Pioneering female kickboxer dead at 59

Lilly Rodriguez died on January 13 at UCLA Medical Center of complications following surgery. Rodriguez, whose father was a boxer and whose mother was a professional wrestler, kickboxed in the 1970s and '80s, and was notable for taking on opponents much larger than herself. She was one of the first women to fight on the all-women boxing card in California on July 13, 1979. Her skill and determination would eventually earn her the women's featherweight championship. She was #2 World Featherweight Division 1981-1983 and #3 World Featherweight Division 1984. Following her retirement from the ring, she operated the Heart of Champions gym with her husband, former men's kickboxing champion William "Blinky" Rodriguez, and, in 2003, was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum's Hall of Fame. She was 59.

Sources: ourdailydead.com, Associated Press, womenboxing.com