Colombian blended martial artists Alejandra Lara earned her nickname “Azul” in her youth, due to her love of the colour blue. Happily, nonetheless, blue doesn’t characterize her way of thinking. Regardless of dwelling with ADHD and having not too long ago recovered from reconstructing again surgical procedure, Lara is returning to MMA for a principal occasion with the Combate International promotion, and she or he could be in her greatest psychological and bodily situation but.
Muscle & Health sat down with the buff magnificence to learn the way life’s challenges, together with a string of losses contained in the cage, has lastly put her in a spot the place she will understand the true potential she must be considered one of MMA’s most intense forces of nature.
“I’ve had many lives,” explains Lara, who, earlier than MMA, was in musical theatre, private coaching, studied to be a instructor, and even picked up a ardour for aerial silks and pole dancing coaching. Lara grew up with ADHA, (Consideration-Deficit / Hyperactivity Dysfunction), a situation that makes it very tough for individuals to give attention to issues for lengthy durations of time. “It’s true, I’m nonetheless this lady,” she shares. “I contemplate that, now, a superpower.”
As a self-professed “hyperactive” youngster, Lara gravitated in the direction of expressing herself bodily. Singing and dancing proved to be a fantastic outlet for her extra power, however the tough and tumble of faculty, the place she usually felt like an outsider, gave her the information that quite being scared to battle, she truly relished these violent moments of being punched, and putting again. Lara explains that as a youngster, she was as soon as concerned in a enjoyable ‘battle membership’ type brawl that received out of hand. “I simply realized that I cherished that,” she shares. “Even after I received punched, I felt some ache consuming (for a few days), however man, I felt that was so enjoyable and I spotted that I preferred it.”
Alejandra Lara Feels that ADHD has Tremendous Cool Advantages
The MMA star explains that, for her, a few of the advantages of ADHD are “tremendous cool,” explaining that her hyperactivity offers her power. “It makes me the fighter I’m”, she explains. And, regardless of discovering it laborious to be affected person, Lara has discovered that she’s extremely fast learner. Initially enrolling in karate at simply 4 years previous, Lara went away and got here again on the age of 8 and later grew to become profitable in nationwide tournaments, the place she was usually required to battle males on account of an absence of girls. “I’ve an power that could be very explosive,” she shares. “[In martial arts] I can specific myself with the complete depth of my soul. I at all times really feel so free [when] coaching, boxing, and wrestling, grappling, I at all times really feel so alive. I like this, that is my dream life.”
Lara continued to check many martial arts disciplines, together with kung-fu, and jiu jitsu, and was invited to develop into a risk on this planet of MMA. “It appeared like a pure transition,” she says. As a rookie, she gained that first MMA match in 2011, and amassed six wins in opposition to only one loss, together with a victory for the Gained CFN Flyweight championship. Excitingly, she then signed to Bellator in 2017, and was profitable in her first outing, even being thought of as a high 5 contender, however was maybe pushed too far, too quickly, together with her second bout; an unsuccessful Bellator Ladies’s Flyweight World Championship problem in opposition to Llima-Lei Macfarlane, who was at the moment nonetheless undefeated.
Regardless of shedding one other outing in opposition to Juliana Velasquez, Lara bounced again and amassed two victories thereafter however, alas, her closing 4 outings with Bellator dealt her some merciless losses. Two of these losses have been significantly laborious for her to abdomen as a result of DeAnna Bennett and Diana Avsaragova had missed weight, coming in heavier than they need to, that means that Lara was pressured to battle at catchweight in opposition to opponents a lot heavier than herself.
It’s a topic that Lara hasn’t needed to speak about with the media an excessive amount of, by way of worry of being labelled a complainer, however in a frank chat with M&F, and together with her epic return simply days away, the fighter is now in a position to share her emotions. “Even when ‘this’ lady didn’t make weight, I by no means discuss excuses, or ‘I misplaced due to this.’ Not even taking my again points to the desk, however now I’m realizing that it’s a narrative that may assist different individuals, too. I don’t contemplate (these challenges) as unfortunate, however after all, I needed to be taught, in a foul method, lots of issues,” she says.
A kind of issues was the necessity for a method going ahead. Lara has discovered to know that she is an improvisor, and though this has labored properly for her many instances, extra is required of her at this stage of competitors. She must put agency plans in place.
Alejandra Lara is studying to plan her victory as an epic MMA return looms
“I at all times got here to the cage simply to battle, to not win, and that’s (why) I needed to face how my thoughts works,” says the fighter. Alongside her ADHD superpower, Lara is lastly studying to plan. “Everyone knows I’m robust, however that’s not the purpose. I must win too … That’s the distinction now.”
Happily, when the fighter stepped away from MMA competitors in February 2023, she was additionally in a position to lastly handle a severe again situation that required regenerative surgical procedure. The 29-year-old says that whereas she has experimented with all types of diets and has been vegetarian, she felt that animal protein was wanted to assist her heal totally, and is now feeling higher than ever forward of her conflict with nine-time kickboxing champion Gisela “LA Emperatriz” Luna (who’s a late alternative for the injured Lucero Acosta). Whereas ‘Azul’ gained’t be freely giving her newfound methods earlier than the match, she is happy concerning the prospect of the battle forward.
“I really feel very assured,” she says. “I’ve to cope with that lack of confidence that comes with shedding a lot [laughs]. I imply, I needed to be taught, and in addition to know that I’m a great fighter, you already know?” Alejandra Lara has the potential to be greater than only a good fighter, however whatever the lead to her return matchup in Miami, “Azul” will at all times be a very inspirational human being.
Tune in: Combate International MMA: Azul vs. Luna airs stay Might 11, 2024, at 9:30pm on Fuse. For more information go to: https://combateglobal.com
