On the Job: Broad Attack

On the Job: Broad Attack
Lethal Lana Stefanac finds peace in the fighting ring.
By: Kim Mickenberg
Name: Lana Stefanac
Profession: Mixed martial artist
Claim to fame: Undefeated in her professional fighting league
For "Lethal" Lana Stefanac, the four-time PanAm Gold Medalist in mixed martial arts (MMA), a woman's work is never done. After 200 fights, she's still going at a breakneck pace: managing a team of bruisers (the Ladies of Pain), training, fighting, and teaching. A former premed student and hot-tar roofer, Lana insists she's a nonviolent person; she's just in it to win it. When she's not training or competing, she's battling gender discrimination and misperceptions of her sport—or getting a pedicure.
Whom do you coach?
I have an HR person, a nurse, a couple of doctors, a porn star, a famous person's daughter—I've got people from every walk of life you can imagine. And I've got about a dozen amateur guys I co-manage and train.
What's a "win by submission"?
It's essentially saying, "I've got you in a position where I could break your arm, break your leg, and 'put you to sleep'—kill you." You give your opponent the option to tap—to submit. If she's harmed in any way, you as a fighter did your job wrong, or she as an opponent didn't submit quickly enough.
Are you a violent person?
Not at all! I've never been in a real fight. I don't like to argue with people; I don't like to impose my will. At least 95 percent of the people in MMA are not violent people.
What's hard about being a woman in a combat sport?
Dealing with the discrimination, particularly in pay. A man with my status might get $150,000 a show. If I'm really lucky, I'll get $5,000.
What's managing women like?
You've got this whole Barbie-doll thing, where a promoter will call me and be like, "Do you have a girl at 125 pounds I can use?" Yeah, I sure do. Then they say, "But what does she look like?" How does her appearance affect her fighting?
Do you get flak for not being more feminine?
I have these perfectly shaved legs and these pedicured feet, and my nail polish always matches the belt I'm wearing. When I was a blue belt, I did my nails in chrome blue. When I got my purple belt, I switched to purple.
How do promoters interfere with the sport?
The promoter says, "Let's make you wear black with flames and come out calling this guy a coward, threatening to sleep with his wife, steal his babies, and ruin his car." Fighters are pretty much fed what to say. When promoters are like, "Can you say, 'I'm gonna push her through the floor'?" I just wrinkle my face and say, "No."