“I felt like I hit a plateau, like I didn’t have direction or guidance, and it showed on my record because that’s when I went on a losing streak,” said Modafferi, who was living in Japan for a good chunk of that time. “And then when I came to Syndicate (in Las Vegas), I trained under John Wood and he became my head coach and I felt like he really guided at me as to what I should do to get better. He also told me to do strength and conditioning, so I started working with Lorenzo Pavlica and John just keeps up with the times and he’s an excellent trainer.”

More importantly, Modafferi is an excellent student, and while the wins and losses are what most pay attention to, the Delaware native is after something different.

“My ultimate goal is to become a master,” she said. “For example, if Ronda Rousey gets you to the ground, she’s gonna armbar you. If Keita Nakamura or Demian Maia get their hands on you, they’re gonna take your back. I want that mastery of martial arts and some technique where the announcer is gonna say, ‘When Roxy takes the mount, the fight is over.’

“My ultimate goal is perfection, so every day when I go to the gym, when I have the opportunity to compete, I just hold that in my mind, that I can’t wait to try to get better and show that I’ve gotten better,” Modafferi continues. “That doesn’t change throughout the course of time. I’m just so excited to always chase that goal of perfection and growth.”