With an aggressive attack that would make a lion proud, Amanda “Lady Killer” Bell took the action to her Invicta 9 opponent, Maria Hougaard Djursaa. Djursaa, the number 6-ranked featherweight in WMMA, didn’t intimidate Bell. Bell immediately took control in the cage unloading a series of strikes that put Djursaa on her back. From there, Bell out grappled the crafty submission specialist and hammered out a TKO victory. This win put an exclamation point on a very successful year for Bell. After starting out her pro career with back to back loses, Bell went 3-0 in 2014 and firmly planted herself inside the top ten of the featherweight division.
Bell’s spectacular year didn’t go unnoticed. It was announced Monday that the WMMA Press Association had named her their 2014 featherweight fighter of the year. After securing her first win in 2014, Bell went on to shock the MMA world with her first round knockout of Ronda Rousey protégé Marina Shafir. The win over Shafir put Bell in the spotlight and she took advantage by completing her year perfectly.
I had a chance to talk with Amanda and asked what her reaction was to the announcement that she had been named featherweight of the year.
“When I saw that the committee had chosen me for Featherweight of the Year, I was in disbelief. I had [also] been nominated for KO of the year for my 37 second win over Marina Shafir … so I was hoping I would win at least one [of the awards]. Being chosen for the featherweight fighter of the year in the WMMA Press Awards, that’s a big one. I really hope it [puts] more eyes on me, both from WMMA enthusiasts and from potential opponents I have out there.”
After picking up this award, it would be nice to see Invicta FC put Bell back in the cage soon. A potential match up with a top 5 opponent would be a good test for her; Invicta FC newcomer Faith Van Duin would be an exciting matchup. Van Duin is ranked 4th in the division and needs to have a good showing in her debut with the promotion if she hopes to make a good first impression. If Bell can secure the win, it would help set her up for a title shot in 2015. While Bell might be two or three fights away from challenging for the belt, a win over the 4th ranked fighter in the division would make her hard to ignore.
I asked Amanda what she thought would be in her future for 2015. She wasn’t ready to call anyone out but she did put an emphasis on improvement and keeping her streak alive.
“I’m [going to] try and make everyday of training better then the one before it and make changes for the better with every fight and every camp I endure. This year I hope to just keep my stride going. Keep fighting, keep winning, keep learning and keep getting better. I’ll see where I choose to go with when bigger [offers] begin to present themselves.”
So allow me to congratulate Hubbard, Oregon fighter Amanda Bell. Bell’s tireless effort to adjust her game and get back to winning form shows both professionalism and determination. It is qualities like those that make me think “The Lady Killer” will most certainly have an equally successful 2015.
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