Tiffany Van Soest was mad+sad at MMA loss, wants experience now
Tiffany Van Soest: “I just kind of jumped on the MMA bandwagon. I kind of rushed into it.”
Dutch American Muay Thai champion Tiffany Van Soest made her MMA debut at Invicta FC 19 on September 23, 2016. Expectations were high as the 27-year old ‘Timebomb’ was on a five-fight win streak, and held the Lion Fight women’s super bantamweight (120 lb) championship, and the Lion Fight women’s featherweight (125 lb) Championship.
However, she was tapped by Kal Holliday at 2:08 of Round 2. ‘Timebomb’ is now 28, on a seven-fight-win streak, and more determined that ever to get on track.
I was so mad at myself – I was so sad, said Van Soest recently toLaura Sanko of UFC Fight Pass, as transcribed by MMAjunkie. But there wasn’t for one second a moment I doubted myself. I just thought, ‘Hey, you’re the new kid on the block now.’
I’d been asked the question for years: ‘When are you going to transition?’ I was like, ‘Why don’t you guys just enjoy my Muay Thai? It’s pretty awesome.’ If I had a dollar for every time I heard it, I probably wouldn’t have to fight ever again. I felt like it was the right time to transition and test myself because I had proven that I was the best Muay Thai fighter in the world multiple times, and I was ready for another challenge.
When I had my couple amateur MMA fights, I was an amateur in Muay Thai, as well, and I just kind of jumped on the MMA bandwagon. I kind of rushed into it.
I just want to keep getting more experience in the cage. [I’m] just getting used to the different element of being in the cage, and all the different scenarios that come in an MMA fight – there are so many moving pieces to it … The more fights I have in Invicta, the better.
Van Soest fights 1-0 Christine Ferea tonight at Invicta FC 23 streaming live on UFC Fight Pass from the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Missouri.