Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels has been reaching out, but nobody's returning her calls.
Following a 2-0 record established at BFL 57 back in September, Horth Wessels has been actively searching for her next bout, yet she hasn't managed to lock in a willing opponent.
"I feel like with everything in life and sports there's so much politics involved, and people are just trying to protect their record," said Horth Wessels.
"They want to get in and do bigger and better things, which is great, but I feel it's not on good merit. People are picking and choosing fights."
Aside from one shot at a bout with TKO MMA on a grueling five-day turnaround, opportunities have been scarce for the 29-year-old Squamish, B.C. native who trains at The Sound Martial Arts.
While she did name Jade Masson-Wong and Corinne Laframboise among the fighters she'd love to square off against, Horth Wessels insists she'd accept any opponent in any location.
"I don't care; I want the fights. I know I have the talent and I know I have what it takes," said Horth Wessels.
"I'll take anything. I just want to get those extra steps and I feel like I'm so close. I feel like a couple more fights and I could be onto bigger things."
Over the last few months, Horth Wessels says several fighters agreed to bouts with her at first, only to withdraw later.
She claims those opponents came back with outrageous demands — inflated show-win paychecks, for instance — effectively declining the fight without outright refusing.
"There are girls that have said yes, but they've asked for $2,500/$2,500, which is a ridiculous amount of money," said Horth Wessels.
"We were told this was just another way of them saying no without saying no."
Better Than The Numbers
One of the people who truly understands Horth Wessels is her coach and partner, Kasey Smith.
After experiencing a similar roadblock with his brother and another athlete, Cole, prior to his UFC signing earlier this month, Smith explained that Horth Wessels' difficulty securing bouts comes down to simply being too skilled for what her record suggests.
"With a 2-0 record, Jamey's actually a tough matchup for many promoters," Smith noted.
"There's a growing trend of people protecting their records. They're avoiding fights rather than taking them."
Since most of Horth Wessels' career bouts have taken place within the BFL cage, she and Smith have been pushing hard to arrange a bout with the organization, but haven't had luck so far.
They've expanded their efforts to promotions across the United States and Eastern Canada, looking for someone willing to step up, and have even offered generous financial incentives to help secure a match.
"We've told some of these organizations we're not after a big purse," Smith shared.
"We'll cover our own travel. We simply want to compete."
Across two professional contests, Horth Wessels has earned two second-round TKO victories, alongside three decision wins during her amateur career.
Witnessing her potential firsthand, Smith believes that once she accumulates a few more bouts, larger organizations will take notice.
"She'll be following my brother Cole's path. They share a lot in common—both tall, both long-limbed, both possess excellent striking and a solid well-rounded skill set," said Smith.
"She's next in line, but we need to get her those fights. Just one or two more and she'll be stepping onto the big stage."
