The upcoming contest between Amanda Ribas and Angela Hill on the UFC Vegas 26 is one of essentially the most awaited strawweight fights of UFC. Brazillian MMA Ribas comes off a defeat on this contest after shedding out to fellow prime prospect Marina Rodriguez after the latter delivered a blistering sequence of strikes to earn a TKO end. Angela Hill then again has momentum on her facet as she beat Ashley Yoder in an essential rematch earlier this 12 months.
With opposing types will probably be intriguing to see if Ribas’ takedown accuracy and floor efficacy interprets properly in opposition to Hill or the American combined martial artist along with her polished standup can stop Ribas from taking the struggle to the mat. Ahead of the conflict, we caught up with the 36-year-old Angela Hill.
Here is the excerpt:
How is your situation?
I’m good. I really had a while this time to have a struggle camp. I had 5 weeks, which is longer than I often have. The solely distinction is I get to push a bit tougher in coaching as a result of I do know that the date is developing. I’m all the time coaching, nevertheless it was nice to get the decision up with a bit bit of discover and I really feel in form.
You appear to be a pupil of the game. You have quite a bit of creativity and also you’re consistently reinventing your self. Can you speak a bit bit in regards to the course of of your coaching and the way you strategy fights?
I’ve been focusing quite a bit on changing into a greater fighter, and fewer on the individual that I’m combating’s weaknesses, which works for me as a result of I do get quite a bit of quick discover fights. So it will be virtually unattainable to hold enhancing if I’m making an attempt to take into consideration who I’m going to struggle subsequent. Looking at my final fights, my most up-to-date fights, and seeing the areas that I can enhance on all the time provides me a good suggestion of what to begin engaged on. For occasion, after my struggle with Michelle Waterson, I began working quite a bit on my grappling so I wouldn’t freeze up on the underside as a lot and bought extra comfy in these positions. Comfortable with my again on the mats and being much less cautious about shifting as soon as that occurs. Obviously, engaged on my takedown protection and dealing on throwing extra quantity so I don’t have to depart it within the palms of the judges. So that’s an instance of the best way that I strategy getting higher for the subsequent struggle. I by no means need to present up as the identical fighter. I all the time need to present up as an improved model of myself.
What are your opinions on this opponent now, Amanda Ribas? She’s anyone who’s a distinct tangent than some of your latest opponents.
Well, it’s good combating somebody who simply bought knocked out as a result of it provides me the concept that that is attainable for me to do as properly and it hasn’t been that lengthy since she bought TKOed. I all the time really feel like your mind wants a very good quantity of time to heal earlier than you get again in there. I undoubtedly trust in that, figuring out that I’m a robust striker and figuring out that I can hit her, and transfer, and perhaps make her scared of standing with me. But additionally I’ve been working quite a bit on my judo and avoiding the hip throw, and recognizing it earlier than it occurs, studying how to throw it. I really feel like that provides me a greater perspective than if I had fought Ribas a 12 months in the past and all that stuff was nonetheless variety of overseas to me. After a struggle camp in opposition to Michelle and a struggle camp in opposition to Ashley Yoder, I really feel like I’ve actually been specializing in people who find themselves good at that – hip throw, head and arm throw, harai goshi. I’ve actually been ready to acknowledge what I’m doing flawed after I do get thrown by these. I really feel like I’ve labored on a extremely good protection for that. I do know that’s her “bread and butter”, she’s really good at those takedowns. She’s also good at other takedowns, but I feel like she’s going to have to get creative when it comes to taking me down.
You’re coming off a win and two very close split decisions. Strawweight is a very exciting division right now. What do you think is your route to the title?
I think a couple of big wins is a good route to take. It would have been great if I had gotten a finish against Yoder. I’m still beating myself up over that because that was super close. I could see that she was close to quitting. She was just too tough, and I made some big mistakes when I got close to finishing her so. So I think with a few big wins, I’ll be able to be looked at in the title contention. You know, it’s a really short road to the top. I always say Zhang Weili was able to get a title shot off of beating Tecia Torres, who was on a losing streak. It’s the same with a lot of girls. They could have lost a fight maybe two fights ago, but because they had a couple big wins against big opponents, then people say, “Oh, let’s have them fight for the title next.” So I simply have to make it convincing. I simply have to show myself on this struggle and within the subsequent. Then: “Hey, I can beat the champ, I must be one of the individuals that you simply’re to struggle for the title quickly.” A knockout or finish of any sort is always a good way to convince people.
Talk about some other fights in the division. One that just happened, what are your opinions on Loma Lookboonmee, the first UFC fighter born and bred in Thailand, versus Sam Hughes?
I think Loma looked really awesome. I think Sam Hughes is surprisingly tough. She gave Tecia a lot of trouble in the clinch as well, so I wasn’t surprised when Loma got stuck up against the fence. But she did a good job of still scoring and turning. I always give Loma credit, from watching her fight back in Invicta, I say, “Hey I need to get back to my Muay Thai sweeps!” I used to do it on a regular basis, then I bought scared to do it as a result of from time to time I’d mess it up and get taken down. So after I watched her struggle – I believe it was perhaps her first or second struggle in Invicta, I assumed, “That woman is so good!” It enticed me to get back to it. So I was happy to see her win and I think she looks really strong. If they were to make a 105-pound division, she’d be really competitive in it, for sure.
What are your opinions on the big one, Rose Namajunas versus Zhang Weili?
That fight was… it wasn’t even a fight! It was over so quick. I think a lot of people wanted to see it play out, but I think Rose is just so tricky. She’s really good at hiding her strikes. It was awesome to see her be able to do that, be able to sneak that kick up there. I watched it a few times. She snuck her foot right past Weili’s elbow and straight to her chin. That’s precision. Some people – some haters – want to say that she got lucky, but that’s precision, that’s someone practicing over and over again: what is the easiest way to get that leg up there so they don’t see it coming, and they don’t block it, and there are no limbs in the way. I think that was really cool and I’ve been practicing that same kick since I saw it. It was definitely an inspiring performance.
The next one coming up – aside from yours – is Yan Xiaonan versus Carla Esparza.
Yan Xiaonan, I don’t really like her style… but I lost her! So that’s just me being a hater! But on top of that, I feel like she does a lot of yelling, as a way to score. I remember watching her fight Claudia Gadelha. When she was up against the fence, she wasn’t really scoring, but every time she punched Claudia in the head and the side of the head, she went, “Yah!” I really feel like Carla does have a very good likelihood of beating her, however I believe Yan Xiaonan is using good momentum. She’s gained so many in a row, I believe she’ll discover a means to win, for positive. And if she beats Carla, she’s undoubtedly going to be the particular person I anticipate to struggle for the title subsequent.
Looking again at your profession – it’s humorous to say your profession, as a result of we’ve watched you struggle a lot in lower than two years – throughout this time, you could have quite a bit to replicate on, however what would you say has been your favourite, most enjoyable struggle to this point?
Most enjoyable? I believe, earlier than the choice was referred to as, in all probability the Claudia Gadelha struggle. It was only a nice struggle to show to me how good I used to be. I used to be balling into that struggle considering, “You know, it’s going to be powerful, and I do know she’s actually extremely ranked for good motive. And, I’m nervous.” I’m nervous about performing. I’m nervous about winning, nervous if I’m going to be able to get up if she takes me down. I was able to prove a lot to myself, I proved that, “Yeah, you can hang with her, you can get back up, you can spin her when she tries to press you against the cage.” I felt like I might have taken her down, too. So that was a extremely cool struggle as a result of it proved quite a bit to myself, and it proved that I do deserve to be up there within the prime 5 and, and that I do have an opportunity of changing into a champion earlier than it’s too late! I’m creeping up there in age, however I nonetheless really feel younger, and I nonetheless really feel like I’ve quite a bit to give to these different ladies within the division. So I believe that was my greatest, my most enjoyable struggle. And it was enjoyable watching her spin round after I hit her within the second spherical! Yeah undoubtedly, if I had that second to do over, I’d have gone full-on after that.
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