'Soccer mum' tries her hand at MMA... with disastrous consequences

We've got a lot of sympathy for Katie Castro. Stepping into the Octagon to try your hand at MMA against a professional opponent takes a huge amount of courage.

And there's no doubt that she did so with the best intentions at the Xplode Fight Series earlier this year.

Sadly, things didn't go well. Katie was so comprehensively outclassed by her opponent Llima-Lei MacFarlene that she was knocked out cold inside 10 seconds - with MacFarlene brutally uncompromising as she delivered the final blow while Katie was already down on her knees.

There are two bits of consolation, however: first, Katie has earned a reputation as America's gutsiest "soccer mom" thanks to her efforts, which she appears to have embarked upon without any formal training whatsoever.

And second, after appearing in three fights - all with the same consquences - the Xplode Fight Series have insisted that she bring an end to her career, at least until she's had a bit of training.

"Katie has worked with us three times and has never complained and has always been a terrific and gracious fighter even in defeat," said Xplode series owner Greg Sharp.

"But after 3 losses we cannot ask her to compete with us, even last minute, unless we are sure that she has been training and can compete with some effective skill set."

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