Interviews
MMATorch Interview: Invicta FC's Kaitlin Young on bouncing back from Liz Carmouche loss and more
Sep 10, 2012 - 2:30:00 PM

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By: Brad Walker, MMATorch Columnist

Five year women's MMA vet Kaitlin Young returns to the Invicta Fighting Championships cage next month for the third time, taking on former Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion Sarah Kaufman in what could be her biggest fight to date. MMATorch columnist Brad Walker recently spoke with Young about the all-women's organization and more ahead of her bout with Kaufman.


BRAD WALKER: First Kaitlin let me thank you for taking some time for MMATorch and our readers. Right now you are fighting for Invicta; at this moment, do you believe that they have the resources to change the face of women's MMA in it's entirety?

KAITLIN YOUNG: I believe they are changing the culture of female divisions in MMA. They are creating real divisions, with fighters that can challenge themselves against others of a similar skill level regularly. They are doing a lot for the growth of the sport.

WALKER: You're an extremely dangerous striker perhaps one of the best in WMMA - every one of your wins has come via KO do you think that with the recent trend of fighters running or backpedaling while creating minimal offense is something that will eventually happen to you?

YOUNG: Actually, I have one decision win. I don' t worry much about that. In a way, backpedaling can make it easier to land strikes, especially in a closed space like a cage. 

WALKER: Do you think that it's a legitimate gameplan?

YOUNG: It depends on who your opponent is, but typically backpedaling is looked upon poorly by judges, promoters, and fans. 

WALKER: There is a large number of high profile fighters whom you have defeated so far in your career. Do any of them stand out to you as the hardest fight you've ever had?

YOUNG: Nobody specifically, because everyone is different. They each have different strengths and weaknesses.

WALKER: Who else is out there that you think would be a rough matchup for you?

YOUNG: Obviously, a high level grappler will give me problems on the ground, but that often comes with having underdeveloped striking. In that situation, it just depends on who is going to implement their strength first. For this reason, I don't think any one fighter is a particularly bad match-up.

WALKER: Right now Strikeforce has a particularly thin roster of stable fighters in your weight class. Has there ever been any communication there to see if there is or was a mutual interest?

YOUNG: We were hoping to get there in the past, but that was before Invicta FC. Now, I feel content where I am.

WALKER: Obviously a lot of people think of you as the fighter who brought us one of the most highlight reel worthy knockouts against Meisha Tate. Is that a label you are trying to move past - or something that you have embraced?

YOUNG: I hope people think of me as an entertaining fighter, with that fight just being one example. I don't necessarily want it to be forgotten, but I definitely strive for more.

WALKER: Your most recent fight was a tough loss to Liz Carmouche. How are you going to move forward to come back from that?

YOUNG: I have always worked on my ground fighting, often more than my stand-up, but now I have nearly doubled the amount of training I was once doing. Right after the fight with Liz, I started training with Tom Schmitz, a Pedro Sauer BJJ black belt, several times a week in addition to my practices at The Academy. I also really liked some things I did in that fight, so I am looking forward to building on those skills as well.

WALKER: More and more fans are starting to notice Invicta and the talented fighters within, what would you say to the fans to get them to tune in?

YOUNG: I'd tell them that I can make a personal guarantee that they will be entertained. It's also free, for crying out loud! Tune in and watch!!!!!!!! www.invictafc.com

WALKER: You are a very talented fighter; best of luck to you in your future fights Kaitlin, and thanks again for your time!

YOUNG: Thank you!