Sijara Eubanks

In charge and occasionally known as “Sarj,” Sijara Eubanks is, as of this June, one of the top 14 official bantamweights (125 to 135 lbs) in the women’s bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Eubanks is a seven-time International Jiu Jitsu Federation World Champion. Her achievements are all the more remarkable, knowing she found her field by accident. “I wanted to do something fun after work, and ended up falling in love with the art, and turning it into a career,” she says. Eubanks first turned pro in 2014. “Being out hasn’t affected my success in any way. So far, the UFC, my team, my teammates, and everyone has been supportive,” Eubanks tells GO. Personally, however, she “was terrified,” when she came out to her family. But “[it] was actually pretty easy,” she says. “I told my brother first, then my parents. They were very cool with it.” And while Eubanks says she never expected or set out to influence people, she clearly has had that opportunity as a visible LGBTQ woman of color. She leads by example. “Be brave,” she says. “It’s easy to say go out there and just be yourself, but being yourself can be scary and intimidating. So, embrace yourself and live your own life, and remember it takes guts and bravery to do that sometimes.” —JDG