This was going to be a big week for Felice Herrig one way or another, but it turned out to be doubly big.
Approaching two years since she most recently fought, Herrig (14-8 MMA, 5-3 UFC) finally will step back in the cage Saturday against Virna Jandiroba (15-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at UFC 252. She’s been sidelined recovering from an ACL injury and will be trying to snap a two-fight skid.
But adding to her excitement this week is the release of her first book, which is out Tuesday. Herrig wrote “The Lil’ Bulldog: Lemons into Lemonade,” a children’s book based on her recent injury recovery with D.M. Eason. And as an added bonus, the book is illustrated by Herrig’s father, Kirk Herrig.
“Lemons into Lemonade” is available through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and an additional 39,000 retailers through Ingram’s Lightning Source publishing service, according to Herrig’s longtime management team at SuckerPunch Entertainment.
Herrig said the book’s release timed to her UFC 252 fight week wasn’t intentional, though.
“The timing of it was purely coincidental,” Herrig posted on Instagram. “Although I like to look at the little signs life gives me telling me I’m on the right path.”
Here’s what a news release for the book has to say about Herrig and the book:
With the same super tenacious, always moving forward, pushing the pace style that makes her a fierce competitor in three fighting sports, professional mixed-martial artist Felice Herrig reminds young fans that in the Octagon and in life, sweet victory follows on the heels of a positive attitude and dogged determination. In her new children’s picture book, The Lil’ Bulldog, Lemons into Lemonade, the cartoon version of The Lil’ Bulldog wins another big fight, but an injury threatens to sour her victory. Instead of throwing in the towel, she works her way back while learning new things with the help of Quinn the Cat and a host of animal friends.
Publishing the book marks a deeply personal accomplishment for Herrig.
“I come from a very artistic family, but my dad just has this raw gift when it comes to illustrating,” Herrig says. “When I was seven years old, my two-year-old brother died of pancreatic cancer, and my dad hasn’t really drawn since around that time. I knew approaching this book that I wanted my dad to do the illustrations. It wasn’t until the quarantine (coronavirus) that I convinced him to draw again. That’s when my dad and I started developing characters. And of course we are dedicating the book to my brother who passed away.”
A world class kick boxer, Muay Thai fighter, and mixed martial artist, Felice Herrig has earned multiple amateur and professional titles in more than 30 boxing and kickboxing matches and 24 MMA fights. She’s paved the way for women to compete and be recognized on shows like Fight Girls, Chuck Norris’s World Combat League, Ultimate Fighter 20, and American Ninja Warrior. And she blazed a trail for female fighters as one of the first strawweights signed to the UFC. With her debut children’s picture book, The Lil’ Bulldog, Lemons into Lemonade, she hopes to inspire young fans to stick to their dreams, no matter what.
UFC 252 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.
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Felice Herrig's first children's book is out the week of her UFC 252 return
