Rachelle Leah – A Model Princess

© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com

All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges

There are a number of MMA fighters who have caused extreme discomfort to their opponents through headlocks and corkscrew holds. Randy Couture, Mark Coleman and Mark Kerr have neck-cranked their way to submissions. And Tank Abbott would have given any chiropractor nightmares when he had Paul Varelans's cranium forced against the cage at UFC 6.

But few UFC stars come as close to causing whiplash as does sizzling ring-card girl Rachelle Leah, when she suddenly appears before Octagon crowds, turning heads with her sensational figure.

Born in Redwood City, just south of San Francisco, Rachelle is a full-time model and has been strutting around the Octagon since UFC 48: Pay Back. She looks back on her first UFC with fond memories: "It was really cool. It was a much larger audience than I'd ever had as a ring-card girl. So I certainly enjoyed it. I had a wonderful time.

"I really like the audience, I enjoy the energy, I love the fights, and I get to sit ringside. So it's pretty awesome. I had been doing a smaller event for a while and they (UFC) must have been there. They found and recruited me. It was a boxing event, but Mixed Martial Arts is much better. MMA is definitely a lot more fun to watch."

Although Rachelle did practise judo when she was little, she abstains from martial arts now, and relies on the weight training and boxercise-type workouts to retain her KO figure. Leah agrees having cauliflower ears would probably not be an advantage in her glamorous occupation.

"I don't know if it would be good for my career if I did MMA or anything like that. I might be a bit banged up. I was a gymnast for ten years, and then I was a swimmer for two years. Now I work out every morning with a trainer, and I'm learning boxing techniques – just for the cardio; not to actually fight."

Rachelle Leah – As Real as it Gets

Rachelle has a number of hobbies, and like fellow UFC ring-card girl, Amber Miller, Leah says she's an outdoor kind of person, who lists her number-one pastime as wakeboarding. "That's right. Amber and I have talked about that. I also go kayaking, and I go to the mountains for hiking, and camping. I love everything outdoors, and travelling."

Behind the stunningly attractive but good-natured model is an extremely professional and self-motivated businesswoman, who leaves no stone unturned in the fashion or film world. And Rachelle is determined to continue her success in both fields.

"I do all sorts of modeling, but my favourite is print work. I love doing photo shoots and runways. I do everything, to be honest. I do special events and promotional things. My favourite is definitely the print work and photo shoots. I'm just not tall enough to do the high-fashion runway shows. So I do more lingerie and smaller shows."

Rachelle's film appearances include a spot on the Carson Daly talk show, where she was required to showcase some of her acting skills, and a swimsuit-modeling performance on The View, hosted by Barbara Walters. More recently, Rachelle played a part in the Nick and Jessica Christmas Variety Show.

"Wherever my career takes me, I enjoy everything I do so much. I love to do movies. I'm actually working on an independent film right now that we're getting ready to finish. I'm going to complete my first movie and I'm the lead character in that. It's a good experience and I get to co-produce it. My modeling is awesome and I love to act. I'll make sure whatever I do, I'll continue to do both.

"I did a cold-reading course for 18 months, which is when you go into a class room with other people who act, and you get a script, and you basically act in front of the class, reading from that script. You figure out how you want to portray the character from just a couple of pages, rather than from a whole story line. And you can act out your interpretation of the character in five different ways with your partner.

"I also did some theatre in school, but my main work now is with independent film. It's the best experience that I get."

Rachelle says the film practice is not easy, and it's not always fun, but it's the experience gained, and being able to work with people who want to do something so much, that makes the effort worthwhile.

Rachelle Leah – Lookin' Good in Denim

Rachelle, are you married or single?

"I'm not married. I have a significant other, but I'm not married."

Is it a buzz for you to get such a response from the crowd?

"It makes my job easier when the crowd responds, 'cause if you just walked around and nobody screamed, it would be kind of like, 'Oh, okay.' "

But that never happens, does it?

"No. Never."

Amber said it's fun to work with you, and good that you get to travel together.

"I love working with Amber. Amber has definitely been wonderful…she's made my job much more fun. It is great to have somebody that I enjoy working with. There are a lot of girls in this town that I work with, and it makes work less fun when someone's not open to getting along. Amber and I have a lot in common, and we have a blast together. It's awesome. She makes me love working with the UFC even more. We have so much fun when we travel together.

"We recently did a photo shoot together and the pictures turned out great. We look good standing next to each other, I think, because we look so different from one another. It was fun."

What was the photo shoot for, Rachelle?

"They're just doing some promotional stuff, and they're putting together a five-minute DVD of Amber and me behind the scenes for UFC."

Rachelle Leah – all class

Do you have a favourite UFC fighter?

"Um, I'm still getting to know them, so I can't pick a favourite yet, but as far as fighting goes, I've met Chuck and Randy, and I know them a little bit, so I really do like them a lot. You know, I like everybody, because everybody's put on a pretty good fight so far. I can't really say I have absolute favourites. But those two I've actually talked to, and I have an idea of who they are. They're very nice.

"It's so weird. I can tell you one thing that interests me when seeing these fighters. You know, they're up there in the ring, fighting, and then when they're in person, in their normal clothes, you'd never expect they were fighters. They're very gentle people, and I think, 'How can you be so sweet when you're so crazy in that Octagon?' I'm telling you, how they turn that niceness off when they get in the ring, I don't know."

Rachelle Leah making grown men Tap Out

Rachelle, what personality traits do you look for in your perfect man?

"Hmmm…I have to say, someone who's… someone who's…"

Come on, Rachelle. It's not that hard for you."

"I have my perfect man, to be honest with you."

Yeah, that's alright, but what are the traits?

"Well, my perfect man, he treats me like a princess, and he makes me feel like I'm the only person in the whole world. And he takes me to wonderful places, and makes me feel awesome."

Okay. Final question then, Rachelle: Are you looking forward to UFC 51?

I can't wait. I can never wait until the next one. I hate when they're over, because I love my job, and I love doing what I do. I love watching the fights."

 

Hope to see Rachelle back at knucklepit soon

For more on Rachelle Leah: www.rachelleleah.com

For more on UFC 51: www.ufc.tv