Fallon Fox

“It took me about a year to understand and to feel the support from the transgender community.”

“Around 19, I got a girl pregnant. I really didn't want to get married, but I was raised with the belief to marry that person and take care of our child.”

“Right after I got out of the military, I realized that I wasn't surrounded by men all of the time. I started behaving - and outwardly - how I truly felt inside. And I decided that it would be a good idea if I transitioned.”

“I'm the first transsexual fighter in MMA. Like, ever. It's always going to be part of the narrative, but I'll deal with it. I'll try my best to use it to my advantage.”

“I see similarities between Jackie Robinson and myself.”

“I want the public to know how it feels, the fear of being scrutinized, of being outed. The fear of what happens when you come out and the media puts you under a microscope. It's crippling. You get lost.”

“For the rest of my life, my testosterone levels will remain underneath women who were born with female anatomy. There's no advantage I could ever get by not taking estrogen. Which I'm not doing, I'm just saying that's a fact, so people should realize that. Which, I don't think most people understand.”

“I remember when I first came out, it was like half and half, half the female fighters were like, 'I understand why she did it, and I'll fight her,' and half said I shouldn't be in the cage and said horrible, horrific transphobic comments about me.”

“Do you ever wonder what the Amazons would have looked like in real life? I think in MMA, like, you see it - that warrior spirit. You see that determination. You see that heart. You see that bravery.”

“I'm a legitimate fighter who trained for years for this and I'm good, but suddenly, just because I'm a transgender woman, I fall into the category of 'freak show.'”

“The testosterone levels of a normal male can be anywhere from 300-1,000 nanograms. For the average female, it's 10-70. Mine is around 7.”

“I was pretty sure, going along the timeline, I was going to have to embrace being a role model for transsexuals in mixed martial arts, and I'm willing to embrace it - of course.”

“I think when kids are younger, they don't have these preconceived notions of what a transsexual person is.”

“These past six years, people have seen me as a woman, not a transsexual. People in the gym, people I train with, it's been great, it's been awesome. I'm just a woman to them. I don't want that to go away. It's unfortunate that it has to.”

“I was looking for a way to lose a little weight and discovered MMA and its disciplines, and I fell in love with it.”

“I expected that someone was going to out me; you just can't go through life with a microscope on your career without someone delving into your past a little bit.”