Femme Fatal Fight Club

Nov. 11, 2007 — -- During the day, 26-year-old Michelle Ould is a mother and a secretary. But, if you take a closer look, the normalcy of her life fades.

Ould hopes to one day become a professional fighter.

And with every kick and punch, Ould has proven the small, yet growing, group of female fighters is a force to be reckoned with.

Even her kids know not to mess with mom.

"They keep me on my toes," said Ould. "Sometimes I feel like I just don't have enough time in the day, but my oldest son says that he is proud of me so that's all that matters."

Part martial arts, part street grappling and brute strength, cage fighting is an offshoot of ultimate fighting or mixed martial arts.

"It's no holds barred," Ould said. "[You] can use your fists, your knees, your elbows, you can kick, you can kick in the face. So, you get in there and you do whatever you have to do, just short of breaking the rules."

While some rules to govern the sport, it actually remains illegal in some states. A cage fighter can win a match either by knocking out her opponent or by having her opponent quit.

"There's no difference between men and women in mixed martial arts," said Ray Perales, Ould's trainer. "We all have one overall goal and that is to be on top and be number one. I wouldn't take anything away from the women. They train just as intense, just as hard as we do."

But even though Perales believes women work just as much as their male counterparts, a gender disparity exists when it comes to payment.

For example, in Ould's last fight she made under $1,000, while professional male fighters, like Chuck Liddell, make up to $500,000.

Yet, as the sort of female fight club gains popularity, so does its attention.

"The idea that women want to be equal with men in everything -- including something so brutal so vicious and so unappealing to the vast majority of Americans -- it boggles the mind," and ABC News consultant Christine Brennan. "You see this and you think gladiator."

America is tuning in. Last year ultimate fighting championship fights brought in more than 205 million in Pay-Per-View sales and the number of people watching has grown.

And no matter how savage the fighting gets, Ould's dream continues.

"I've always wanted to box," she said. "I always wanted to do all that."

Her desire was tested for a second time at the Fatal Femme championship.

The fight lasted less than two minutes and Ould lost. But she's still fighting.

"It's a passion of mine," Ould said.