weight cut friendly stuff. And I was like, This is so sweet. So that’s and you guys buy the pay per view. It helps. It helps. You know, like, the more eyes we get, the more it builds up Colorado Muay Thai, you know, we have a lot of really great fighters here, but all, like Muay Thai, is always on the coast, like New York and California, they get all the love. But, you know, like, the more eyes we can get on us out here, the more we can build up the great fighters that we have here in Colorado and get more opportunities for us as well. Absolutely, is there? Is there a link that people go to for the pay per view? And do you have a code? Yes, the code. Oh, that’s a good question. They have not sent me the code yet, but there is a link on the page, on Muay Thai World Cups page, and I will ask the promoter about I didn’t think about that. I’ll ask the promoter about the link. Sorry. My mind has been like, way cut finding the hotel. Like, when can I go train? Yeah, for sure. Yep. Well, people will, as long as we get that code for you, we’ll put that up in the video and the graphic and all that as well. So real quick one last time, can you please let everybody know where they can follow along if they want to keep track on you and keep tabs on the fight and your career here? Yeah, so you guys can follow me on Mariposa, dot, Muay Thai on Instagram. I post a lot of like training videos. I’ll be in Phuket all summer, so you guys can check that out. I’m sure I’m going to get some really big fight. What’s going to happen there too? Facebook and, yeah, that’s Hi folks, sorry. Oh no, no, no, you’re good. I didn’t mean to cut you off at all. Yeah, is there anything else that you want to get out there? No, just thank you guys for the support. I appreciate it. Awesome. Where there, there you have it right there. Folks, make sure that you check out the details and tune in for that pay per view this weekend. That is Rebecca Mariposa Watford. You can check her out again, fighting for the title this weekend. Short notice, underdog gamer mentality going in there to go and get that. Finish for the belt. Thank you so much for joining us here along. Thank you. Yep, absolutely folks. Stick around after the break, we’ll get back to you with more original combat sports programming here on the MMA plug presented to you by mile high sports you.
Rebecca ‘La Mariposa’ Watford Joins The MMA Plug Ahead of WBC Title Fight This Weekend Mile High Sports.
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