FARGO — Kayla Sirjord started going to local mixed martial arts events in May of 2023 soon after she finished her college women’s basketball career and deciding whether she wanted to go to medical school.
Sirjord, from Ulen, Minnesota, was hooked.
Soon after she joined Fargo’s Academy of Combat Arts.
“I went to some fights and got really curious about it and joined ACA as soon as I moved to Fargo,” said Sirjord, who added she had never watched fights prior to that. “I was just obsessed from there.”
Sirjord is set to headline at Throne MMA event that starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at Seven Clans Casino in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The gates are set to open at 5 p.m. for the outdoor event, which features seven fights.
Dean Lamb, the CEO for Throne MMA, said this is the first time the promotion has had a women’s main event. Throne previously operated as North Star Combat and re-branded in 2021. He’s promoted fights for about two decades.
The 26-year-old Sirjord is excited for the opportunity. She has a 5-1 record through six amateur fights. Saturday’s fight against Calgary’s Ciara Wood (3-0) is for the Throne MMA women’s flyweight (125 pounds) championship, which is also an amateur bout.
“I’d imagine if (Sirjord) wins this fight, she might look to go pro,” Lamb said.
Contributed / Throne MMA
Sirjord already won Throne’s bantamweight (135 pounds) belt, but is likely to remain at flyweight moving forward.
“I think it just speaks for the support that I have,” Sirjord said of headlining an MMA card. “It really wouldn’t be possible with all the people I have supporting me. … It’s mainly about developing my skill and being ready to go pro when that time comes. That’s keeping me pretty calm going into these opportunities.”
Sirjord was a multiple-sport athlete in high school prior to her college career, in which she spent time at four different colleges, including Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State. Jerome Sirjord, her father, is a former Minnesota Crookston football player. Her mother, Angie, is a former Wisconsin-La Crosse gymnast. Brady Sirjord, her older brother, played football at Concordia College in Moorhead.
“She’s a workhorse,” said Dylan Spicer, who owns the Academy of Combat Arts. “She’s willing to do whatever it takes. … Every fight is an opportunity for her to get closer to being in the UFC or another major organization.”
Sirjord said since eighth grade, she thought she was going to be a doctor. She started taking college classes when she was 15 years old. After completing college, however, nutrition, fitness and exercise science and the preventative side of health became more appealing. Then came MMA.
“I knew right away,” said Sirjord, who is also the general manager at ACA. “I wanted to fight MMA.”
Spicer estimates 95% of the females who train at the ACA are there for fitness and/or self-defense training. Sirjord is in that 5% that wants to have a career in fighting.
“She’s working really hard and she’s chasing the dream,” Spicer said. “She’s mature for her age. She makes good decisions. … It’s a very physical sport, but at the end of the day, it’s all operated by what goes on upstairs.”
Looking back at her basketball career, Sirjord said she liked the “gritty” parts of the game, like drawing charges. She also liked the long hours of practice and training needed to improve.
“The really physical parts of basketball were my favorite things,” Sirjord said. “I’ve always had to be tough, I’ve always had to work really hard and that’s what MMA is. It’s exactly what I’ve done my whole life all in one sport.”
Peterson covers college athletics for The Forum, including Concordia College and Minnesota State Moorhead. He also covers the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks independent baseball team and helps out with North Dakota State football coverage. Peterson has been working at the newspaper since 1996.
