Katlyn Chookagian has always been honest about how she feels and what she’s looking forward to in the future — which includes having a family, something she calls “a huge part of my life that is going to happen when the fighting chapter closes.”
That has apparently led some to believe that she’s “over it” when it comes to fighting. Heading into UFC Fight Island 6 this weekend, where she welcomes former strawweight champ Jessica Andrade to the octagon, the rumors have gone as far as to suggest that Chookagian might exit the sport.
That’s not the case. As she gets older, Chookagian wants as many fights as she can get. She is taking things one fight at a time — and that, she suggested during the UFC Fight Island 6 media day this week, might be where the retirement talk came from.
“I think people took that out of context, and said that this is my last fight. And it’s definitely not,” Chookagian stated. “I’m saying ‘I’m taking it one fight at a time’ where I’m focused on this fight. And that’s where my focus is. Then after that when I have time off, then we address what’s next in [my] life.”
For anyone that thinks Katlyn Chookagian is “halfway out or unmotivated, they clearly don’t know me,” she added. “If I wasn’t motivated, I wouldn’t be doing this. I definitely don’t need to do this. I’m doing this because I want to, and it’s a huge passion of mine.”
So that’s settled then. Expect more Katlyn Chookagian for a while. As for opponent Andrade, Chookagian appears to believe that size matters. “I think at strawweight she’s able to bully people around a lot. She’s shorter, but she’s definitely stocky and muscular and aggressive,” the former title challenger observed. “I think when she’s the bigger fighter she’s able to use her aggression to her advantage.”
But at bantamweight, noted Chookagian, Andrade struggled. And “Blonde Fighter” sees something similar happening at 125lbs. “I think for this fight, I think my size advantage is going to play a factor.”
Watch the full UFC Fight Island 6 virtual media day press scrum with Katlyn Chookagian above.
