The Congress of Oaxaca recognized Emily Sofía Barrera López for her combat-sports achievements. She spoke with Oax Sport about the ceremony and the people who made her trips to competitions outside Oaxaca possible.
On September 22, 2026, Emily Sofía Barrera López received the Premio Estatal al Mérito Deportivo 2026, Oaxaca’s State Sports Merit Award. The Congress of Oaxaca recognized her in the Juvenil Mayor category (ages 18–29) during a formal session of the 66th Legislature (LXVI Legislatura) in San Raymundo Jalpan.
Emily, 24, received a trophy and a certificate. She told Oax Sport on October 24 that she enjoyed the ceremony very much and felt nervous and very happy at the same time.
“It means a lot. I’ve felt that my effort in every training session has been completely worth it,” she said.
From her first classes to national competitions
Emily grew up in Oaxaca de Juárez. Her family has roots in Magdalena Jicotlán, in the Mixteca region. She started taekwondo at about 6 or 7, then moved to boxing before taking up other combat sports.
Oax Sport’s 2025 profile of Emily listed three Oaxaca state boxing titles and the 2024 state kickboxing title. In July 2025, Oax Sport reported her first amateur MMA win, at Campeón de Campeones 7.
The Congress cited her 2026 Pan American second place in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. That result came at the ESL Panam Series, which the Elite Submission League held on March 28–29, 2026. Emily competed in the women’s adult white-belt gi division, under 53 kg.
On June 13, she placed third in the women’s adult beginner division, under 50 kg, at ADCC Open Mexico, a regional open tournament in Mexico City.
The legislative citation also listed a 2025 RIOT national MMA championship. Emily confirmed those results in her interview and agreed with the Congress’s career totals of 17 medals and two championship belts.
The help that made competing possible
Oax Sport ran fundraising campaigns for Emily’s MMA debut in 2025 and for ADCC Open Mexico in 2026. For ADCC, Oax Sport covered MX$5,500: her tournament fee, transportation to Mexico City and lodging. A donor gave MX$2,000, and Oax Sport’s general fund paid MX$3,500. Emily paid for her own food, local transportation, supplements and gear.
Emily thanked the people who responded to those campaigns. They “believed in me and trusted me,” she said. She also thanked her family, whose support gives her the strength to keep going, and the coaches who challenge her during training.
She thanked her physiotherapist, Fisioleom, for supporting her through every injury, and gave special thanks to God, whom she says gives her strength and determination. Emily currently trains at Gallery MMA and K.O Quero Academy. She also named Oax Sport and a psychologist as part of her support network.
What comes next
Emily told Oax Sport on October 24 that she has an MMA fight coming up on November 14, 2026, with the Felony league in Puebla.
She had a message for anyone thinking about starting: “I’d like more people to get into sport, and not to be afraid or embarrassed to start from zero. At some point in our lives, all of us started without knowing anything.”
At her academies, she said, “we don’t judge anyone,” and people look for ways to support and look after one another. Through sport, she said, people will realize everything they can achieve, physically and mentally.
Follow Emily Barrera
Follow Emily’s training and competition updates on Instagram (@emilybarrera01). She also shared her own reflections on receiving the State Sports Merit Award.
Read more about her background on her Oax Sport athlete profile.
Support the next athlete
One donor and Oax Sport’s general fund covered Emily’s essential costs for ADCC. Your gift can pay entry fees, travel and lodging for the next athlete from Oaxaca who earns a place at a competition.
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Oax Sport Inc. is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit. EIN: 86-3407818.
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What would you ask Emily about her training?
Official sources and related stories
- Congress of Oaxaca: transcript of the September 22, 2026 ceremony (Spanish, PDF)
- Congress of Oaxaca: official 2026 award announcement (Spanish)
- ESL Panam Series 2026: competition listing
- Oax Sport: Emily Barrera at ADCC Open Mexico City
- Oax Sport: Emily Barrera’s first amateur MMA win
- Oax Sport: Emily’s interview on Tribu al Extremo
- Oax Sport’s supported athletes
Oax Sport translated Emily’s quotations from her Spanish responses of October 24, 2026. Featured photo courtesy of Emily Barrera.
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