Jana Lamačová, the promising young MMA fighter represented by JANDASPORT ®, is bringing home gold from the MMA World Championships in Abu Dhabi. In a short interview she shares the story of her road to the world title.
What does the title mean to you, and what changes do you expect in your MMA career?
It means I’ll keep grinding. All the effort my coaches and I put in is clearly paying off, and we want to keep it that way. What will change, we’ll see. Unfortunately there aren’t many Czech opponents in my category, so we’ll try to find some abroad so I can keep training and competing.
What was your toughest fight on the way to the title?
The semi-final against a Mexican fighter. She was experienced and strong, and it was only her first fight of the day, while I was going into my third. You could see I was tired already in the warm-up. In the end I managed to beat her and reach the final.
Which techniques did you work on in training and use in the title fight?
We didn’t learn many new techniques; we worked a lot on wrestling, which I used a lot. For submissions I always go for what I do best – the armbar, for example.
What helps you deal with pre-fight nerves?
The more I fight, the less nervous I get – lately I barely feel it. The best thing is to focus on myself and the fight and ignore everything around it.
How big a role did your coach play, and how important is support from those around you?
Huge. He couldn’t have prepared me better, and who knows how it would have gone if he hadn’t put so much into me. Support matters to me mainly from my inner circle – family and coaches. Even if nobody believed in me, I’d still go and fight, because I know what I’m capable of.
Editor’s note: Jana’s coach is the talented fighter Tim Ha, who is also represented by JANDASPORT ®.
How do you handle fatigue in training or in a fight?
In a fight, calm your breathing, don’t waste energy and just push through. Once you’re in there, nothing else helps. Otherwise, the best cure for fatigue is good sleep and good food.
How did you celebrate?
With an Indian dinner. Back in the Czech Republic we also threw a club barbecue.
What are your plans? What do you want to achieve, and who would you like to fight?
I want to win as many amateur championships as I can while I’m eligible and make a name for myself before turning pro. I don’t have a dream opponent yet.
What would you tell people who want to start MMA?
Find a good club and just start training. Waiting won’t help – and the sooner you start, the more grateful you’ll be to your younger self.
Jana Lamačová
A sixteen-year-old fighter who has already won:
- the Czech boxing championship (up to 66 kg),
- the U18 European MMA Championships,
- the MMA World Championships (up to 65.8 kg).
Jana also competes in K1, grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
- 4–0–0MMA record (wins–losses–draws)
As of 19 August 2024.
Jana Lamačová2× MMA world champion · Athlete profile →
