Spotlight on: Calie Cutler — MMA

Eager to keep the winning streak going for Team Scorpion Fighting System, MMA fighter Calie Cutler has been working extra hard in the gym. She is preparing for her much anticipated pro debut against St. Louis fighter Brittany Dugas, set for April 26th in Wisconsin with King of the Cage.

In February, Dugas went up against Cutler’s teammate Amanda Cooper at an unforgettable King of the Cage event in Walker, MN. Both women were undefeated fighters stepping in to the cage. Now with the sting of loss motivating Dugas even more, Cutler will undoubtedly have her hands full.

Cutler lives and trains in Brighton, MI and holds an amateur record at 9-1. Her last bout was a battle against the aggressive Hope Sanftner. “My last fight was for King of the Cage in October,” said Cutler. “I won in the second round by TKO. Since it was for King of the Cage, I feel comfortable making my pro debut with them.”

Cutler is familiar with Dugas’ fighting style and feels prepared for her upcoming fight. “My opponent is a Jiu Jitsu girl, which I am not too concerned about,” she said. “My coach, James Gray, has taught me a lot about no-gi grappling, enough to beat Zoila Gurgel at a NAGA tournament.” Gurgel is a 12-4 pro MMA fighter, best known as the first (and only) female Bellator champion, and a current Invicta fighter.

Despite her confidence in her abilities, Cutler still faces a few obstacles. “My biggest challenge is resisting being overzealous,” she said. “My coaches have put a lot of work into me to get me to calm down in certain situations. They are helping me time when to let my wrestler mentality out. I’m making adjustments, and for this fight they are the small baby step adjustments I’ve been working on my whole career.”

However, Cutler makes no predictions for how this fight will go or end up. “I don’t like to make predictions for fights because I like to prepare for anything. I feel less constricted,” she said.

Keeping an open mind and preparing for whatever comes her way puts Culter in a position to inspire other fighters. She said she definitely wants to inspire other people to fight MMA, especially girls. “There isn’t enough of us,” Cutler said. “I was that girl who did not make the cheer team in seventh grade because I was not athletic enough.

“I joined the boys’ wrestling team instead because they didn’t have tryouts,” she said with a laugh. “How do you like me now!?

“This is a sport I live to do and I cannot picture my life without it. I am very lucky it chose me.”

Whether you are a new fan, or a veteran follower of Cutler’s career, you will not want to miss her professional debut next month! The event will be with international promotion King of the Cage in Lac Du Flambeau, WI on April 26th.