By Samantha Roberts, FightTicker.com youth contributor

I had the pleasure of chatting by e-mail with Lynn “Lights out” Alvarez on Thursday. She is one of the up and comers in the women's lightweight division and I think she will really make an impact wherever she goes.

She gets a diverse mix of training with guys like Cameron Diffley, a guy who was seen on The Ultimate Fighter as a coach, teaching her BJJ at Legion Jiu-Jitsu, and Kenny Rayford at Rayford Martial Arts teaching her Judo and stand-up.

Alvarez brings something very interesting to the table that most females don’t though; she has trained in martial arts for many years. And not just a little -- she had a great base to start with!

FightTicker.com: Thanks for doing this interview with me. You are a great fighter with a great background and I am so glad to share it.

Many people say you earn nicknames, like my wrestling nick name is Granby Queen because I do a lot of rolls. How did you get the name “Lights Out”?

Alvarez: I started in a new facility, where I was the only girl. I started sparring with the boys and I actually dropped one of the boys with a shot to the liver. We were all good friends, but the boys always talk about how they hated sparring me. After that they started calling me “Lights Out” because someone was expected to get dropped if they sparred me…And it wasn’t going to be me. LOL

FightTicker.com: I see you have a black belt in Kajukenbo. How would you compare that style of fighting to other hybrid martial art forms? I take Chun Kuk Do myself.

Alvarez: One thing I can say about Kajukenbo -- it’s very practical. Kajukenbo focuses on being able to defend yourself on the streets, so we learn a lot of devastating techniques to stop an attacker immediately. It is still a traditional martial art, which requires a strong foundation, respect, and discipline, but it definitely teaches you to kick some butt! LOL

FightTicker.com: I read that you are versed in both Kajukenbo and Jeet Kune Do. Can you tell me the difference, and how they relate to modern MMA?

Alvarez: When I first started Kajukenbo, I got so consumed in making myself better, I started training in a lot of different styles. I wanted to make myself well-rounded. So…Jeet Kune Do, Aikido, and Tae Kwon Do. I took all of these different arts for about 6 months then went to another, but always stayed with Kajukenbo.

They’re all very different in foundation. Jeet Kune Do was a lot of inside fighting, and fluidity. Aikido is passive, more of defending yourself with movement and joint locks, while Tae Kwon Do was more kick oriented, which helped a lot with my cardio. Although different, they all require a strong foundation, respect, and discipline, which is what I love about martial arts.

FightTicker.com: Tell us a little about your last fight, and what we can expect to see from you in the next fight, and who will you be facing?

Alvarez: My last fight was August 23 in Oklahoma for Freestyle Cage fighting against Stephanie Bobo. It was a quick fight -- 1 min and 44 sec TKO. Before coming into the fight, I was told she was a jiu-jitsu girl, which was alright for me because I really like to bang. We came out, and she was the aggressor for a while, so I angled out and circled away while throwing some devastating blows. As soon as the pace slowed, I knew it was time to turn it up and went in for the kill. LOL

My next fight is October 24th in Amarillo, TX against Lauren Jackson. It should be a great fight.

FightTicker.com: If you could face anyone in the world who would it be and why? And would there be a particular organization you would want it to be with?

Alvarez: There’s no particular organization I want to be with. I just want an organization that will treat me fairly, and help me get more exposure.
There are some people I would like to fight …HEHE…But I don’t want to mention any names…sorry...

I will say…I want to fight some top-ranked females in my division so that eventually I can get myself to the top too.

FightTicker.com: Where do you see yourself 2 years from now, and how many years would you like to continue fighting?

Alvarez: In 2 years I would like to be a top-ranked female fighter. With more W’s to my record! I’d also like to see myself with a belt in a well-established organization.

I’ve always said I would probably fight until I was about 27, no later than 30. As much as I hate to say this…I want to start a family someday, and I want to be able to focus on them.

FightTicker.com: Sometimes I see fighters hype fights and say pretty mean things. Do you think they go too far at times or is it all part of the business?

Alvarez: I think it's all part of the business. Talk some smack, get more viewers. It just makes things more interesting.

FightTicker.com: How does your family feel about you fighting in MMA. Is there something else that they wanted you to do?

Alvarez: Well, the most important person in my life is my dad, and he’s my biggest supporter. My dad wanted me to go to college and get a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and so I did. I graduated from nursing school this past May. I’m not currently working as a nurse, but I did what my dad wanted me to do, and I got the hard part taken care of (college). Now I’m focusing on my fighting, and he is okay with it. When I’m done fighting…I already have a career to fall back on. My dad loves that I fight.

FightTicker.com: Who are some of the ladies you train with, and can we expect to see some future talent coming up out of your gym?

Alvarez: Sad to say, I don’t train with any ladies. All of my partners are men. When I do MMA sparring I have a few set guys that I usually work with. I do have a Muay Thai sparring partner, Christine Toledo -- she’s a Muay Thai champion, but she’s already well-established…you can check her out at www.christinetoledo.com.

FightTicker.com: People try to say Gina is a pioneer in MMA as far as females are concerned. Why is that? Have they not heard of names like Amanda Buckner, Tara LaRosa, Roxanne Modafferi, or any of the others from Japan that were around way before that?

Alvarez: It’s possible people haven’t heard of these ladies who have been around for such a long time, but woman’s MMA is just recently getting recognized. I think Gina is a good representative of woman fighters. She can obviously fight, and she happens to be beautiful…nothing wrong with that. Although she may not have a huge MMA record like a few mentioned, 6-0 is pretty impressive to me.

FightTicker.com: Who do you think is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and why?

Alvarez: Megumi Fuji -- she’s just so versatile!

FightTicker.com: I want to congratulate you on being the first female sponsored by Bare Knux! You are opening a few doors yourself. How did you end up with the Ladies of Pain? I am their youngest member, you know.

Alvarez: That’s awesome that you are the youngest member! Soon you’ll be in the cage, and I’ll be there to watch! HEHE. I ‘m connected to the Ladies of Pain due to my great manager Sam Wilson.

FightTicker.com: Thanks for your time. Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Alvarez: Of course my fantastic sponsor Bare Knux, my manager Sam Wilson, my training partners Shandon Eguchi and Paul Hirayama, my trainers Cameron Diffley, and Ken Rayford, and my daddy.

FightTicker.com: Thanks again for your time and I can’t wait to see you in your next fight!