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Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger

“I’m super excited to be fighting so close to home in California,” Jones-Lybarger told Fight Corner. “Originally I’m from San Diego. It feels good to come home. All my friends and family will be there and people can watch live on AXS TV. So I’m excited. I’m excited, like I said, to go 3-0. That’s what I look forward to and just to be the only undefeated girl under RFA and just one step closer to making it to the UFC.”

With other RFA fighters making their way into the big Octagon after solid runs with RFA, Lybarger knows that fate could also be in her future. But punching that ticket means she has to put on a dynamic performance, one that turns the heads of UFC brass. Standing between Jocelyn and that dream is Rios. Though her opponent is undefeated, that doesn’t have Jones-Lybarger overly concerned about executing come fight time.

“She has a 2-0 record, she hasn’t fought anybody. So no, it doesn’t put any added pressure. I already feel pressure because I want to go in there, I want to perform. I train my butt off and I want to go in there and get the win. There’s always that pressure, but no added pressure. I might feel a little more because all of my friends and family will be there live, but I do a pretty good job of blocking everybody out until after the fight. So I just want to go in there and put on a performance.”

Jones-Lybarger has been closer than most when it comes to getting into the UFC. Just last year, she was picked as an alternate for TUF 20 after going through the audition process with her twin sister, Jillian in Las Vegas. Had someone had an extentuating circumstance which would have prevented them from joining the cast, she would have been called up. But that did not happen and Jocelyn watched the season unfold as her fellow strawweights took centerstage.

“I’m happy for them that all of them, almost half of them, are in the UFC now, you know. Their dream has come true,” said Jones-Lybarger. “It was fun watching. Was I sad a little bit? Yeah. But those girls have been doing it much longer than me and have twice as many fights so I’m happy to see them all in the UFC. They did a great job. They put on a good show and it was very entertaining.”

Training out of Arizona’s MMA Lab, she credited her camp for helping her achieve her goals, especially head coach John Crouch. With around 18 fighters in her camp with UFC experience, people like Lauren Murphy, John Moraga, Benson Henderson and Efrain Escudero have shown her what it takes to get to the next level.

Mainly, the 29-year-old is anxious to get a highlight reel finish in her upcoming scrap. Of course that’s always the plan. But like her last outing against Rebecca Ruth at RFA 19, she’s edged out more decisions than she’s intended.

“It was a battle. It was a war,” Jones-Lybarger said of her last fight. “This fight coming up, right when the bell hits, we’ll box and just go to work and stop riding these decisions. And if it does go fifteen minutes, I’ve just got to keep moving my feet and things like that.”

“I feel like I need better performances, stop getting these decisions. I need to make a statement,” Jones-Lybarger said. “I got to go in there and show what I’m made of even more. As long as I keep putting in the work like I’m doing, training 3-times a day, it’s gonna come. Women’s MMA, the 115 division in the UFC, is just starting this year. Timing is everything. I feel like the timing is right.”

“Sean Shelby knows who I am,” she added of the UFC matchmaker. “I’ll shoot Sean Shelby an e-mail and let him know ‘hey watch my fight Feb. 6.’ And he’s super sweet, he always e-mails me back. He’s super nice. I’m on their radar and I’ve just got to keep getting better performances in the cage and that will get me there faster.”

Making important statements has driven Jones-Lybarger, not just in the cage, but on a personal level too. During RFA 23, a commerical will air on behalf of Cancer Treatment Centers of America. It’s a 3-minute feature on a subject close to Jocelyn’s heart. Her wife has struggled with thyroid cancer and mother is also cancer survivor. But having seen loved ones suffer and confront the tremendous challenges they have, prompted Jones-Lybarger to promote awareness on the matter to others.

Luckily as of late, Jocelyn’s had reason to celebrate. After extensive treatment, her wife’s scan came back clean 2 months ago. As an Ambassador for Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Jones-Lybarger hopes anyone who has been through the same ordeal and their families can get the help they need.

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