Colombian blended martial artists Alejandra Lara earned her nickname “Azul” in her youth, due to her love of the colour blue. Luckily, nevertheless, blue doesn’t signify her mind-set. Regardless of residing 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 World promotion, and he or she might 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 one in every 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 woman,” she shares. “I take into account that, now, a superpower.”
As a self-professed “hyperactive” youngster, Lara gravitated in direction of expressing herself bodily. Singing and dancing proved to be a terrific outlet for her extra power, however the tough and tumble of college, the place she usually felt like an outsider, gave her the data that fairly being scared to struggle, she really relished these violent moments of being punched, and placing again. Lara explains that as a teen, she was as soon as concerned in a enjoyable ‘struggle membership’ fashion brawl that bought out of hand. “I simply realized that I liked that,” she shares. “Even once I bought punched, I felt some ache consuming (for a few days), however man, I felt that was so enjoyable and I noticed that I favored it.”
Alejandra Lara Feels that ADHD has Tremendous Cool Advantages
The MMA star explains that, for her, among the advantages of ADHD are “tremendous cool,” explaining that her hyperactivity provides her power. “It makes me the fighter I’m”, she explains. And, regardless of discovering it arduous to be affected person, Lara has discovered that she’s extremely fast learner. Initially enrolling in karate at simply 4 years outdated, Lara went away and got here again on the age of 8 and later turned profitable in nationwide tournaments, the place she was usually required to struggle males because of an absence of ladies. “I’ve an power that may be very explosive,” she shares. “[In martial arts] I can categorical myself with the complete depth of my soul. I all the time really feel so free [when] coaching, boxing, and wrestling, grappling, I all the time really feel so alive. I really 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 turn out to be a menace on the 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 prime 5 contender, however was maybe pushed too far, too quickly, along with her second bout; an unsuccessful Bellator Girls’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 had been significantly arduous for her to abdomen as a result of DeAnna Bennett and Diana Avsaragova had missed weight, coming in heavier than they need to, which means that Lara was pressured to struggle at catchweight in opposition to opponents a lot heavier than herself.
It’s a topic that Lara hasn’t wished to speak about with the media an excessive amount of, via concern of being labelled a complainer, however in a frank chat with M&F, and along with her epic return simply days away, the fighter is now capable of share her emotions. “Even when ‘this’ woman 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 take into account (these challenges) as unfortunate, however in fact, I needed to study, in a nasty means, loads of issues,” she says.
A kind of issues was the necessity for a method going ahead. Lara has realized to know that she is an improvisor, and though this has labored effectively 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 all the time got here to the cage simply to struggle, 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 powerful, however that’s not the purpose. I must win too … That’s the distinction now.”
Luckily, when the fighter stepped away from MMA competitors in February 2023, she was additionally capable of lastly deal with a severe again problem that required regenerative surgical procedure. The 29-year-old says that whereas she has experimented with every kind of diets and has been vegetarian, she felt that animal protein was wanted to assist her heal absolutely, 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 making a gift of her newfound methods earlier than the match, she is happy concerning the prospect of the struggle 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 study, and in addition to know that I’m a very good fighter, you recognize?” Alejandra Lara has the potential to be greater than only a good fighter, however whatever the end in her return matchup in Miami, “Azul” will all the time be a really inspirational human being.
Tune in: Combate World MMA: Azul vs. Luna airs reside Could 11, 2024, at 9:30pm on Fuse. For more information go to: https://combateglobal.com
