Home Talk Live Lori Contests Nutrition Homegrown Training Galleries Muscle Scoop Die Welt About Us		My First Experience as a Cage Fighter Written by: Marie Colangelo - 9/9/03 Some people would say that it takes a lot of balls, a lot of muscle and strength, or just be plan out crazy to square off with someone inside a closed cage that only has one thing on their mind ..... is to kick your ass! I as well as any other fighter that has experience the rush of being lock inside the cage or on the inside of the ropes will tell you that it has nothing to do with any of that. HEART. Heart is your number one strength and mentor while facing off inside the closed cage. If you don't have it, then you've already lost. Even though every fighter deals with the same things when putting it all on the line, for some reason, I look at my experience different. My first fight in the cage initialed a lot of baggage with it. Me being the first female to fight for the TFC Fightzone, my past performances as a fighter, people betting money on me to win, pressure from my coaches and corners, the first ever Women's Midwest Regional Championship title belt put on the line, and worse of all, my ex boyfriend training and cornering my opponent to beat me. But at the same time, I didn't care about any of this. I was ready. I was ready to show all my supporting fans just what Marie Colangelo could do. I was ready to put it all on the line and give the viewers their moneys worth. But then it hit. And it hit hard. All that baggage really did matter. I wasn't nerves at all up till fight time. It wasn't until my corners started to tape my hands for the "Barn Burner fight for the night" as it was hyped to be. I asked my corner if it was normal for my hands to be shaking uncontrollably like they were (my hands have never shook before any fight or match). They reassured me that if they weren't shaking, then something would be wrong. For the fight time in my 10 years of competing, I was ready to throw down and seriously hurt this chick. And why, because of the build up on the fight. Before I even walked to the curtain, I should have known that something was wrong. I never have anger in my system then getting ready to fight. I am always calm and relaxed. But this time it was different. But it was to late. I was faced with the curtain awaiting my turn to enter the cage. Standing there listening to then announce my opponent with her undefeated fighting record that was failed to be addressed to me before the fight, made every vain in my body stick out. I was pissed. Then, it was mine turn. The music started to pump (Cowboys from Hell - Pantera), my fists started to clinch, my teeth started to grind against my mouth piece, and my body started to rock side to side. I was like a pitbull gritting it's teeth and tugging hard at the end of it's leash. Then it happened .... the curtains opened and I come busting out with my corner men to follow. My blood was boiling and my heart was racing ..... I was ready to rock. Half way to the cage all that anger that was built up inside, just dropped. Thoughts started to kick in my head and I started questioning myself on the real reason I was stepping into this cage. Then it hit me, I wasn't doing this for myself. This fight was to back the hype that was put so strongly against this fight. I was doing this for everyone else. But it was to late. Before I knew it, I was on the inside and the cage was being locked behind me. All I seen was one mean looking chick starring me down on the other side. I eventually fell into her game and started the stare back. It was no longer my game ..... but hers. The fight was scheduled for 5-5 minute rounds. The bell rang and there I was trading punches and locking up with someone who was ready to knock me out. The fight started out just how I had it running in my head prior to the fight. A hard slam right off the bat, took side control, worked some strikes in, took mount, and started to T-off on her face. Exactly how I planned it to go. Because of this, I got to excited and for that second, I forgot what was going on. I left enough thinking time in there for her to start turning underneath me and cover up. The first round was mine. The second round I started to get frustrated with myself and had a harder time dealing with myself than I did with my opponent. It was a very back and forth round which ended with me striking her while she had my back. It was after that fight that I knew I was mentally in trouble. I went back to my corner and told them I was done and I didn't want to fight anymore. I got pushed and shoved to go back and finish the fight. The messed up thing is that after I went back to my corner and told them I was done, I stopped hearing what they were telling me while I was still standing there and after the third round had started. My fighting spirit was dead. During the third round, all I really remember was watching myself fight on the big screens, hearing only the people in the crowed cheering my name, and looking certain people in the crowd dead in the eyes. A sign of help in a way. It felt like my soul stepped out of my body and was watching myself get beat. It was about three minutes into the round when I mentally gave up on myself and said fuck it. If my corner wasn't going to let me out, then I would do it myself. And I tapped out. Raynne Dee was crowned the first ever Women's Midwest Regional Champion for the TFC Fightzone. About an hour after my fight, it was decided in my head that I never wanted to fight again. After that, everything stopped. My training, my fighting, my spirit, and my heart. Three months later and here I am ..... My head is straight, my heart is beating, my blooding is flowing, and my spirit is alive! And once again ..... ready to rock.