I’m watching two women beat the living shit out of each other, and it ain’t no dainty hair-pulling catfight either. It’s a “Future Stars of MMA” bout that’s so violent, someone might end up in the hospital. The mean-and-wiry adversaries—a blonde with a GI Jane haircut and a shorter brunette, both of whom know how to throw a punch—are relentlessly trading body blows like two human metronomes.
Then, suddenly, the tawny chick lands a fist squarely in the face of the blonde—Jillian “Justice” Lybarger—knocking her down. Blood now dripping from her nose, Jillian immediately jumps back on her feet. She hurls herself at her foe—Jordan Gaza a/k/a “Ninja Princess”—sending the two of them crashing to the mat. Getting on top of her opponent, Jillian begins pummeling her—hard, then harder. She is clearly extracting revenge for the punch that drew blood.
It’s ugly, but the crowd loves it. No surprise there. After all, that’s what extreme female cage fighting is all about. Like the entire spectrum of mixed martial arts, it’s entertainment in the tradition of ancient Rome’s gladiators.
Not everyone is cheering, however. Jillian’s parents—Rodney and Mary Jane Lybarger—grimly watch the spectacle alongside their daughter Jocelyn, the identical twin of Jillian. Jocelyn’s an MMA fighter too and is therefore well aware of what can send her sister to the emergency room.
In contrast, hardcore star Dylan Ryder—the twins’ older sister, who’s also on hand for this family affair—is screaming at the top of her lungs as Jillian viciously beats the downed Gaza into what appears to be certain submission. But, as the saying goes, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Gaza, a onetime cheerleader, manages to slip out from under Jillian’s fists of fury. Within a few seconds the two women are toe to toe once more, swapping more body blows.
Jillian takes a nasty left hook to the liver, reeling back while trying to catch her breath. Now it’s Gaza’s turn to do the pummeling—equally as hard. In serious trouble, Jillian crumples against the cage.
