Meet Audrey Wolfe | Professional MMA Fighter and instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Audrey Wolfe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Audrey, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
The amount of work and dedication that is required to fight professionally and or run a gym. I have people daily that come in and say they want to be a fighter. To be a moderately successful, you have to train hours a day for years. To have a moderately successful gym, there are so many moving parts and so much that happens behind the scenes. By the time I made my professional MMA debut, I had trained in martial arts for over 25 years. I had competed in karate, kickboxing, boxing, and gi Jiu-Jitsu and No Gi Jiu-Jitsu before I ever thought of putting them together and climbing into a cage. There is an old saying in the fight game, “everyone wants to be a champion, but no one wants to train like a champion.” There is so much truth to this. Daily, you have to wake up and work through minor and major injuries and push yourself through the good and bad days to be successful. While a fight might only last 15 or 25 minutes, there are years and years of grueling training leading up to that moment.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started training in martial arts at 7 years old. I was often the only girl in class, and competed against boys at tournaments on the weekends. Thankfully, I started training under Guy Mezger who absolutely advocated for strong women and women in competition, but I faced many people that thought otherwise. As the years have gone on, I have had more and more opportunities to get to compete against women, but also more and more naysayers that don’t believe women should fight, or that make comments like, “but you are too pretty to fight.” While it is frustrating to have strangers, doctors, family members, and others question what you are doing with your life, it makes me even more driven to accomplish what I want, the way that I want. Though competing all over the world has been fun, my greatest pride lies in teaching, especially women and girls, but really anyone that comes in with some insecurity or doubt. I want my students to leave feeling empowered and stronger than they knew possible. I want them to know that they can defend themselves if they have to use any of these techniques outside of our facilities. I want them to have the confidence to get over whatever has been holding them back. I want to give them the tools to lose the weight, get out of the bad relationship, leave the unfulfilling job, etc. Life is short. We don’t have enough time to waste on things that bring us down.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First of all, we would have to start with a boxing or kickboxing class at Mezger Martial Arts. We have recently partnered with Monster Fitness and have an INCREDIBLE new facility in Richardson, right off 75 and Beltline. I firmly believe the world would be a better place if everyone trained in some form of martial arts. It is hard to leave angry or stressed out after hitting a heavy bag. After we showered, I would take them to Klyde Warren Park. There are tons of amazing food trucks to grab a bite to eat from. Though I am sad that Savor closed, I believe a Mi Cocina is coming soon, so we could enjoy cocktails on the patio as well. From Klyde Warren Park, I would opt for a trip to the Sixth Floor Museum, Nasher, DMA or Perot depending on my friend’s taste. Dallas is lucky to have some incredible museums. For restaurants, we would have to do a meal at Pepe and Mitos in Deep Ellum. You can’t come to Dallas without having some good Mexican food. Plus, the people watching in Deep Ellum is some of the best. One night, we would have to dress up some and head to Knife. Knife truly has some of the best food and wine that I have ever had. They have a fabulous patio and a menu that will please everyone. One day or night would have to be dedicated to the Bishop Arts District. There are so many good restaurants, fun shops, unique boutiques and galleries packed in to a few blocks. I would want to start off with a cider from Bishop Cider Co, have appetizers at one place, window shop or wander in some places on the way to dinner some where else, and probably finish with some chocolate from Dude Sweet or a pie from Emporium Pies. You can’t go wrong with any of the restaurants there. I especially love Boulvedier, Lockhart, Eno’s, and Lucia. Finally, if there were any local fights going on, I love to support Texas MMA and we would spend a night watching fights. If not, I would opt for a day at the Dallas Aquarium. I don’t care how old you are, that place is wonderful.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband deserves so much credit and recognition in my story. Though I had competed in multiple disciplines before we were together, my career in fighting as well as at my gym really escalated after he came into my life. It is amazing what having someone believe in you, advocate for you, and prioritize your health and happiness can do to your success.

Website: www.guymezger.com

Instagram: audreydwolfe

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/audreywolfemma

Image Credits
Ross Stewart