Jodie Esquibel will be representing Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA at the upcoming Jackson’s MMA Series 7, scheduled for this Saturday, January 21, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Albuquerque.

For her second MMA fight ever, she will be facing Arevalo Academy’s Amy Riehle (0-1), a fight in which she gives up both weight and height, but that doesn’t faze this gritty girl.

Esquibel (1-0 MMA, and 6-6-1 as a boxer) has trained to fight since she was 14-years-old, when she joined Mike Winkeljohn’s AKKA, along with teammates Holly Holm, Heather Jo Clark and Nohime Dennisson, primarily to stay in shape.  Esquibel had no aspirations to fight at that time; however, 9 months after joining, Winkeljohn convinced her to take her first amateur kickboxing match, which she won, and “the rest is history.”  

She took whatever kickboxing or boxing fights she could, but, as difficult as it is now for females to find amateur fights, whether boxing, kickboxing or MMA, it was even more difficult, several years ago.

For a fighter with a reputation for winning, as well as the rarity of fighters in her weight class, the difficulty of finding a fight forced Esquibel to travel, and eventually, the glaring reality of travel and fighting costs, which are the responsibility of each individual amateur fighter, pushed her, with the guidance of Coach Winkeljohn, to make the choice to go professional boxer in 2005. 

Her most recent boxing match was against Korea’s Ji-Hyun Park (15-2), a heartbreaking decision for Park, which left Esquibel slightly bitter.  “Can’t leave it to the judges,” is a principle that all fighters face, and Esquibel is more determined than ever to finish every opponent. 

Her most recent MMA fight was actually not only her professional debut in cagefighting, but it was also her first MMA fight ever, with no opportunity for an amateur match, as she is already a professional boxer.  She won that match decisively, with a TKO in the first round against Brittany Horton at Jackson’s MMA Series 4.

Although Riehle has height and weight on Esquibel (Riehle typically fights at 120, and Esquibel around 105, and the match is set for 109), Esquibel is comfortable against such differences.  Not only does she have years of boxing experience with such differentials, but training with teammates like Julie Kedzie, Holly Holm, Michelle Waterson, Heather Jo Clark, and Emily Kagan also helps her prepare for the disadvantages. 

Her coaches Mike Winkeljohn, Greg Jackson and trainer Brandon Gibson have helped her put together a game plan. “Most people don’t understand that you can’t use the same methods for MMA as for boxing; you can't take as many shots with those little MMA gloves.”  Although Esquibel has more years as a professional boxer, she has trained in kickboxing and MMA from the very beginning, 11 years ago, much like teammate Holm, and she feels as confident and familiar in the cage as she does in the ring.

Esquibel, when she is not in the cage or the ring, is a fighter of another kind: she has been a firefighter with Rio Rancho Fire Department for the last five years, and a paramedic for the last year. 

“I’ve wanted to be a firefighter ever since I was little,” Esquibel told US Combat Sports reporter Trula How. “I was that kid who dreamed of running into the burning building; I’ve always wanted to help people.” 

A graduate of Sandia High School, Esquibel went on to UNM and TVI for her post-secondary education, but once she became a firefighter, she knew she had arrived at what she wanted to do with her life. 

With her jobs, training and personal life, she has little time for hobbies, although she does claim two:  a passion for eating (most fighters have a similar pastime) and some skill in sewing:  “You can give Holly the credit for that.  Thanks to her, all of us girls sew our own boxing trunks.  I’ll even be working on my own MMA shorts for this fight.” 

As far as the future, Esquibel wants to keep fighting, “whatever comes my way, I just want to keep busy and fight as much as I can. It’s what I love to do.  If things go well, I would love to go to Japan, where the top girls in MMA are, especially in my weight class; that would be a dream.”  After this fight, the one immediate thing Esquibel has lined up is vacation with her fiancé Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine; something both have earned and are anxious for.