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Siva Taimane Maletoa (born July 9, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the women's flyweight division of Throwdown MMA. She is the current Throwdown MMA Women's Flyweight Champion in her first reign.
Early Life[]
Maletoa grew up in Leone, American Samoa, on Tutuila Island. She is the second of six children born to Kaino and Josephine Maletoa. Kaino was an accomplished amateur wrestler in his youth, and he began training his daughter at age nine. After graduating from Leone High School in 2008, Maletoa had ambitions of competing in collegiate wrestling at California State University, Fullerton. However, injuries suffered during her freshman season halted those plans, and after one year, she transferred to Northern Arizona University, from which she graduated in 2012. Soon afterward, she moved to Phoenix, Arizona to live with her older sister, who had recently moved to the mainland United States.
Mixed Martial Arts Career[]
Early Career (2014 - 2016)[]
While living in Phoenix, Maletoa's interest in martial arts was spurred by her past competing in amateur wrestling. She came across an MMA gym and started training in judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. She began competing in amateur fights in 2014, and amassed a 5-0 amateur record. Three of the wins came by submission, one by decision, and one by TKO.
Throwdown MMA (2016 - present)[]
Maletoa signed a contract with Santa Monica-based Throwdown MMA in February 2016.