Barb Honchak is an American professional female mixed martial artist. She is the first Invicta FC Flyweight Champion. She has four wins in the Invicta FC promotion and holds notable victories over Vanessa Porto, Roxanne Modafferi, Leslie Smith and Felice Herrig. Honchak is currently the #6-ranked pound-for-pound female MMA fighter in the world by MMARising.com and the #1-ranked 125-pound female fighter according to the Unified Women’s MMA Rankings.
Honchak went 8-1 as an amateur mixed martial artist and made her professional debut on November 28, 2009. In her fourth professional fight, Honchak defeated Felice Herrig at Hoosier FC 6 on January 14, 2011. Honchak won three more fights in 2011, defeating Amber McAvoy and Nina Ansaroff by decision and Roxanne Modafferi by submission due to a rear-naked choke.
Honchak made her Invicta Fighting Championships debut on July 28, 2012 at Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann. She defeated Bethany Marshall by TKO in the second round.
On October 28, 2012, Honchak faced Aisling Daly at Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama. She defeated Daly by unanimous decision.
The victory over Daly earned Honchak a shot at the inaugural Invicta FC Flyweight title on April 5, 2013 at Invicta FC 5: Penne vs. Waterson. She defeated Vanessa Porto by unanimous decision to become the first Invicta FC Flyweight Champion. Honchak faced Leslie Smith at Invicta FC 7: Honchak vs. Smith on December 7, 2013. She successfully defended her Invicta FC title, winning via unanimous decision.
Honchak faced Takayo Hashi at Invicta FC 9 on November 1, 2014 and successfully defended her title with another unanimous decision victory. Honchak has a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and her Master’s in both Ecology and Genetics.
Championships and Accomplishments of Barb Honchak
Mixed Martial Arts
- Invicta FC
- Flyweight Championship (One Time, Current)
- Two Successful Title Defenses
Women’s MMA Awards
- 2013 Fighter of the Year
- 2013 Flyweight of the Year
AwakeningFighters.com WMMA Awards
- 2013 Flyweight of the Year
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Barb Honchak is ranked world No.1, 125-pound female fighter and Invicta FC Flyweight Champion. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar President Women Fitness
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You must have started young in your martial arts career. You reached the pinnacle of success when you became first Invicta FC Flyweight Champion. Tell us about your journey that took you to where you are now in the world of being a women mixed martial art fighter? What factors you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?
Ms. Barb Honchak:
I was not young at all when I started. I had my first mixed martial arts competition at 27 years old, 6 months after I started my first martial art class. This martial art was Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I trained under Steve Berger in St. Louis for the first several years of my MMA career, then I moved to train under Junior Hernandez in Bettendorf Iowa.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Elaborate on your spectacular achievement of winning the Invicta FC 9 by defeating Takayo Hashi on 1st November 2014 ?
Ms. Barb Honchak:
Hashi is a submission wrestling world champion and has achieved a black belt in Judo. She was an extremely resilient and strong opponent. But I was able to shut down her judo game and control her to gain the unanimous decision win.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
On 5th April 2013 you won against Vanessa Porto in Invicta FC 5 at Kansas City, Missouri, United States and became Invicta FC Flyweight Champion. Tell us about this winning fight and how did you feel on the winning the bout?
Ms. Barb Honchak:
It was a very tough fight against the talented fighter Vanessa Porto. I do feel we are the top two fighters in our weight class and it was an extremely legitimate battle for the title. Winning the Invicta FC Flyweight title has been the pinnacle of my career.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You possess an exceptional fighter physique. What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?
Ms. Barb Honchak:
I train 2-6 hours a day. My training regime consists of strength, agility, speed, cardio, technical and sparing training.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Barb Honchak:
I do not follow any particular diet plan. When I am in a training camp I simply eat very clean, unprocessed foods i.e., fruit, vegetables, meats, nuts and a few grain products.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding mixed martial artist girls who all are your fans, they shall like to know from you, what they should do for their climb to ladder of success in field of women mixed martial art professional fighting?
Ms. Barb Honchak:
Train hard, don’t make excuses to limit your own progress and learn from every fight.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You must had your share of injuries during professional fights. How you were able to overcome such a physical injury/setback and what advice you can give to fellow fighter person in a similar situation?
Ms. Barb Honchak:
Every fighter has injuries; you just learn to train around and with them. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and I would rather feel some discomfort during training than not train at all.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You have been awarded Women’s MMA Awards 2013 Fighter of the Year, 2013 Flyweight of the Year and AwakeningFighters.com WMMA Awards 2013 Flyweight of the Year. Tell us how these awards bestow upon you additional responsibility towards the sports of mixed martial art ?
Ms. Barb Honchak:
I don’t really feel like it adds any additional responsibility. I earned them by training and fighting the way that I do. I will continue trying to improve myself and setting a high standard for men and women in the sport.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Who has been your greatest influencer and motivator in your success in the field of your career in competitive women mixed martial art professional fighting?
Ms. Barb Honchak:
My husband, he is the one who helped get me started in the sport and has encouraged my progression through out my entire career.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?
Ms. Barb Honchak:
Thank you for supporting and reading Womenfitness.net.
To know more about Barb Honchak, check her out at: http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Barb-Honchak-41484
To know the latest from Barb Honchak, Check her out at: https://twitter.com/barbhonchak
Women Fitness Team thanks Barb Honchak for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and made this interview happen.
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All content on this site is copyright of Women Finess and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.