For undefeated mixed martial arts fighter Madeline Schellman, winning in the ring isn’t just about throwing punches and landing kicks. It’s an equation.
“Fighting requires very complex thinking and problem solving, and I feel my brain working the same way it does with math,” says Schellman, who holds degrees in mathematics, quantitative methodology, and psychology. “In work, if I have a really complex data problem, I ask: ‘How am I going to get out of it?’It feels the same as evading attacks and submission attempts from my opponents.”
With that approach, it makes sense she hasn’t lost a fight yet.
Since debuting in 2022, Schellman has won six major Muay Thai matches, numerous Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions, and two international MMA championships. She also holds one national title and three regional titles. Schellman will compete internationally with USAMuaythai later this year.
But before she conquered the body, Schellman BS ’17, BS ’17, MEd ’21, PhD ’24 was captivated by the mind and its capacity to solve problems.
When she got to the University of Georgia, she pursued a double major in mathematics and psychology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences—the perfect combination of studies, it seemed.
There was something missing for her, though: a way to use that mental prowess to help others.
When she was invited to learn more about the educational psychology master’s program in quantitative methodology in 2017, Schellman says that bridged the gap quickly. She could use data analysis and intellectual reasoning to help the next generation grow in their own learning.
Schellman started working with Laine Bradshaw BS ’07, MEd ’07, PhD ’11, a former associate professor of the Mary Frances Early College of Education, to create and analyze K-12 standardized, formative assessments. In 2022, Bradshaw’s company, Navvy, was acquired by Pearson, and Schellman continues to crunch educational numbers there today.
“You take tests growing up and don’t really think too much about who makes them or what happens with the data, but that’s what I do now. We’re helping a lot of students all over the country by seeing what learning is missing,” she says. Like a lot of folks, Schellman had a hard time sitting still for too long at a desk. In 2020, she took a few boxing classes. When a fighter at Megalodon Gym in Bogart saw her moves, he encouraged her to learn MMA. Six years later, Schellman is closing out her amateur career and looking for her first pro fight. It’s a milestone she’s been aiming for since she picked up her fighting gloves.
“Getting punched in the face is not as hard as I thought it would be,” says Schellman.“I just tried out a fun hobby, but this fighting community saw some potential in me, and they pushed me to compete. I felt like I wasn’t ready, but they said, ‘Do it anyway.’”
Now she takes on more matches than anyone else in her gym.
In between fights, Schellman is preparing five to six days a week for up to four hours per day with multiple trainers across her disciplines.
“When I started fighting, my family would watch with their eyes covered,” she says.“But today they’re in the audience yelling for me to win. Fighting is an emotional rollercoaster. I couldn’t do it without the support of my coaches, trainers, and team.
Just like Schellman knows to never stay down during a fight, she knows to never give up in other aspects of her life. That includes one day making her way to the UFC, the highest level of MMA.
“I’m not done. I can go further,” she says. “The hardest part is just showing up and getting better bit by bit every day.”
