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Women's bantamweight contender Julia Avila opened up about the hardships of pursuing a career in the UFC.
In a series of tweets, Avila bared her soul to give fans a glimpse of what it's actually like to live a professional fighter's life. On Twitter the No.14-ranked women's bantamweight wrote:
"I love being in the UFC. I love fighting for the fans and putting on a show, but it’s a dog and pony show. I’m just as replaceable as anyone else on the roster and fans will be none the wiser. That’s the hardest pill to swallow."
Avila also pointed out that pursuing a professional MMA career isn't sustainable for most people. She added that the lack of benefits and opportunities for smaller names made the situation even harder.
Check out Julia Avila's tweets below:
In addition, Avila revealed that the fight game often forces athletes to sacrifice their personal lives for the benefit of their careers. One such sacrifice she made, according to Avila, was to take a day job to make ends meet and have enough resources to cover the cost of her pregnancy.
"Fighter pay is great when you have a fight; I had 9 cancelled fights one year and since my injury 2021," she added. "I had to get a job to make ends meet and have insurance to cover my pregnancy. I love being a part of the UFC, it’s a dream come true. But it is a temporary dream."
UFC women's bantamweight Julia Avila misses out on Raquel Pennington fight
In one of her most recent tweets, Julia Avila mentioned that one of the struggles of fighting is securing a bout.
'Raging Panda' has been spending her time on the sidelines since her victory over Julia Stoliarenko in June 2021. Avila was supposed to fight No.5-ranked Raquel Pennington, a notable name in the division, but was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury.
Unfortunately, having a bout canceled happens so often to fighters of Avila's caliber. Since 2019, Avila has had 10 fight cancelations, while only getting booked for four fights that went as scheduled.
Right now, 'Raging Panda' will have to wait longer for a fight. Based on her tweets, though, it appears that the 34-year-old is losing her patience.
