Ultimate Fighting At Fort Hood

Spec. Dariana Chesser fights teammate Spc. Linda Martinez, both with the 48th Chemical Brigade, at the Ft. Hood Combative Championships on Feb. 14. Martinez beat her teammate Chesser in this match. Started as a way to promote the "warrior spirit," the Army tournaments have gradually come to resemble hard-core "Ultimate Fighting" bouts now widely seen on television. ( José M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune )

Denied Combat Roles, Army Women Battle Men In Cage Fighting -- L.A. Times

'We can be as tough as the guys,' says one who made it to a championship round of a tournament at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Whap. Whap.

Army Staff Sgt. Jackelyn Walker is snapping left jabs at Pfc. Greg Langarica's head. She doesn't like his smirk.

Whap. Whap.

She lunges for his midsection, slams him down and locks him in a chokehold. Langarica's face goes crimson. His smirk is gone.

The 1,000 or so spectators in the Army gym howl with glee.

The Army still bars women from fighting in combat units. But some women are trying to break that barrier far from the front lines — by battling male soldiers in chain-link cages against a backdrop of strobe lights, thumping music and swirling smoke.

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My Comment: Ouch .... it looks rough.