A lot of the time, fighters have to make sacrifices to further their career. UFC London’s Mandy Bohm did just that recently.
Bohm returns to the octagon for her second UFC fight this weekend in London, England. It has been over ten months since her UFC debut, and a lot has changed for the German fighter. The biggest and most significant change is Bohm relocating to Las Vegas and training there full-time.
In an exclusive interview with Cageside Press, Bohm revealed why she moved to the fight capital of the world.
“I think the whole European [MMA scene] has a little problem with MMA because yes, MMA is still a growing sport, but especially in Germany, we are still in kid shoes. So, it’s very small, and we don’t have a lot of knowledge,” Bohm said. “And if you look to Vegas, especially Vegas, to Germany, it’s like, there is a universe between. I get the feeling, especially working with the UFC PI [Performance Institute] — there’s so much space. And yeah, that’s the reason why, when we do something, we do it.”
Bohm is training at Xtreme Couture under Eric Nicksick and Dennis Davis. Now, she has several more training partners, something she did not have when training in her home country of Germany.
Because of the lack of elite training, Bohm revealed she wasn’t truly ready for her UFC debut, and on top of that, she suffered the dreaded UFC jitters.
“One thing is the level in Germany, and even if you work hard enough, show up, and everything else is in session— that’s not everything in fighting. It’s about a professional team, about coaches who have experience, who know what you need to have to compete on the highest level in the sport,” Bohm said. “And yeah, I’m grateful for everything. Also, what the team in Germany did for me, I will never forget my roots. But if you have to move on and grow and compete on the highest level, you have to leave your comfort zone, and that is why I moved to Vegas. At least that’s the best place to be, to be honest. But I think the US level is a completely different level.”
Bohm was scheduled to return in March against Sabina Mazo, but she pulled out of the fight with an injury. In hindsight, the German fighter is actually grateful because it gave her time to find the team she was looking for.
“I was always dreaming about the perfect camp and the perfect team…but actually, I injured my knee [earlier] this year [before my] fight with Sabina Mazo. And I’m grateful for this injury because everything happens for a reason,” Bohm said. “That is what I always have in my mind. Yes, at the moment, I was sad. But now I actually get what I really, really wanted and what I’m looking for. It takes time to become a part of the team. I’ve been here for four months, and I met a lot of new people, a lot of highly skilled people. Awesome coaches, really high-level coaches who have the knowledge and know what they are talking from. Yeah, it’s just perfect timing.”
“Monster” feels like she is part of the Xtreme Couture family and is looking to show the world what she has been working on.
While she was hoping to fight in her new home in Las Vegas, London will work because a lot of her family and friends will be there.
Watch the rest of our interview with Mandy Bohm above. Bohm fights Victoria Leonardo on the ESPN + prelims and takes place this Saturday, July 23, 2022 at the O2 Arena in London, England.
