Jocelyn Lybarger to fight May 25

What may look like a tune up fight to most people is anything but for Jocelyn “Lights Out” Lybarger.

Lybarger, a 2005 Granite Hills graduate, will fight for the second time as a professional when she takes on Jessica Kennett of Fort Worth, Texas in a King of the Cage card on May 25 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Kennett’s record isn’t too imposing as she’s 0-1 as a professional and was 1-4 as an amateur, but Lybarger, who’s training in Arizona, is throwing those records out. “I’m not going to take any opponent lightly,” Lybarger said.

But it’s a much needed fight for Lybarger, who hasn’t fought since last summer when she won her pro debut on an Invicta Fighting Championship card. Invicta is the leading women’s mixed martial arts organization.

Lybarger isn’t scheduled to fight again until the Invicta FC 6 card in July. She’s hoping something will crop up in April, giving her another chance to fight. When asked what chance she was looking for in April, Lybarger said, “anything.”

And Lybarger said the May 25 fight should still help her in the rankings. “I’ve got to win every fight,” she said.

Lybarger is part of the only twin fighting team in MMA along with her sister, Jillian “Justice” Lybarger, another 2005 Granite graduate. Jillian is training in Las Vegas and is still waiting to make her pro debut. Jocelyn said the two continue to try to strike a balance in which they take advantage of their relationship while at the same time create their own identity.
But Jocelyn said about Jillian joining her on the Invicta FC 6 card, “if she gets the call, she definitely will.”

While it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, the world’s most prominent female MMA fighter, Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, tried to give the Lybarger twins a boost to their career, calling for both to be featured on the upcoming Invicta FC 5 card in April. “Hey @InvictaFights, I was wondering — are we gunna see the Lybarger twins on the next card?” Rousey tweeted on Jan. 13 about Invicta FC 5.
Rousey recently became the first woman to be featured in a UFC main event and was also the subject of a story featured on HBO’s “Real Sports.”

“We know each other,” Jocelyn said. “We text. She’s a good friend.”

About the tweet, Jocelyn said, “that’s good to see her do something like that. She’s the one who put women in the UFC. “