The Power Fitness and Strength of "Miranda Maverick"
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Hello, my name is Miranda Maverick - fearthemaverick is my cage name. I am currently a UFC fighter. I fight in the flyweight division which is 125 pounds, and right now I am ranked 14th in my weight class in the world. At 24, I have been fighting for about six years, but I started Brazilian jiu-jitsu (bjj) about 7 1/2 years ago. When I started BJJ, I was almost 17 years old and grew a passion for it in just a couple of weeks. That is when my MMA journey began. I am now a multiple world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and I’m currently a brown belt. In MMA, some of my key accomplishments are turning pro before I turned 19, winning the Phoenix series 2 tournament for Invicta FC, which was three fights in one night, & finally making it to the UFC after many hardships and times of feeling lost or hopeless. |
How do you get ready to train for your sport/how do you train? |
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For those who don’t know, MMA stands for mixed martial arts. That means I do every kind of martial art I can, to prepare for my fights. However, my main focus is on Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and wrestling. I love adding more and more to my game, some of which I’m interested in are taekwondo and boxing. Depending on the day I work out anywhere from 3 to 5 hours a day, sometimes specific to a certain martial art and sometimes all of it put together for live sparring, which is basically a practice fight. In addition, I make sure that strength and conditioning are on point as well from lifting to running. And diet, especially invite camp which means the time leading up to the fight is the most important aspect out of everything for me because we have to make the wait and do a weight cut which is going down from what we walk around that to the waiting limit which for me is 126 pounds. No matter the day, I have a mouthpiece, BJJ gi, boxing gloves, shin guards, and MMA gloves in my bag, even when I travel. |
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My level in the sport is very nice to have help during the weight cut process and recovery process from the weight cut and the training sessions. I have a nutritionist who basically walks me through every step of the way, and medical and nutrition specialists with the UFC who help me with recovery to put the right things into my body that fuel me for my fights. I also keep a lot of products on hand for recovery including my life pro foam roller and massage guns. Stretching is very important every day and luckily I have Denver Chiropractic who also takes care of me regularly. To avoid injuries we do our best to be technical during sparring and not add too much power so that our head and body do not take too much trauma. Bruises and scratches are normal though. MMA is not kind to your body. During the weight cut for my fight which is usually the last two weeks leading up to an event, water loading with Northern chill perfect pH water, saunas, sauna suits, and hot baths are how I cut weight. My favorite thing to put back in my body after the cut is chocolate milk I am known for it LOL. During my fight camp (usually 8 weeks from the competition) I stay very strict with my diet. I use Denver clean eats as my go-to meal prep company and have my meals made with specific macros that my nutritionist suggests based on my training schedule. As the fight gets closer I cut out more carbs and fats from my diet usually keeping the proteins the same and I make sure I drink at least a gallon of water a day. |
If there is someone wanting to get to your level, what type of advice would you give them? |
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Deciding to do MMA is not an easy journey. I’m blessed that I had the team environment I did when I started the sport and also that my level of competition was less because the MMA world was fairly new to females. It is not a sport that has a season but year-round whenever you decide to take a fight so it can be very hard on your physicality. My advice is to be very careful that you train smartly it’s not always about being the toughest. I’ve had many injuries from not taking the time off that I needed to or recovering correctly and that is a hard lesson to learn. If you want to take MMA seriously find a good team that cares about your well-being and get gear that is high-quality that can help protect you. Getting a fitted mouthpiece is very important. Also because sports are entertainment industries it’s smart to start networking early. Also, be prepared to not make money for a very long time but the other rewards such as the highs and lows that you get from the sport can be life-changing. |
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My current schedule is crazy. I currently work part-time as a contracted status Titian for the Hershey company's media marketing team (yes the Hersheys chocolate). I am also finishing up my thesis, have started Fear The Maverick, LLC (Fearthemaverick.net), have started commentating for fight promotions, occasionally host seminars, and train 3-5 hours a day. I keep an agenda on me at all times so that I get everything to fit into my days. I figure it is best to hustle while I am young so that I can enjoy a successful future when I am older. |
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It was initially very hard for me to start social media which I began right before I turned pro in MMA. Social media can be very corrupting but it can also be very beneficial if you have the right outlets. As I’ve matured and gotten older I’ve had many different phases with social media and still sometimes have trouble. The more successful you get the more haters you will attract and some can be very cruel. That used to have quite an impact on my attitude when reading certain comments and stories made about me. I’ve learned to embrace it and focus on the positives, and I do my best to block the creepy perverts and those who have nothing good to say. I continue to grow my social media in all aspects and have gained a lot of confidence, even doing more photoshoots now and being comfortable with who I am, what I look like, and who supports me. Social media has gone from a negative to a positive in my life even helping me make an income. I have Instagram Facebook and Twitter that I keep up with and all may start being more active on TikTok and YouTube soon. |
Anything else you would like to share? |
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I got into the sport with support from my father and he still stays in my corner for every fight. As I said previously I think having a strong support system from your team to those around you is very important for your success in all aspects of life. I started the sport with the hope to reach my potential and I’m still trying to find that. I’m blessed to live the life I do and this path has been a very amazing one. I’ve gotten to meet people I never thought I would build very strong relationships with and traveled to places I never thought I would either. I thank God for these opportunities. |
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I would tell myself to not be anxious or worry about the future and to keep working hard like I was then. I would tell myself that people really are wrong and that you can do what you’re setting out to do. I would also tell myself to not project my own expectations from how I was raised onto others and to stand up for what is right even when it isn't popular because you'll grow to regret a couple of moments in your life. And I would tell myself to focus on the end goals and keep my family close throughout my journey. |
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Website: FeartheMaverick.net Ig: FearTheMaverick_homt Fb: Miranda “Fear The” Maverick Twitter: @Fearthemaverick Linktree: linktr.ee/Fearthemaverick |
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Link to Miranda Maverick's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fearthemaverick_homt/ Miranda Maverick is a UFC fighter. She fought in the flyweight division and ranked 14th in her weight class in the world. |
Common question for beginners:"How long does post workout recovery last?"After a relatively light workout, your muscles may be able to recover in 24 hours, whereas a more challenging workout might take two to three days. Very intense workouts might take even longer.
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