Athletes
Germaine de Randamie | Return Of 'The Iron Lady'
Catching Up With The New Mom And Former Champion As She Prepares For Her Octagon Return After 3.5 Years
When she steps into the Octagon to take on Norma Dumont this Saturday at UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Curtis 2, it will have been 1280 days since we last saw Germaine de Randamie compete.
October 4, 2020 was still in the depths of the global pandemic, and no fans were in attendance on UFC Fight Island when she secured the guillotine choke against Julianna Peña to score both the win and a Performance of the Night bonus.
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But this is a sport that moves fast, and many of the new fans that discovered UFC in the last half decade might still be new to the handiwork of “The Iron Lady,” one of the true OGs of women’s MMA. Four of her last five fights have been against current or former bantamweight champions, with the only loss of the bunch coming against the GOAT, Amanda Nunes. Before returning to bantamweight, she became the inaugural UFC women’s featherweight champion when she defeated Holly Holm in the main event of UFC 208.
Born in Utrecht, Netherlands in 1984, de Randamie came to prominence by winning multiple world championships in kickboxing and Muay Thai between 2003 and 2008--all while working as a nurse and then a police officer--before transitioning to MMA, where she has amassed a 10-4 record, mostly in high-stakes, high-thrills bouts where belts are frequently on the line.
With that in mind, UFC.com jumped at the chance to speak to her about her welcome return, where she joyously discussed her new role as a mother, her comeback against Dumont, and much more.
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UFC: It’s genuinely great to see you again. How does it feel to be back in fight week?
GDR: Good! It’s always good! I always enjoy fight week. The journey of fighting for a lot of people is this short [holds two fingers an inch apart]. Mine is already 25 years, so I cannot say it's a very short journey, but… you’ve got to enjoy every moment and that's what I'm doing.
Full Fight | Germaine de Randamie vs Julianna Peña
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Full Fight | Germaine de Randamie vs Julianna Peña
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UFC: If you had to summarize your recent time away, how would you do that?
GDR: Since you saw me last, I just became ‘Germaine,’ not ‘The Iron Lady’ anymore. I became the Iron Mommy. I gave birth to a son—a beautiful son, the love of my life—and then I decided I’ve got to be a role model to my son. I'm going to show him what hard work and dedication means. And I hope one day he will be proud of me.
UFC: Tell us about your son and becoming a parent?
GDR: Fighting has never been so easy since I became a mom. Seriously, like I'm 24 hours “Mom.” Then I go to the gym for maybe two or three hours a day, (and) I'm a fighter. The rest of the day I'm a mom. I'm seriously the happiest woman alive. It's the best thing that ever happened to me. Since I was a girl, I never, never had the intention to become a world champion or anything. But I did always say I wanted to become a mom and now I finally am. And it's the best thing ever.
UFC: How has parenthood changed the way you prepare for a fight?
GDR: Ask my coaches. When training is done, I’ve got to go. I’ve got to go see my son. Bye bye! Normally I used to hang out a longer time, you know, chit chat and just spend time with the guys and girls. But now I'm like, “I’ve got to go to my son.” I don’t take him to the gym. I just want to go home and enjoy every second of him, do fun things and make memories. I always live by the quote, “Die with memories, not dreams.” And I want to make as many memories as I can with him.
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UFC: Will you every bring him to the gym?
GDR: It's my personal opinion: I just don't want to. My partner and I, we just don't want to expose our son to violence. He's a baby. He just doesn't understand. The day when he's ready, he's old enough to understand. I will tell him. I will explain to him. I will show him. But for now, he can be a baby and enjoy life and have fun. He doesn't have to see his mommy get punched in the face.
UFC: Was there ever any doubt in your mind about coming back?
GDR: Honestly, I truly think if I didn't become a mom, I wouldn't have come back. Honestly, he really motivated me because I'm not just raising a son. I'm raising somebody's husband one day, somebody's father one day. And I want to set an example for him. And I do love fighting, I absolutely do. But now the intentions are different. I want to provide a future for my son. I want to make everything possible for him and I want him to see that anything is possible. There are so many moms and dads outside that, after having a baby, they stop doing what they love to do. But you don't have to! Be an example to them, have fun, have joy, and do whatever makes you happy. If you're happy, they're happy. If they're happy, you're happy. Mission accomplished.
UFC: You beat three bantamweight champions in Julianna Peña, Holly Holm and Raquel Pennington. What was going through your mind when you saw Pena and Pennington get their belts?
GDR: Well, you know, they fought their way to become a champion. They are champions right now. After Saturday, we'll talk about it again.
UFC: You’re fighting Norma Dumont on Saturday; what do you think of this particular matchup?
GDR: Any fight is an interesting fight…the difference is I know I'm the step to maybe fighting for the title. She wants to beat me. She has to beat me in any way or form to get to that title (shot). My only losses in the UFC came by the hands of Amanda Nunes, so I'm the one to beat. I beat Raquel. I beat Larissa Pacheco who is a champion in a different organization. I beat Julianna Peña. I beat prospect Aspen Ladd. I beat Holly (Holm). So yeah, I’m the one to beat.
UFC: Is the belt still your ultimate goal?
GDR: I’m not here to make friends (laughs). My only goal is the belt. I want to fight for the belt. But the most important thing is to enjoy this journey. It's an amazing journey. I got to enjoy it. As long as I enjoy it, the result will come by itself.
UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Curtis 2 took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 6, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards, and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
