Naomi “Miss Pitbull” Tataroglu faces fellow Combate Global debutee “La Mexicana” Alejandra Orozco this Friday.
After a one and a half year slump since her last fight – a KO loss against Manon Fiorot at UAE Warriors back in 2020 – the Dutch fighter looks forward to stepping back into a cage. She spoke to MMA Sucka’s Nate Freeman about her journey over the last couple of years.
Naomi Tataroglu Seeks Win After Near Two-Year Hiatus
“Miss Pitbull” spent the last few years focusing and working on herself away from the cage. Since the aforementioned loss against Fiorot, Tataroglu has gone through a number of ups and downs. Not only has she suffered various injuries that required surgical attention, she also lost one of her biggest supporters – her mother – to cancer nine months ago.
“She was there for me at every fight, every step of the way,” she reminisces. The loss of her mother is still felt to this day, but Tataroglu reminds herself that she is never alone, and that there are others out there in worse situations. Keeping herself humble and centered keeps her focused on the life ahead of her.
“I’ve had one and a half years to become a better person—a better fighter. Not only physically but with my mental health, too.”
Part of Tataroglu’s training camp was held in California at CSA Gym, former home of Henry Cejudo, to prepare herself for her upcoming debut. She’s also had the opportunity to train with Dutch MMA royalty – ONE Championship champ-champ Reinier de Ridder. “I’ve met a lot of people and learned a lot of new stuff about myself and about the sport.”
Despite her long layoff, the Dutch fighter is more determined than ever, especially after facing off her opponent. “Miss Pitbull” recounted her face-off with her opponent this week and felt that those short moments staring into her opponent’s eyes solidified her confidence for her upcoming fight.
“When you look into someone’s eyes, you can not only feel their excitement but also whether they are prepared,” Tataroglu explains. “So during our face-off, I already knew that she wasn’t prepared for me. I thought, ‘I will kick your ass!’,” she exclaims before bursting into laughter.
But this coming Friday, she is confident that she will get the W during her Combate debut. “I’m much better than before and I’m more prepared than ever,” explains Tataroglu, “I know what I want and I know where I want to be. I’m very sure of it.”
Naomi Tataroglu faces Alejandra Orozco this Friday at Combate Global. Watch the rest of the interview here:
