Las Vegas Weekly

June 5, 2009 · 8:06 AM

Photo Gallery: Latasha Marzolla scores first-round TKO in MMA debut

By Robin Leach

Former Playboy model Latasha Marzolla makes her MMA debut against Christy Tada during the Tuff-N-Uff extravaganza at The Orleans Arena. Marzolla went on to win via first-round TKO.

Photo: Ray Kasprowicz

It was a first-round TKO victory for former Playboy model Latasha Marzolla at The Orleans Arena when she fought Christy Tada. Latasha, who lives here in Las Vegas, had been forced by training injuries to postpone this fight for nearly two months.

Contributing photographer Ray Kasprowicz was ringside as the bout got underway as part of the big Tuff-N-Uff card. After months of packed crowds in The Orleans ballroom, Tuff-N-Uff was able to move into the much larger Arena, indicating the slow and steady progress of the amateur sport events to future MMA stardom.

Latasha has fought in Asia and won recognition in Thailand for her successful kickboxing fighting style. She hopes to be one of the first female fighters to be on a future female UFC card. “I just make sure I never get hit,” she laughed as I asked if she was worried about being bruised and beaten in the ring!

Famed fighter Gina Carano came to cheer her on with Latasha’s coach Shawn Tomkins, who predicts that his fighter will be the first to break the door for UFC female fighting.

Latasha summed up: “I trained hard for this. I fought my butt off, and my goal is to be a champion.”

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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