If you ask anyone who they feel is the most identifiable face and name associated with women’s mixed martial arts, the female ambassador, you will almost always hear Gina Carano. Gina is the unofficial face of women’s MMA, a title bestowed upon her, and one I know personally, she does not feel she deserves.
This is not to say Gina thinks she is unworthy of such a moniker. However, in many conversations she and I have had, Gina feels strongly that there are not only other female cage-fighters who also warrant this title, but some who have been at it longer than her.
Enter the extremely skilled, gorgeous and likeable Erin Toughill.
Her first MMA fight was in 1999. She began kickboxing at the age of 18, only to add Brazilian Jiu-jitsu to her arsenal just two years later. In July of 2000, Erin made her professional boxing debut.
In what would eventually become typical Toughill fashion, Erin sought out the best fights she could sign, including a bout against the most recognized name in women’s professional boxing, Laila Ali.
Erin was on a self-prescribed fast track, growing as a fighter and relentless in her pursuit of women who could bring out her best.
This dual combat sports athlete entered 2007 with a professional boxing record of 7-2-1, while simultaneously holding an MMA record of 10-2-1.
I find this especially impressive, because in all of mixed martial arts, men and women combined, it is not the norm or easy for fighters to mount winning records in both MMA and boxing.
This may change in the coming years as more and more athletes are truly well-rounded fighters. Plus, let us not forget the Arlovski’s of the MMA world, training under legendary boxing coaches like Freddy Roach. His hands sure did show results from that assistance.
In examining her own career origin, Erin Toughill has gone on record, stating that she began all of this training to find a positive outlet for her aggression. That outlet may turn out to be a lot more positive than even Erin ever anticipated. Her story, however, is not without the dramatic pitfalls that one would expect from most compelling Hollywood stories.
Exit Erin Toughill from fighting? Really?
In 2007 Toughill proclaimed that she was officially retiring from fighting in both boxing and MMA. As of this very day, I am still unsure why she did it. She would, however, find a new endeavor to take up much of her time, as season two of American Gladiators added Erin to their roster, where she would go by the name Steel.
But Steel was not the first or only cage-fighting female to compete as a Gladiator. Gina Carano, whose gladiator nickname is “Crush,” also happened to be a cast member who was with the show from its rebirth, season one.
Now anyone who knows both Carano and Toughill knows that they share a mutual respect for one another. So, one cannot help but think that this collaborative venture may have influenced Erin’s comeback in November of 2008; that and the continual rise in popularity of MMA.
Carano was opening doors that would be available to many women fighters in due time. It just so happens that Erin Toughill was already poised for mainstream attention.
Since that comeback, Erin has built up a three fight win streak, scoring one TKO and two unanimous decisions. She may also be slated in 2009, to take on the one opponent fans of MMA are clamoring to see Gina Carano take on since the fall of EliteXC…Cris Cyborg! Let us hope she gets this fight too. A win, by the way, would set up a mega-fight between two American Gladiator warriors, as Crush versus Steel would be on!
Erin is truly one of the lucky few who remain well-within their prime, despite having come onto the scene slightly ahead of their time. In so many instances, the result of being ahead of one’s time is a professional shortcoming an athlete is forced to deal with, in retrospect.
Erin Toughill stepped into the cage at a time before anyone believed MMA, let alone women’s MMA, could flourish. And now that Erin Toughill is right there in the mix and ranked accordingly amongst the top echelon of fighters, women’s MMA may likely be seeing another representative who will absolutely do it maximum justice.
I had the good fortune to catch up with Erin Toughill again, just prior to her most recent win at Palace Fighting Championships (www.palacefightingchampionship.com), where we discussed her long term plans in MMA. And yes, Erin having long term plans means Erin fights on. At least this story has a happy ending to it.
- YACMAN
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