LAS VEGAS – Angela Hill feels she’s nonetheless obtained it and needs to show it to the MMA world.
Hill, one of the crucial seasoned names in ladies’s MMA right this moment, is nearing 40 and carrying a decade of combating expertise as she enters Saturday’s UFC Struggle Night time 241 fundamental card bout towards Luana Pinheiro. Many fighters have come and gone, however Hill has maintained her standing as a contender over time.
With a rising new crop of contenders, Hill is assured she’s as much as the duty and is happy to face 30-year-old Pinheiro.
“It’s a troublesome take a look at for me as a result of she’s younger, and he or she’s aggressive,” Hill mentioned when requested in regards to the problem at Wednesday’s UFC Struggle Night time 241 media day. “I’m proving lots to myself simply by getting in there and beating up on somebody like that. If that is what the highest 10 seems to be like, I’m actually feeling assured about it.
“You could have lots of youthful up-and-coming fighters within the prime 10 now. Earlier than it was sort of like a stalemate of all of the individuals of my era who made it or fought for the title. They have been all simply bogging it up. Now you could have individuals like Crazy (Godinez), who I beat, and other people like (Tabatha) Ricci up there. I really feel like there’s lots of names for me to match up that I haven’t already fought.”
Hill (16-13 MMA, 11-13 UFC) is coming off a unanimous resolution win over Denis Gomes in November. The victory put her at 3-1 in her previous 4 performances.
She’s excited to be combating Pinheiro (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) not solely one of many new faces of the division, but additionally somebody that’s ranked forward of her within the UFC’s official rankings.
“It was cool to get the identify simply because I felt assured about it,” Hill mentioned “It’s a type of matchups you see them within the prime 10, and also you suppose, ‘Man, that will be a great one for me. Hopefully, I’ll have the ability to present that on Saturday and maintain that momentum going from final struggle.”
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