The Melbourne midwife with a wild double life

“I haven’t told many people (in MMA) that I’m a midwife,” Collins tells Wide World of Sport forward of Sunday’s (AEDT) co-main occasion struggle for the ladies’s featherweight world title.

“And I don’t tell many midwives at work that I fight MMA, so I try and keep it separate. I had my routine medicals with the eye doctor yesterday. I walked in and he’s like, ‘you’re fighting Chris Cyborg?’

“And I used to be like, ‘yeah.’ That would not occur usually, however it has occurred a few occasions.”

Collins works fulltime as a midwife when she is not in fight camp.

It is hard to reconcile the friendly face staring back on a Zoom call with the blood-splattered, teeth-baring version from primal victory celebrations.

“I truly hate confrontation a lot,” Collins chuckles.

“Like highway rage, something. Someone yells at me on the highway, I’m like, ‘sorry, I hate confrontation.’ I simply undoubtedly bought into no fights in school. I see judo and MMA as a sport, and that is it.”

Ah yes, judo.

That was Collins’ first sporting love from age 10-25.

She was representing Australia at 16 at the junior world championships and at the senior level from 18 – including the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

“I finished doing judo as a result of I had plenty of accidents,” Collins explains.

“I’ve had like six surgical procedures. Also judo would not pay something, so I used to be continually struggling to pay lease, pay the payments whereas doing judo.

“I was 25 and I snapped my Achilles, had that surgery, it was a long recovery back. And I was like, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’

“When I snapped my Achilles, it was truthfully a large aid as a result of I did not need to try to discover cash to pay for the subsequent judo journey. But I knew I nonetheless needed to compete.”

Too many accidents, is smart.

How about golf, tennis, perhaps some long-distance running? Nope.

“My coach, Daniel Kelly, he transitioned from judo into MMA and was within the UFC on the time. I talked to him and was like, ‘look, I nonetheless wish to compete, possibly I’ll attempt some MMA.”

Collins had her first pro fight in 2019 and saw off two more Australian fighters before stepping up overseas.

She took down Pam Sorenson and Sinead Kavanagh in Bellator events before destroying Leah McCourt to earn a shot at Cyborg.

“I’ve by no means met her. It’s going to be cool although,” Collins says.

“This is unquestionably my largest struggle to this point. I known as out for this struggle a 12 months in the past… so I’ve had a 12 months to mentally put together that I might be preventing Cyborg, and possibly now it is simply sinking in.

“She’s one of the best women to ever do MMA so it’s impossible not to know who she is if you follow any MMA.

“She simply looks like a great particular person, a pleasant particular person, after which she will get within the cage and she or he’s fricking scary. She’s nice at every part.”

Cyborg (28-2) is regarded as one of the greatest female fighters of all-time and has been a champion in every major organisation she has competed in.

The 40-year-old Brazilian last defended her featherweight title in 2023 when she stopped Cat Zingano at Bellator 300.

Cyborg then showcased her legendary toughness to beat compatriot Larissa Pacheco in PFL’s bloody Battle of the Giants in Riyadh last year.

“She’s undoubtedly modified how she fights, however I believe she’s method smarter within the cage and the best way she fights now,” Collins observed.

“Her struggle IQ in her final struggle, you could possibly simply inform she modified lots and she or he was preventing method smarter.”

The Lyon fight card is co-headlined by Vadim Nemkov vs Renan Ferreira for the heavyweight world title and Cyborg won’t be remotely bothered by the bright lights.

It will be a new experience for Collins but she is confident she can shock the fight world.

“Judo is without doubt one of the greatest bases to have for MMA,” she said.

“It’s the toughest to study as an grownup and it is hardest to defend. I’ve simply bought a great feeling, like in my hips, in my motion, that I do not suppose she’s going to have the ability to cease, even when she trains with judo individuals. She hasn’t been doing it her complete life like I’ve, so I believe that is going to be my large benefit.

“I’m just going to be able to feel things better and be able to do the grappling takedowns, from stand up to the ground, better. I’m very nervous walking out to the cage, but as soon as that cage door shuts and locks, I feel this very calming feeling.

“It’s laborious to elucidate, it simply occurs and I really feel very calm in there as soon as the door’s shut and I see my opponent throughout from me and also you realise they’re human like you’re. We each bleed crimson.

“I think once I’m in there, it’s going to be fine, it’s just the lead up to it that I get very nervous and I talk my brain into stupid scenarios.”

Collins’ mom might be cheering on at a heaving LDLC Arena… considerably reluctantly.

“Oh yeah, she hates it,” daughter admits.

“I told her I’m not going to talk to her fight week, I’ll talk to her after the fight. She has too much nervous energy around me. So it’s great that she can come, but yeah, I will not be seeing her before I fight.”