HOUSTON — Bi Nguyen is a fighter in and out of the ring.
She's a former mixed martial artist and Vietnamese-American who's breaking down barriers and writing her own rules while inspiring others to do the same.
Nguyen is known as "Killer Bee."
"I needed this. I had something to say," she said about her most recent career choice.
Every punch is an expression of what's inside her. After retiring from MMA, Nguyen turned to boxing.
"It sounds like that's easier on the body but harder on the skill because you only have boxing, you really need to fine-tune these couple of moves," she said of her new endeavor.
However, Nguyen's story hardly begins at the sound of the bell. She immigrated to the United States as a child.
"I'm really proud to say I'm one of the first Vietnamese-American female fighters in the world," she said.
She didn't start fighting until she was in her 20s. It's a decision she made for a reason.
"I just needed something," she said. "Before I did self-defense, I was in a really abusive relationship for six years. I needed a community. I needed identity. I needed confidence."
Her outlet turned into an opportunity.
"What I didn't know is that women were getting paid to fight. Women were encouraged to fight and people were looking up to them so when I found that out, I jumped right into fighting," Nguyen said.
Nearly a decade and a half later, she built her career on never backing down.
"With a little bit of experience and a whole lot of heart," she said. "In Asian culture, women are taught to be quiet, make no noise, be submissive, and I am really happy to just give Asian women permission to be empowered."
Nguyen's journey comes full circle on May 25 at NRG Stadium. For ticket information, check Nguyen's Instagram page @killerbeemma.
"I got the call to box in Houston and I just could not pass it up. Houston is very special for me. I started here. I started that first self-defense class here," she said.
She continues to lend a voice to those who feel unheard.
"People think that there's something about me," she said. "There's nothing special about me."
She wants to provide an outlet for those who are searching for their meaning in life.
"Whatever you do, you have it in you," Nguyen said. "Everybody has a fight in them. Live with audacity and just take up space. If I can make a little ripple in that and a little effect, that would be enough for me."