Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Staff Writer

MMA’s week out of the cage: McGregor faces off with a seal, Usman gets BJJ black belt, International Women’s Day

Social media has become a significant part of the sporting landscape. But few, if any, professional sports match the level of interaction and personal access provided by MMA.

In an individual competition in which nearly every athlete is chasing the same goal of financial success and championship glory, it’s important for fighters to provide insight into their lives in order to connect with fans and gain followings.

Although the life of a fighter often can be mundane and repetitive, there still are moments of interest that take place outside the cage, ring or training room. Here are some of the most interesting of those occurrences from the past week.

* * * *

International Women’s Day

View this post on Instagram

For International Women’s Day I want to put the spotlight on this incredible soul, my mother. She didn’t know her husband was going to die in a car accident leaving her to raise a hellish wild child (me) on her own. In all honesty, I was afraid she was going to send me back to Russia (many times she should have) BUT she didn’t! 🙏🏻 She teaches me how to be a strong independent woman not through words, but through example. She shows me how my own life can improve by helping others unconditionally and without expecting anything in return. I’ve already made this promise to her… one day I’ll be able to take care of her the way she has taken care of me. When I’m ready to have children of my own, I hope to be what my mom continues to be for me- a hero. It’s rare people like her who want no attention for their selfless acts that should be praised for their efforts every single day! Love you and miss you Laurel Kish. Happy International Women’s Day! #internationalwomensday #internationalwomensday2019

A post shared by Justine Kish (@justinekish) on

View this post on Instagram

#happywomensday Feliz dia das mulheres pra você que precisa de uma data pra ser respeitada. o dia da mulher pra mim é todo dia, sou lutadora, um corpo que eu escolhi, realizei todos os meus sonhos profissionalmente e todo dia é meu dia. Dia das mulheres poderia ser lembrado alguns anos atrás, hoje conquistamos mais que muitos homens, ganhamos muitas vezes mais que muitos homens, bem mais sucedidas que muitos homens. infelizmente a moda é ser “feminista” l FEMINISTA sou eu e milhares de mulheres que não se vitimizam atrás de gênero. “a gabi mas você teve sorte” oi? Eu tive foi muita vaia, muita gente contra, muita gente me desmerecendo, já limpei banheiro. A diferença é que na minha vida eu sempre me coloquei no mesmo degrau dos meus amigos homens. Pare de lutar por modinha de “mulher” e va lutar por seus sonhos. sou mulher e com orgulho mais homem que muito homem. Quando vejo quanto eu conquistei na vida eu agradeço a Deus por nunca ter me colocado na posição de vítima. Feliz dia das mulheres pra você que ainda precisa de um dia no ano, eu ainda me contento com os 364 dias que eu faço parte. #gabigarcia #teamgabigarcia #bjj #jiujitsu #bjjwoman #wmma

A post shared by Gabi Garcia (@gabigarciaofficial) on

View this post on Instagram

Happy International Women’s Day to all the wahine toa out there. What better way to celebrate the divine feminine energy in the world than to officially launch the 2019 Ilimanator Scholarship campaign for young native girls. This scholarship provides indigenous knowledge and cultural enrichment opportunities to native girls ages 12-19, and opportunities to travel both state side and internationally. Statistically, indigenous women and girls face abnormally higher rates of violence than any other demographic, and it is up to us to change that. Let us kako’o these kaikamahine, so that one day they may grow into strong wahine toa. The link to donate and more information on the cause is in my bio. Mahalo mahalo mahalo 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽. #InternationalWomensDay #IlimanatorScholarship #wahinetoa #MMIW #NativeLikeWater #pineappleprincess #ilimanator

A post shared by Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (@ilimanator) on

Animals of Instagram

View this post on Instagram

Whale vs Seal. This time it’s personal.

A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on

View this post on Instagram

KINGI. Safe. #bully #family #dogsofinstagram

A post shared by Makwan Amirkhani (@makwanofficial) on

Weekly eats

View this post on Instagram

Breakfast…

A post shared by Chael Sonnen (@sonnench) on

View this post on Instagram

. Midnight snack🍜 . #sakuraba #夜食

A post shared by Kazushi Sakuraba (@saku39ks) on

Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and engagements

View this post on Instagram

Outline for an awesome anniversary: 1️⃣ mma training 2️⃣ mitts with Bae 3️⃣ cardio tennis class tonight 4️⃣ dinner at our favorite spot (The Melting Pot) 🙏🏼 thankful for you being in my life these past 4 years baby, love you to Heaven & back! Happy Anniversary! Shoutout @engageind for having us looking fresh 🔥 make sure to check out their page and show them some love 💜 ———— 💪🏼 @1upnutrition – ‘princess’ 🍑 @yogavated_athletics 🎾 @tonicactive ‘danielle20’ 🧖🏼‍♀️ @orlandobeauty 🧜🏼‍♀️ @blondempire ———— ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ Make sure to check out my fav companies ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ ———— #gym #gymmotivation #fit #fitness #fitspo #fitfam #fitspitation #fitnessmotivation #fitnessmodel #fitnessgirl #legs #booty #bootypics #athlete #motivation #workoutideas #pr #lift #liftheavythings #biceps #arms #upperbody #yoga #paddleboardyoga #acroyoga #partneryoga

A post shared by Danielle Nickerson (@platinumprincessofficial) on

Children of MMA

Activities and adventures

View this post on Instagram

괌에 괌🐠 #guam

A post shared by 김동현>마동현 (@maestro_kdh) on

Random leftovers

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.