By: William Holmes
Bryanna Fissori has been writing for boxing insider for several years and also competes professionally in MMA. She has recently decided to follow the footsteps of other MMA fighters that have recently to test their skills in a boxing ring instead of an MMA cage.
We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Bryanna and get her thoughts on her transition to boxing as well as her upcoming fight.
Boxing Insider (BI): What made you decide to try boxing?
Bryanna Fissori (BF): I’ve been around the boxing industry a lot through my ties to MMA and it’s a great opportunity for me to focus on my hands. It’s a no lose situation.
BI: What’s your experience in the sport?
BF: I’ve been training in boxing specifically for several years through Palolo Boxing in Hawaii with Coach Joel Kim. I tried to get a match as an amateur but it is hard to find opponents on the island.
BI: How has training been different in comparison to mma?
BF: Stand up cardio is much different than ground cardio. There are three distancing ranges in MMA: kicking, grappling and punching. For boxing, I have to be able to focus on staying in or out of punching range the whole bout. That is a lot different.
BI: Do you have a newfound appreciation for boxing?
BF:I have a serious appreciation for people who compete and train as boxers. It’s a beautiful sport and I never thought I would be a boxer. . . But I am!
BI: Do you see a difference in fight purses?
BF: There is a lot of opportunity to make more money in boxing even at the smaller shows. I think it is just the mentality of the sport. That being said, ticket sales are ticket sales and a lot of that will always depend on where the fight is and who you know. I have several people who prefer watching MMA so they won’t be attending the boxing fight and even some who don’t consider boxing a “fight” because they are accustom to MMA, but that is not the opinion of the masses.
BI: What do you know about your opponent?
BF: Julie is someone who everyone likes. She’s the hometown hero, but being from a small island, I’m use to fighting the hometown hero. I’m sure we will be friends after the fight. She is also an MMA fighter, but I believe she has more stand-up experience than I do, but that’s ok. She may be from Topeka, but I’m going to own that ring.
BI: How have you approached your training to beat her?
BF: I’ve been working had on all aspects of my stand up training and it will show in the fight. I not big on giving away my game plan, but if you are in the Midwest I encourage you to come watch me execute it!
BI: Do you see yourself fighting in more boxing matches?
BF: I have enjoyed this boxing camp and I could definitely see myself doing it again.
BI: Have you enjoyed the experience so far?
BF: This has been a crazy camp for me because I have done a lot of traveling, but that being said I have also got to have a bunch of great coaches. I’ve trained for this fight with my head coach Guy Orogo in Honolulu, Rich de Los Reyes at the Mango Tree and Joel Kim at Palolo Boxing. I also got it time with Coach Jay Pietz and Kurt Weinrich at StandAlone MMA in Chico, California and here in Topeka, Kansas I have been training and will be cornered by Shanon Woodward at Midwest Combat Academy and Damon Reed.
BI: Anything else you want your fans to know?
BF:I am really excited for this bout. I feel great. I want to shout out to my teammate Tina Garcia in Honolulu who competes in her first MMA bout on the same night I make my boxing debut. She will be fighting on the Trinity Kings promotion on Oahu.
I also want to thank all of my amazing sponsors and fans for making this possible: STEEM Caffeinated Peanut Butter, Midwest Float, Emeralds Massage and Bodywork, Carver Consulting and Resource Management, S2ActiveWear, Jayhawk Bodywork, Nature’s Paradise/ Solo Weight Cuts, Defense Soap, Rockstar Detailing and Title Boxing.
Last but not least, there is no way I could do this without encouragement from above. I could never have imagined this amazing life for myself. I started fighting because I moved to Honolulu and knew NO ONE. I answered a Craigslist ad for sparring partners. Now I perform professionally on some of the biggest stages in combat sports across multiple disciplines. I am truly blessed.
I hope everyone is ready for this. It’s Morphin’ Time!