In late 2018, Shawna Ram looked to be on track for a stellar MMA career.
She had just made a successful professional debut with a three-round win by decision over Chelsea LaGrasse at Mamba Fight Night 5. Things were looking up.
Yet the following year, a concussion and a few cancelled fights conspired to delay her return to competition. With a growing family to take care of, juggling every aspect of being an athlete became a difficult task. Fighting took a backseat.
Her children are now a little older. Her body and mind in the right place, the 35-year-old British Columbia native is making a comeback at Pallas Athena Women’s FC 1.
“I’m really excited to fight at PAWFC,” Ram told The AllStar. “I think it is a great opportunity. All women’s league. Canada’s first. That’s so amazing to me.”
Ram will face off against Elisandra Ferreira on Jan.15 in Calgary, Alberta. The Nacao Cyborg atomweight champion is one of the bright young prospects coming out of Brazil.
“They had given me another opponent so for the first month I was preparing for her,” Ram revealed. “Something happened with her. They gave me a whole bunch of names and originally we had said no to her just because she’s been so active.
“We wanted someone who’s been inactive for a while and then we started looking at her fights and watching her movement. I think it’s just going to be a great matchup for both of us.”
Although Ram has been away for many years, she has been involved in the fight game continuously without breaking stride. So preparations have been going like clockwork.
“My husband is my coach,” Ram said. “So it’s not just at the gym, it’s in the car ride, it’s at home. It’s the first thing I wake up in the morning. I got all these messages. Because he becomes obsessed.
“Realistically, I would say he’s the video game player and I’m the character. He’s the one that does the research and I really have to give it to him because he looks at my opponent, bases a game plan on them. He’s looked up fighters that she’s fought. He’s looked those records up and fighters that they’ve fought. So he really gets in-depth with it. Sends me YouTube videos. I got notes and notes and notes. It’s like a test. You have to study for it.
“Obviously he doesn’t want me to go out there and get hurt. He’s got high expectations so his work ethic is on another level. Just his brain is on another level.”
Earlier in her career, Ram would have a rollercoaster of emotions heading into a fight. This time around, things are different.
“I’m just so calm and just want to be in the moment like zen, seeing everything,” Ram said. “At night, sometimes I can’t sleep. It’s because I’m going over techniques in my head. If I get put in this position, I gotta do this. That’s really like the only anxiousness that I have.
“I know that being off for so long, mistakes might get made. It might not be as picture perfect as I see it in my head. But I want to remember it after. I want to remember, okay I was in this position. I had a hard time with this. Then after the fight I can go back and I can work on that.
“Fighting is something that I just love to do. I love competing. I love showing my kids competition is important and nerves are important and hard work. Trials and tribulations of life.”
Watch this interview on The AllStar’s Youtube channel.
Fighter profile
Shawna Ram is a 35 year old female fighter from Canada with 1 pro wins and 0 losses. Ram is scheduled to fight Elisandra Ferreira at PAWFC 1 on Saturday January 15, 2022.
Recent form coming into this matchup
Shawna Ram has gone 1-0 in the last 5 professional MMA fights.
- Win vs Chelsea LaGrasse • Decision R3 5:00 • 2018-10-05
