Tina Hanninen (formerly known as Tina Lähdemäki) is not only one of my favorite mixed martial arts fighters, she is also one of my favorite people on this planet period. I continue to be amazed how much heart, fighting spirit and positive energy she packs in her tiny 1,57m frame. Tina wrote UFC history in summer of 2014 when she competed in the first-ever UFC Women’s Strawweight bout and gave eventual title challenger Claudia Gadelha a real run for her money.
Unfortunately, Tina has been facing a lot of even tougher battles outside the Octagon ever since. In the past three years, she had to undergo surgery and fight her way through rehab three times. This has been a very draining and trying period in her life, both physically, mentally and financially. She just had another very complex surgery at the end of January and is now starting yet another slow and strenuous uphill grind to get back to the physical state that will allow her to compete again.
You can support Tina on her way back by making a small donation here: http://bit.ly/SupportJellyBean.
Your support should not be for nothing as you can score some pretty cool autographed gear and memorabilia in return. I appreciate every single one of you who is helping this small but mighty warrior recover and bounce back!