By TXMMA Staff // Hannah Robinow // Cover photo – Mike Calimbas
4OZ fighter no strangers to hardships; Channels past experiences to be vicious in the cage
HOUSTON, TX, July 11, 2014 – Houston’s Bi Nguyen is a Muay Thai specialist who is transitioning into a blossoming MMA career. Also known to her friends and fans as Bebe Laced, Nguyen is a California native who moved to Texas some years back and has entrenched herself into the local fight scene ever since. This Saturday night she’ll be throwing leather for the third time as an amateur fighter when she faces Ashley Milligan in a grudge match of sorts at Legacy Amateur Series 16.
A woman who wears many hats (fighter, trainer, health nut, diet specialist), Bi trains at 4OZ Fight Club alongside established stars like Derrick Lewis and Daniel Pineda. Between clients and her own work she pretty much lives in the gym. Even her personal life is intertwined with fighting considering she also dates another fighter in rising pro Justin Reiswerg. When it comes to the MMA lifestyle it seems like Bi is one of those people that can never get enough.
“I’m a Muay thai fighter but I’m always working on my ground game to become more of a well-rounded fighter too. I never train anything specifically for any of my fights. Every day, every camp; the focus is to better myself as a fighter. I want to be respected and feared for my striking [game] as well as ground [attack].”
The 4’11” striker also relies on supreme conditioning, explosiveness and a solid arsenal of Muay Thai kicks to outwork and outgun her opponents. It will be intriguing to see how Milligan’s traditional background in Shito-Ryu holds up against the Muay Thai skills of the Kru Bob Perez-trained striker.
When Bi steps into the cage this Saturday fans can expect her to look for an emphatic finish. Her last two fights went the distance but this time she’s looking to end with an explanation point, before the outcome of the fight goes to the judges. She’s been in exciting fights before but it’s the finish that she wants, and she’s going to use all her accumulated life experience as fuel to get her there.
“I’m very proud that out of my 7 amateur bouts. I’ve gotten “Fight of the Night” 5 times. When I’m in the ring/cage I think of everything I’ve been through, and everything I’ve sacrificed and that fuels me. I’ve been on my own since the age of 14, having been through an abusive relationship, being homeless, and never having my family to fall back on made me a fighter. I think my life experiences make me the fighter I am today.”
See Bi Nguyen vs. Ashley Milligan this Saturday night in Houston at Legacy Amateur Series 16.