George Lucas' daughter fights MMA

[MasterKiller]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24973702/

Women’s mixed martial arts got the national spotlight last weekend when Gina Carano and Kaitlin Young put on a technical war during CBS’s EliteXC broadcast, a match that was cut short when the fight was stopped due to a cut Young endured.

Who knows who the next star in women’s MMA will be, but one fighter making her way in the sport is Amanda Lucas, daughter of legendary Hollywood filmmaker George Lucas.

Amanda Lucas, who is 27, made her pro MMA debut on the same night as EliteXC, but thousands of miles away in Auckland, New Zealand.

Lucas lost via TKO to Nicole Kavanaugh at 2:24 of the third round. She reportedly had trained in kickboxing, Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu for several years at San Francisco’s Fairtex Gym. Her bout was the first of an eight-fight card, and her opponent, Kavanaugh, was also making her pro debut. They competed in the 160-pound weight class.

"(Amanda's) got the heart of a fighter,” show promoter Belinda Dunne told New Zealand’s Stuff. “She's got some skills in every area. She does the tough yards and she doesn't give up.”

The show was part of a TV taping for a potential reality show featuring the formation of a women’s fight league.

George Lucas has produced blockbusters films including the Star Wars series, and the Indiana Jones series. His latest film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, has made almost $500 million worldwide since being released on May 22

[GeneChing]

Thu Apr 07 07:08pm EDT
George Lucas’ daughter returns to the cage this weekend (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/George-Lucas-8217-daughter-returns-to-the-cage?urn=mma-wp1012)
By Maggie Hendricks

http://mit.zenfs.com/212/2011/04/53047364.jpg
Amanda Lucas, daughter of the famed filmmaker George Lucas, will fight again this Saturday at Freestyle Cage Fighting in Oklahoma on a card headlined by UFC veteran Matt Grice and well-known female fighter Erin Toughill.

Lucas is 1-1, winning her last fight via decision in 2009. She had been on an extended layoff from the cage while she focused on improving technically and getting married, telling MMA Fighting that she didn't want to walk down the aisle "looking like a battered woman." You would think that her father could probably connect her with a good make-up artist.

Lucas trains at Fairtex in San Francisco as well as Gilbert Melendez's Skrap Pack team and Cesar Gracie Academy. She also had a knee injury, but has spent the last six months training and rehabbing.

"I am really excited for this fight," she said. "I was originally scheduled to fight in February, but I suffered a partially torn MCL and PCL during my training camp. I have basically been either training or rehabbing my knee for the past six months. I am looking forward to fighting, taking a week off, and then getting back into the gym. I am in great shape, well prepared and am ready to test myself on Saturday."

Lucas has made cameos in her father's movies, including all three "Star Wars" prequels.

Hopefully, her father will get inspiration from her daughter's fight experiences and give MMA the cinematic treatment it deserves. MMA on the Death Star? Indiana Jones and the Octagon of Doom? Or Lucas could return to his roots and make an "American Graffiti" -eseque film about fighting. Instead of chronicling teenage boys and their last night before college -- and a bunch of boss cars -- Lucas could take a look at a day leading up to a fight.

It would be better than many of the cliche-ridden treatments Hollywood has given MMA in the past. Help us Amanda Lucas! You're our only hope! Didn't realize she was local to me.

[TaichiMantis]

Didn't realize she was local to me.

Gene! follow-up required!;)

[GeneChing]

...can't really think of a good Chinese tie-in, but it would be great viral for our e-zine, wouldn't it?

[GeneChing]

There's a vid if you follow the link

George Lucas' daughter tries to star in martial-arts wars (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20098258-71/george-lucas-daughter-tries-to-star-in-martial-arts-wars/)
By: Chris Matyszczyk August 27, 2011 12:04 PM PDT

Who needs a lightsaber when you can kick, punch, and twist the living daylights out of your enemy?

This seems to be the charming ethos of Mixed Martial Arts. It is one that is being espoused by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas' daughter, Amanda.

I am grateful to the hard-working informants at Yahoo Sports, who have mined the depths of their metier to bring me news of Amanda "Powerhouse" Lucas' latest attempt to skywalk in the world of MMA.

It seems that she performed last night at a profound event called DEEP 55 in Japan. (I have embedded her prefight interview.) She pummeled her local opponent, Hikaru Shinohara, into a state that might have made her suddenly hiss like Darth Vader.

My hitherto nonexistent reading of MMA Fighting.com offered some graphic description of Lucas' talents.

"Lucas was able to utilize her significant strength advantage and move into mount where she blasted strikes upon her hapless opponent," wrote the breathless blog.

Even though Lucas executed a perfect armbar on her opponent--who apparently was desperate to protect her jaw area--Shinohara didn't submit. However, her corner--fearing, perhaps, that she might go the way of Darth Maul (you must remember him: cut in half by that sweet Obi-Wan Kenobi)--threw in the towel.

Shinohara was reportedly so upset with her cornerman that she punched him, giving him a black eye.

This was only Lucas' third MMA fight. She has won two of them. For this fight, she had reportedly threatened to enter the ring to the tune of the "Star Wars" music. At the last minute, however, she changed her mind. Perhaps she couldn't secure the rights in time.

Some will no doubt believe that Lucas could be a breakthrough personality for her sport. Some will also imagine that her father might offer to produce--or even direct--an MMA space movie where intergalactic warfare is enacted under strict rules of punching, kicking and, of course, choking.hmm, does groundwork work in space?