By Daniel Clark, follow on Twitter @18DanielClark.
Elaina ”Beef” Maxwell is 7-4 as a professional mixed martial artist and has fought some of the best female fighters in the sport, including: Shayna Baszler, Alexis Davis, Gina Carano and Miesha Tate. Aswell as a trio of bouts with Michelle Maher, in which Elaina won two and lost one.
Elaina has always been an athlete of some kind because she loves competition. She started playing soccer in grade school in Salt Lake City, Utah with her twin sister, Ila. Yes, Elaina is the older twin by three minutes. After moving to Muscle Shoals, Alabama due to her father’s work transfer, she picked up her love for volleyball in middle school, which she played year-round for twelve years.
Having no martial arts experience whatsoever, Elaina started martial arts in somewhat of a strange way because she initially used kickboxing as an off-season workout for volleyball and track and field when it was the latest fad in workout trends. She fell in love with the contact, intensity, and competition of San Shou, which is Chinese Kickboxing. While finishing off her volleyball career and pursuing her educational goals at San Jose State University, Elaina made the USH! Fight Team in 1997. She began to grow as a martial artist from there under Cung Le’s guidance. After taking some time off to complete her last volleyball season, Elaina began training on a more serious level because she missed the feeling and intensity of competition in her life. Going to school full time and working part time helped Elaina to dedicate herself more to martial arts. This helped her to become a more disciplined athlete in all aspects of her life through consistency and learning the overall mentality of a martial artist.
In 2003 after Elaina’s first World Wushu Gold Medal Championship in Macau, China, she received her BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resource Management. When in training for a fight, Elaina makes many sacrifices on a daily basis from eating the right foods to training double days. She’s pleased to finally see the fruits of her labor, becoming a 3-time World San Shou Champion as well as the North American San Da Intercontinental Middleweight Champion. Elaina received her first professional MMA title, becoming the 2007 Golden State Light Middleweight MMA Champion. However, she knows that continued success only comes from training hard and staying consistent. Elaina displays an ongoing commitment to martial arts because she remains disciplined in her everyday routine and hungry for new competition. Venturing into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2005, Elaina will soon be a brown belt. In addition, Elaina has been fighting professionally since 2006. Now that Elaina has been practicing martial arts for so long, she can’t even imagine her life without it because training and teaching has become such an integral part of her lifestyle.
During the past fifteen years, Elaina has become one of the pioneers of San Shou and MMA, making history over and over again. With both of her parents dying in 2006, she has suffered a few setbacks, including two consecutive MMA losses, in the industry and decided to switch up her scenery and training environment by moving to Las Vegas in 2008. After enjoying a two year sabbatical, training trip and vacation in Las Vegas, Elaina then decided to move back home where the majority of her friends and family are. “It was definitely a fun experience, and I would do it again in a heartbeat!” says Elaina of her time spent in Las Vegas.
While Elaina was in Sin City, she trained with Shawn Tompkins & Randy Couture at Tap Out and Extreme Couture, including Robert Drysdale in BJJ. Elaina is now training out of Gracie Fighter/Fairtex affiliate gym, Combat Sports Academy in Dublin, California and Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Pleasant Hill, California. Her head trainer is the USA Muay Thai Head Coach, Kirian Fitzgibbons.
You was expected to face Julia Budd at Invicta FC 3 and suffered a concussion in training, could you talk about that, how did it happen?
I sustained a concussion while sparring before the fight and unfortunately, I had to withdraw; I don’t remember much. In the past, I have been injured more in training than in actual fights. Injuries happen, and I truly believe that it is how you come back from those injuries that define you.
When do you expect to be in the cage again?
Early 2013.
Is there a specific fighter you would like to face in the future?
Anyone in the top 10 in my weight class ranked above me, specifically the champ – Marloes Coenen at Invicta FC.
Could you tell us about your training leading up to a fight?
Everyday that ends in Y – lol 🙂
Usually, I will train twice a day and I take time off when my body says so 🙂 It consists of Muay Thai, BJJ, No-Gi, Wrestling, Boxing, Strength and Conditioning, Clinch and Running.
Could you walk us through a typical fight day?
I’m always in a different city or country, so each fight day is never the same. I would say each is far from typical 🙂 Postive thinking is the way to go – believe in yourself and abilities!
What keeps you motivated to do what you do?
My head trainer, Kirian Fitzgibbons, keeps me motivated. One conversation with this man and I feel like I can take over the world!
Outside of MMA how do you like to spend your time?
With my husband 🙂 He’s my bestfriend! We do everything together when we are not at work.
What are your thoughts on Invicta FC and how do you feel about the rise of popularity with women in MMA?
I love everything about this promotion. The women behind Invicta FC know the business thoroughly and I have the utmost respect for them. I am excited to be a female in this sport right now because with Invicta, the sky is the limit!
I would like to thank Knoxx & Tussle for having my back since the beginning of my MMA career. In addition, I would like to thank my family, especially my new husband, for their continued support in and out of the cage. I would also like to thank CSA gym, especially Kirian Fitzgibbons, GracieFighter & Dr. Dan Russell at Main Street Chiro in Pleasanton, California.
Follow Elaina Maxwell on Twitter @elainamaxwell
MMA Narcotic 