It’s not every day that a global superstar visits the Cowboy Capital of the World.
However, boxing and Mixed Martial Arts phenom Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton stopped by The Boxing Development Center in Oakdale recently for training and a meet and greet.
Julaton sparred and trained in the Boxing Development Center as well as took time to talk to the boxing hopefuls in attendance. Her presentation lasted about 10 minutes and she encouraged all fighters to stick with the sport, and told those attending that it is never too late to chase your dreams. She also signed autographs and posed for photos.
Trained by legendary boxing trainer Freddie Roach, Julaton made a name for herself in the ring. In 2009 she won the then-vacant International Boxing Association Super Bantamweight Title over Kelsey “The Road Warrior” Jeffries.
“My coach (Angelo Reyes) and I are really good friends with Coach Alfredo Perez. Coach Perez is a well-respected man in the fight game and when he told us about the Boxing Development Center I knew I wanted to come check it out,” Julaton said.
Perez is a coach at the Boxing Center.
“It was nice to see so many people who have a dream like I did. Oakdale is a great community and I think with Coach Perez and Coach Leo Pagcaliuagan I think boxing will be big in Oakdale,” added Julaton.
A black belt in Taekwondo, her love of mixed martial arts has grown deeper. She made her debut for ONE Fighting Championship in 2014 and won her fight by TKO in the third round.
“The era that we live in now, where women can compete in boxing and MMA, is truly special. I fight under Bellator MMA and they gave me the chance to do both,” Julaton added.
She is currently working on getting a fight together for Bellator MMA.
“Boxing and MMA are so different. As far as training goes, I just take it one day at a time, one session at a time. In boxing it’s so wide open; you never know who is going to step in those ropes,” she noted. “Whereas in MMA you have an idea who is on the roster and you know who you will be fighting.”
In a career that has featured so many milestones, Julaton, a Bay Area native, looked back at her first boxing title, winning against Jeffries.
“Talk about promotions. I would do my training, sparring and after that I would go to businesses, residence and whatever, just to let people know that I was fighting,” she explained. “We did not have the resources that we do now.”
Entering the fight Julaton was an 8-1 underdog but came out and defeated the previously unbeaten Jeffries.
“That’s the most memorable moment for me bar none.”
In boxing Julaton holds a 14-4-1 professional record and in MMA she currently holds a 2-3 record.
