NO HOLDS BARRED

(Photo credit: Lucas Noonan/WSOF)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with the world's top-ranked MMA fighter in the women's 115-pound division, American Top Team fighter Jessica Aguilar.

A surprising announcement was made this past Monday by World Series of Fighting (WSOF), where she had been women's strawweight champion and had not lost a fight, that she was being released from the final fight of her contract "so that she can ideally pursue competition where it is strongest in her weight division."

Now a free agent, we spoke with Jessica Aguilar by phone Thursday about her plans.

Calling the WSOF people "awesome" and indicating that this was an amicable parting, she said that in her stay there, "It was hard to find opponents." While they still did find her opponents, and she had won all three fights in WSOF, she has not been booked since November and had no fight planned there.

"I just wanted to fight top-level opponents at my weight class," she said. "The ultimate goal is to be the best fighter out there at 115 pounds, and for me to continue proving that, I believe that I have to step up," to which, she added, WSOF management agreed.

"Now I'm a free agent," she said.

"I plan on becoming a UFC champion, because the talent there of athletes they have, the top females in my division. So that's my plan, Eddie."

She did note that as we spoke, she had not signed with any MMA organization, and could also pursue other options.

We also discussed why her focus on signing with a new organization has meant that she cannot participate in the upcoming 2015 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships, August 28-30 in Sao Paulo, Brazil; her many community activities, including plans for this year's LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) Pride events in June; and much more.

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Labels: American Top Team, Eddie Goldman, Jessica Aguilar, LGBT, MMA, No Holds Barred, UFC, WSOF