I’ve always liked a challenge. Even starting in middle school, my friends and I would dare guys we met that we could beat them in a fight for five dollars. We’d catch them in armbars and take their money. Nowadays, I spend my whole day getting beat up on and acting like a tough chick—and when I go home, I’m actually a big baby. I sit on the couch and won’t move.
Star Power
I always wanted to make the transition into films, but I never thought I’d have the opportunity. Then with my success in MMA it started to become a possibility. [Sylvester] Stallone was really the one who took the risk first. He mentored me through the whole process of The Expendables 3. He’s given me a lot of advice that I still refer back to today. But no one can argue that I prioritize making films over fighting: I am the most active UFC champion out there.
Stunt Woman
All of the fight scenes in The Expendables 3 are 100 percent me. But there were some stunts they wouldn’t allow me to do, like falling off balconies and through ceilings. They promised the next time I was shooting and didn’t have a fight coming up directly afterward they would let me do the high falls, as well.
Training Days
It really was exhausting keeping my training going while I was filming. There were days when I had to wake up at 4 a.m. and run stairs before filming. When filming was over I would head straight to the gym or the mountains to run. I found ways to fit my training in, to the point where if I ever have to make a movie without training at the same time, it would be the easiest thing in the world.
The Dolce Diet
[MMA coach and trainer] Mike Dolce has been creating my diet for my last three training camps. It’s very clean: No gluten or dairy, mostly organic. I eat throughout the day, lots of lean meat, quinoa—all that kind of stuff. But after my fights, I always look forward to a big plate of Buffalo wings and blue cheese, and some sort of dessert à la mode.
