- Justin Lee Ford
- Sep 5
- 2 min read
How a humble start, a master’s in psychology, and a passion for coaching shaped one of MMA’s rising grapplers.
As the managing editor of Black Belt, I get to sit down with some incredible martial artists. But some interviews linger long after the camera turns off, and my virtual conversation with Natalie Salcedo was definitely one of those moments.
Curiosity Turns Into Passion
Let’s rewind the clock.
Natalie’s journey into martial arts didn’t start with visions of the cage—it started with curiosity. “I originally started training Muay Thai as a teenager because a friend was doing it,” she laughed. “It was very recreational, once or twice a week. I just wanted something positive to do with my time.”
Life, however, nudged her in unexpected directions. At her small, competitive gym, Natalie found herself jokingly “peer-pressured” into jiu-jitsu.
At first, she resisted—after all, striking was her comfort zone. Yet three or four months later, she admitted, “Okay, I kind of like this,” and grappling became her passion.
Her days now are a blend of coaching and training—Muay Thai, MMA transitions, timing rounds, technical sparring, and plenty of jiu-jitsu.
Training, Coaching, and Growth
Coaching has sharpened her own performance in unexpected ways.
“Being a coach is really beneficial because it forces you to really look at what people are doing. Like, how can you pick people apart? And obviously in class, it’s for the purpose of helping your students—like, okay, I see your foot’s not turning all the way, I see you’re dropping your hand here, I see your weight’s a little off, and that’s why you’re struggling.” she explains. Watching and analyzing students’ movements has strengthened her ability to adjust mid-fight, giving her a mental edge that rivals any physical skill.
The Mental Edge
That edge is amplified by her master’s degree in sports psychology, earned earlier this year, and shaped further by her husband’s military experience in resilience training. “Someone can have all the potential, but then they fall apart—and it’s just because the mindset isn’t there. Especially at the elite level, I really think that’s what separates people.” she says.
Aggression With Intention
Her fight style? Aggressive—but intentional. Standing shorter than many partners she works with, Natalie learned to push forward, set the pace, and blend instinct with strategy.
For anyone watching her story unfold, she has one key message: “Never be afraid to chase your dreams based on how long it will take. Ten years from now, the time is going to pass anyway. You can either be where you are now, or ten years into your progress.”
Natalie Salcedo is a ONE Championship fighter, a coach, a scholar—and a reminder that passion paired with mindset can take you further than you ever imagined.
See her in action on One Fight Night 35, September 5th.
