Amanda Bell is an intimidating force to be locked in a cage with. With her first MMA fight in 2008, she amassed an impressive 6-1 amateur record before taking the AAMMA title belt in 2011. She had her pro debut in Invicta 4 in 2013, and is currently on a three-fight winning streak. Her last win came via vicious TKO stoppage with four seconds left in round one against Maria Hougaard Djursaa in Invicta 9 last November. Now, she looks to do it again April 24th when facing Faith Van Duin.
Amanda Bell looks to dominate at Invicta FC 12
Amanda started traditional martial arts as a teenager, starting at Rouge Valley Academy of Martial Arts – Kokaishin-Kensei ju Bujutsu. Her teachers Sensei Robert “Toad” Walker and his wife Jennifer ran their own school. Amanda studied Shotokan Karate, Hung gar Gungfu, Tai chi Chuan, Aikido and Judo before moving on to boxing and MMA. “Learning the styles that I did fed me with lasting knowledge that, now that I’m older, I realized have many of the same functional maneuvers as what I practice today for the cage,” Amanda explained. “Aikido helped me to understand and pick up easily on how to angle and move your feet when I began practicing boxing. My Judo experience played a role in that as well. Judo, I believe, is the missing link that teaches you the body’s access of rotation. So when I wrestle or grapple, corners and moving around a person has become very clear to me.”
Tragically, Sensei Toad passed away just before Invicta 9. “Regardless of his physical body passing, he’s with me every time I enter the cage,” Amanda said. “His words and the wisdom that he would share still remain in my mind.”
Amanda trains at Animals MMA Fitness and Nutrition in Hubbard, Oregon, with coach Enoch “The Animal” Wilson and teammates. “My coaches Derrik “Durtnap” Bartlemay and Randal Clawson are my wrestling and striking coaches and they have been so good to me since I first joined Animals MMA,” Bell said gratefully. “Even Derrik has a fight coming up on the 18th and in between his training at night he is still picking up the mitts, doing extra stuff with me, and drilling our game plan.”
Amanda has been working hard to gear up for her match against Faith Van Duin (4-1). A featherweight from New Zealand, Van Duin has been training only a few years but holds two titles: WKBF Junior Welterweight MMA Champion and Storm Damage Featherweight Champion.
“Van Duin is just another for me to walk through. No disrespect to her,” Amanda said, describing her mindset towards fighting. “It’s just how I have to view my opponents in order for me to get vicious on another person. I don’t disregard her skills as a fighter at all. That would be flawed reasoning. But I remove almost all identity from them. It’s just a name to dominate as I climb my way to the championship. I’ve learned and firmly believe that you have to enter the cage with ill intent. Bottom line, this is not the gym, and we are not sparring.”
Every fighter has their own rituals – either hyping themselves up or calming themselves down. Amanda lets out a war cry as she enters the cage. “It’s my trademark, my Lions roar, the awakening of my Bear,” Amanda shared. “I’ve learned and firmly believe that you have to enter the cage with ill intent. If I don’t hurt you, you’re going to do it to me. It’s a fight for my life in my head. For the record, I don’t like to purposely hurt anyone. But I will do what is necessary to win, even if that means putting myself in danger of injury.”
Glory, pride, courage, and personal growth are what Amanda strives for. “When you allow yourself to feel the thrills and anxieties that life can throw at you, and conquer, I feel you find a new level of appreciation to be alive.”
When Amanda isn’t grinding it out in the gym, she relaxes by finding alone-time. “Being in the silence helps ease my thoughts and my busy mind when the weeks begin to get hectic and people start being invasive,” she said. She’ll go to parks or bridges and people-watch, or relax in her favorite coffee shop. She enjoys listening to native American music or Tibetan Monks during meditation hours, and underground rappers like Tech N9ne and Hopsin while cleaning the house. “Lyrics inspire me, and I enjoy rhythmic tunes,” she said. During training, she prefers something with a beat, anything from old Cypress Hill to heavy dubstep or rock bands. “For walk out music or before the fight, it has to move me,” she said. “If it gets me feeling like I’m going to kill someone, I use it.”
She works a 9-5 job as a gas attendant to support herself for the time being. “A strong work ethic never goes without notice,” she remarked, describing how always hustling has gotten her good tips and a few job offers from customers.
“I’d like to give a big shout out to my manager Jason Ellis of Relentless Sports Management and Marketing, sponsors Lubmma, Unique Kennels, Pro Nation, BearCat Tactical, Doc Howie of X-ion-x, MMA Overload, Quest Nutrition/Quest Training, Alkame Water, and all my friends, family, and fans. Thank you and I love you all!
Follow Amanda on social media: Twitter – @TheLadyKiller00, Instagram – theladykillermma00
Watch Invicta FC 12 on April 24th in Kansas City, MO Municipal Auditorium, or UFC Fightpass.
Full card as follows:
Strawweight Title: Katja Kankaanpää (10-1-1) vs. Livia Renata Souza (7-0)
Flyweight: Roxanne Modafferi (17-11) vs. Vanessa Porto (17-6)
Featherweight: Amanda Bell (3-2) vs. Faith Van Duin (4-1)
Bantamweight: Ediane Gomes (10-3) vs. Raquel Pa’aluhi (4-4)
Featherweight: Peggy Morgan (3-2) vs. Latoya Walker (4-0)
Strawweight: Lacey Schuckman (10-8) vs. Jenny Liou (3-1)
Atomweight: Cassie Rodish (5-4) vs. Stephanie Skinner (4-5)
Strawweight: Delaney Owen (3-1) vs. Sharon Jacobson (2-1)
Flyweight: Shannon Sinn (1-2) vs. Maureen Riordon (0-1)
Flyweight: Roma Pawelek (1-0) vs. Sijara Eubanks (0-0)
