Shawna Ram is hungry.
The 31-year-old mixed martial arts fighter of Maple Ridge has been training for weeks for her next fight on July 8, when she faces Squamish鈥檚 Jamey Lyn Horth in BFL50 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
That training includes shedding pounds to meet her weight. So she鈥檚 been skipping lunches.
When she does eat, it鈥檚 a strict vegan diet of beans and other vegetables 鈥� and lot of water, of course.
But as the fight draws closer, the lack of food is messing with her brain.
鈥淧hysically, I鈥檓 feeling great and I鈥檓 performing well,鈥� Ram says.
鈥淏ut this is around the time [before a fight] when I start to doubt myself, and having less food isn鈥檛 helping with that.鈥�
She knows she has no reason to worry, and not just because, as she said, 鈥淚鈥檝e seen [Horth] fight. I don鈥檛 have any fears.鈥�
Although Ram is still considered an amateur fighter, she鈥檚 won each of the four fights she鈥檚 fought so far.
Three of those wins were decisive, which is what she prefers.
鈥淚鈥檓 always looking to finish my fights,鈥� Ram says.
鈥淲hether that鈥檚 with [knockouts], submissions, a [referee] stoppage, I just prefer it.
鈥淲hen you leave it up to the judges, there鈥檚 room for everybody to talk smack. But when you finish, no one can say nothing.鈥�
Saturday鈥檚 fight will also be Ram鈥檚 last amateur event, allowing her to enter into the professional fighting world.
Born in Oliver, Ram鈥檚 journey to becoming a serious MMA contender came about naturally.
Her husband, Sal, is an accomplished fighter himself, having competed and trained around the world for years.
He later opened a training gym, called Clinch, in Burnaby in 2007. Shawna would pop in to train and help out with the business, but between taking care of the couple鈥檚 son and their house, it was hard to make a priority.
After giving birth to a second child in 2011, Ram started lifting weights and training regularly.
鈥淚 really fell in love with the way it changed my body, and changed me mentally,鈥� she said.
Ram started out with bikini competitions, but eventually moved into fight training and hasn鈥檛 looked back since.
鈥淚t鈥檚 brought out this whole new confidence in me,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 always thought I was confident before, but this is a whole new level.鈥�
Moving Clinch to Port Coquitlam in 2014, which shortened the commute from the couple鈥檚 home in Maple Ridge, also allowed Ram to increase her commitment to the sport.
Sal Ram, who鈥檚 also Shawna鈥檚 trainer and coach, has proudly watched his wife grow and transform before his eyes.
鈥淪he鈥檚 a natural, and she鈥檚 a real fighter,鈥� he said.
鈥淪he always gives it her all, and just focuses on the win, no matter what. She鈥檚 just brutal.鈥�
Having coached countless up-and-coming fighters over the course of his career, Sal appreciates Shawna鈥檚 commitment not only to the art of fighting, but to allowing Sal to make her into the best she can be.
鈥淲hen you own a gym and coach, you get lots of flakes and bad seeds, and it鈥檚 easy to get jaded,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 was getting really sick of it after a while and just wanted my boy to get old enough so I could pour all my knowledge into him. But she said, 鈥楪ive [that knowledge] to me.鈥� And that means more to me than anyone else saying that. So I said, 鈥楲et鈥檚 go.鈥� 鈥�
As for Ram, her fight on Saturday will see her defending her BFL women鈥檚 title belt.
She鈥檚 the first to win the title, and she says she鈥檚 not going to give it up easily.
鈥淚鈥檓 not coming to play paddy-cake,鈥� she said with a smile.
