Bare-knuckle fighter Sydney Smith rising in combat sport

AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - An Augusta County woman is making a name for herself in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.

Sydney Smith says she has been competing for a decade, but is now rising in the ranks of a specialized combat sport: Bare-knuckle fighting.

“I feel like I was kind of groomed for this as a child,” Smith said. “Striking has always been my passion.”

Smith says she has been involved in combat sports since graduating from Riverheads High School. She is now competing in BKFC, the largest bare-knuckle fighting promotion company in the world.

“I think it’s one of the highest forms of competition. You have to have a lot of grit to do bare-knuckle boxing,” Smith said.

When BKFC added a Strawweight division, Smith jumped at the chance to compete. The 130-pounder won her debut fight in May, escaping with only a few bruises.

“People always ask me, ‘What does it feel like to be elbowed?’ I don’t really feel much at all. I feel the contact, but I don’t feel any pain. It’s very strange,” Smith said.

The 31-year-old mom is now preparing for a fight that she hopes will be more engaging than her debut battle, and entertaining for viewers.

“If you go back to ancient Rome, they had the Coliseum and the gladiators. We love it as human beings, that kind of entertainment,” she said.

Smith will fight against British challenger Melanie Shah in Albuquerque August 11.

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