DALLAS – Sometimes in the fight game a calm demeanor is a cover-up for a maelstrom of raging nerves. In the case of Carla Esparza, who fights Tatiana Suarez on Saturday night at UFC 228, a peaceful face is a prelude to some incoming turbulence. In the case of Poland’s Karolina Kowalkiewicz, the relaxed nature she presents during fighter introductions is exactly what it is: tranquil. Pleasant. Unaffected.
One might even say…bemused.
In other words, goddamn unnerving. Especially right after she walks out to Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger,” which features lyrics about a person on a car ride through the city, taking in its “ripped backsides.