Joanne Wood

BIOGRAPHY

Joanne Wood is an Australian mixed martial artist and former professional boxer who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She is currently ranked #13 in the official UFC bantamweight rankings.

Wood was born on June 15, 1987, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. She started her fighting career at a young age by training Taekwondo as a teenager and later went on to become one of Australia’s top amateurs before turning professional in 2008.

Throughout her amateur career she won multiple titles including four Australasian Boxing Federation (ABF) Queensland State crowns; two ABA National Titles; three national championships for the Oceania region; and four world titles representing Australia at the World Combat Games. In 2010 Joanne won an unprecedented fourth consecutive ABA National Title to further cement her place amongst Australia’s premier female fighters. Later that year she made history by becoming the first female fighter from Down Under to sign with Global MMA juggernaut Strikeforce where she competed until they disbanded in 2013 after which she transitioned into boxing full time.

In 2014 Wood captured her first WBC International Featherweight title beating experienced American pro Lisa Holewyne via unanimous decision and soon followed up with a successful defence against tough Mexican challenger Alejandra Lopez de Haro stopping her opponent inside five rounds prompting many pundits to question why she wasn’t already signed with one of MMA’s major promotions like Bellator or Invicta FC . The answer eventually came late 2016 when it was announced that Wood had joined fellow Australians Robert Whittaker & Megan Anderson on UFC’s arduous roster becoming only th e second Australian woman ever signed by them after Bec Rawlings made history earlier that same year . Her debut match took place November 2017 versus Katlyn Chookagian where despite coming up short via split decision perfectly displayed her vast boxing experience under pressure allowing her to outstrike Chookagian over three rounds and even survive two submission attempts from ‘Blonde Fighter’ . After rebounding warmly following back-to-back losses 2019 saw Wood win both fights versus Talita Bernardo & Claire Fryer while also picking up Fight Of The Night honours for round 2 against Bernardo showcasing explosive standup technique along with strong takedown defense making it clear that this warrior intends on being around for several more years yet . Likely still fighting close to home too , winning remains priority number one but Joanne also now volunteers coaching aspiring Australian boxers/MMA fighters alongside teaching Muay Thai classes at Kingsway Martial Arts Academy which further cements legacy as not just another athlete but genuine role model inspiring others through hard work & dedication like few others can !