"I think she is an excellent athlete, but she has two arms just like me...I believe it is a great opportunity to show my work again, and also to do what I love most and that is to fight...I'll give as much of me the same way as before and will try to make a great fight for the public," stated female mixed martial artist Carina Damm as she talked about her upcoming clash this Friday with Tara LaRosa at Shark Fights 14. Check out what else she had to say.
PC: How are you doing Carina?
CD: I am living in St. Louis with my husband, Luis Sapo [Santos], who is also a fighter, and giving lessons to children and women at Finney's Jiu Jitsu academy.
PC: How has training gone in preparation for your upcoming fight against Tara LaRosa?
CD: I train every day and now for this fight, I intensified my training in Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu.
PC: You are coming off of back-to-back losses for the first time since 2006. You reeled off 10 consecutive wins after those setbacks 5 years ago. What do you feel you need to do to have the same success this time around?
CD: Just train hard and believe in my potential to be a champion.
PC: You definitely don't have an easy road as LaRosa is one of the best. What do you think of her as a fighter?
CD: I think she is an excellent athlete, but she has two arms just like me.
PC: What type of fight are you expecting on Friday night; a standup fight or a ground battle?
CD: War!
PC: What do you feel are Tara's strengths and weaknesses as a fighter?
CD: I do not know this answer yet, but you will know come fight time.
PC: Where did you conduct your training for this fight and who are some of the people that helped you prepare?
CD: I do all of my training at Finney's gym. My coaches are Luis Santos, which is also my husband, for Muay Thai, Lucas Lopes for Jiu Jitsu, and Jesse Finney for MMA.
PC: Shark Fights is definitely on the come up in the sport. How does it feel to have an opportunity like this on HDNet against such a top female fighter?
CD: I believe it is a great opportunity to show my work again, and also to do what I love most and that is to fight.
PC: Does it change anything for you mentally to be bumped up to the co-main event?
CD: I'll give as much of me the same way as before and will try to make a great fight for the public.
PC: Best of luck to you on Friday night. Is there anything you want to say in closing; anybody you want to thank?
CD: Yes, I would like to thank my coaches and my sponsors: BMG bank, Finney's, Clinch, Elite MMA Management, and flyingcocksmen.com.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]