Natalie Salcedo Reveals Career Transformation Ahead of ONE Fight Night 39: “I Wanted to Do Something Different”

Natalie Salcedo never thought insurance work would lead her into conflict. But routine can push people toward the unexpected.

The undefeated atomweight meets Chihiro Sawada in an MMA clash at A Fighting Night 39 on Friday, January 23 in Bangkok, the Lumpinee Stadium in Thailand. The 33-year-old American brings a perfect 4-0 professional record into her second promotional appearance after submitting Macarena Aragon via armbar at ONE Fight Night 35 last September.

Growing up in Junction City, Kansas, Salcedo experienced something different than the Hollywood version of high school. The military city at Fort Riley was shaped by discipline rather than social hierarchy. Sports existed on the periphery of her youth, while the academic focus came naturally.

The Disney Channel version of teenage life never materialized. Junction City operated differently, and Salcedo didn’t realize how different until after he left.

“Growing up, I felt like the Disney Channel. When they portray what high school is like or movies where every school has these cliques, I honestly thought for a long time that stuff was just made up,” she said. “People were actually very nice and very accepting.”

Natalie Salcedo trades insurance agency for gym life in Colorado

Familiarity ultimately felt limiting. Kansas stood for comfort, but comfort alone could not satisfy what Salcedo needed in his early twenties. The urge to experience something beyond the routine pushed her to the West.

Colorado emerged as the logical next step. Friends already lived there. Progressive Insurance provided the practical reason to make the move a reality. Leaving family behind meant building independence without a safety net.

“I just wanted something different. I wanted to do something different, experience something different in the world,” she said. “I had friends who lived there, I applied for a job and then I got a job at Progressive. And I thought, ‘Okay, I’m going to do this.'”

Martial arts entered Salcedo’s life at the age of 22 without any pressure. She started training casually at the Warrior Fitness Center in Colorado Springs, first being drawn to Muay Thai for fitness rather than competition. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu followed, although it took months before anything clicked. Wrestling became where she felt most comfortable.

The gym also became where she met her husband, Benjamin Westrich, who owned the gym. Training evolved into friendship before it grew into something more.

“Maybe it was a few weeks after training that I met him,” she said. “Over time, there were different group activities that everyone went to, so we just started hanging out and became friends, that kind of thing. And eventually that turned into a relationship.”