FIGHT IN FLIGHT
THE NEW MISTRESS OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
By JENNIFER FERMINO
June 6, 2007 -- Meet Jennifer Santiago, a gorgeous, five-foot-two, 120-lb pro butt kicker who is being hailed as one of the toughest female competitors in the country.
"People underestimate me," says the 24-year-old. "They have a stereotype of fighters that are women. They think they are ugly and look like men. So they see me and think I must be no good."
Those people would be wrong.
Santiago is an undefeated star of martial arts legend Chuck Norris' burgeoning World Combat League, racking up an impressive eight wins including a 19-second knockout. She's also a 2003 and 2004 Golden Glove champion, and has developed quite a following at the West Village's posh Printing House Fitness Club.
It all began for her as a little girl growing up on East Seventh Street.
"I've been doing martial arts since I was 4 years old," she says, crediting her father and older brother with sparking her interest.
By six, she was competing in the sport karate circuit. At eight, she won her first championship.
Soon enough, she was winning trophies in three martial arts categories: fighting, forms, and weapons.
She competed for the next 15 years, and worked her way up to a six-degree black belt, but never dreamed that she'd be a pro fighter.
"I wanted to be a doctor."
However successful Santiago gets, there's one person who'll probably never see her in the ring - her Bayamon-born mother, Jeannie Santiago.
"She wanted to see my last fight, and I told her no," says Santiago. "I thought she'd have a heart attack.
Santiago's next World League Combat fight is in August.
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