Amanda Lucas, daughter of Star Wars creator George Lucas, has found her own success as a professional MMA fighter. The 31-year-old got her start as a fighter in 2008 and currently reigns as the women’s open-weight champion of Japanese promotion Deep. We called Amanda to talk about fighting, the future, and growing up with a famous father.

Fightland: What led you to MMA?

Amanda Lucas:My husband, Jason, and I were trying to get healthier. He was doing Muay Thai at Fairtex gym in San Francisco and I went with him. I wasn't all that into the idea of it but the more I did it the more I got hooked. When I discovered jiu-jitsu I thought, "Wow, this is fun," and it kind of just snowballed.

I was the wimpy, fat kid growing up. I danced and I was an active kid, but I wasn't what you'd consider athletic--I couldn't run a mile very well. So to go from that to something like this, where you are an athlete and in great shape and able to do this thing that not many people want or can do, I got hooked on it.

Tell me about your first fight.

My first fight was supposed to be an amateur fight in Auckland, New Zealand. I had never been in a street fight or any fight for that matter, so I kind of freaked out right before. I mentally psyched myself out. Her standup were way better than mine as she was a champion kickboxer, which nobody bothered to mention. She beat me bad for three rounds before the ref stopped the fight. It was an experience that I wouldn't trade because I learned so much from it.

Is your family supportive?

Neither of my parents knew what MMA was; when I met Jason I didn't know what it was. I wouldn't even watch boxing--I thought it was too violent. Both my parents would prefer I do something with a little less potential to get hurt but that’s how it goes. The first thing Jason does after I fight is call my mom and my dad just to let them know I am okay. They watch all my fights--they don't want to come to them but they always watch the videos. They are very supportive because this has given me a whole new confidence. A lot of people might initially notice me because of my dad, but fighting is something that I have done for myself and I think that's been really great for my parents to see. I am just happy my husband doesn't fight. I wouldn't want to have to watch my spouse do something like this.

Did you manage to have a normal childhood?

I was raised in Marin County, near San Francisco, away from LA so that helped. My parents were involved in everything from school functions to just being home for dinner every night. In that regard it was normal enough, but looking back I can say I got to do a lot of extraordinary things such as travel, movie sets, and so on. I was overweight and my dad was famous so I would get teased, but what are you going to do? That’s just part of growing up.

Do you see yourself fighting for a long time?

Probably not, honestly. I don't want to be 40 when I am starting a family. I just turned 32 on Sunday so I am kind of at that point where I want to fight and I love it. But, you know, I want kids! I always thought I was just going to be a wife and a mom, which is not "just," but that is kind of what I wanted to do, but then I got sidetracked by this. So it's just a matter of deciding how much longer I want to do this. It has definitely brought me a career and that has nothing to do with my dad. It's something that I have built for myself. I am sure I will always train martial arts in one form or another, but my time of getting paid to punch people in the face is winding down.

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