Background
Honchak grew up in Edwardsville, Illinois, and has one sister, Tammy.[7] In her youth, Barb loved outdoor activities like horseback riding, scuba diving and camping.[8] She went to Edwardsville High School, where she graduated in 1997.[8] Then she earned an associate degree from Lewis & Clark Community College.[8] She has a bachelor's degree in molecular biology from Western Washington University and her master's in ecological genetics from Northern Arizona University.[9] She is married to her husband, Timm.[2]
After receiving her degrees, she moved back to Midwest because of her fiancée's career, and started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu for self-defense under Steve Berger at the age of 26.[7] From there on, she quickly took an amateur mixed martial arts bout and was hooked to the sport.[7]
Mixed martial arts career
Honchak went 8–1 as an amateur mixed martial artist and made her professional debut on November 28, 2009.[5]
In her fourth professional fight, Honchak defeated Felice Herrig at Hoosier FC 6 on January 14, 2011.[10]
Honchak won three more fights in 2011, defeating Amber McAvoy and Nina Ansaroff by decision[11][12] and Roxanne Modafferi by submission due to a rear-naked choke.[13]
Invicta Fighting Championships
As the first bout of her three-fight contract, Honchak made her Invicta Fighting Championships debut on July 28, 2012, at Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann.[8][14] She defeated Bethany Marshall by TKO in the second round.[15][16]
On October 28, 2012, Honchak faced Aisling Daly at Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama.[17] She defeated Daly by unanimous decision.[18][19]
The victory over Daly earned Honchak a shot at the inaugural Invicta FC Flyweight title on April 5, 2013, at Invicta FC 5: Penne vs. Waterson.[20] She defeated Vanessa Porto by unanimous decision to become the first Invicta FC Flyweight Champion.[21][22]
Honchak faced Leslie Smith at Invicta FC 7: Honchak vs. Smith on December 7, 2013.[23][24] She successfully defended her Invicta FC title, winning via unanimous decision. The bout earned both fighters the Fight of the Night honors.[25]
Honchak faced Takayo Hashi at Invicta FC 9 on November 1, 2014, and successfully defended her title with another unanimous decision victory. As a result of relocating, she had problems finding a team to train in, which in turn led to the stripping of her title due to inactivity.[26]
The Ultimate Fighter
In August 2017, it was announced that after a few years away from the sport Honchak would be one of the fighters featured on The Ultimate Fighter 26, where the process to crown the UFC's inaugural 125-pound Women's Champion will take place.[27]
In the first round, Honchak defeated Gillian Robertson via TKO in the second round, allowing her to move on to the next stage of the competition.[28] In the quarterfinals, Honchak faced Rachael Ostovich-Berdon and won the fight by unanimous decision after two rounds.[29] In the semifinals, Honchak faced Nicco Montaño. She lost the fight via unanimous decision after three rounds.[30]