'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Putting behind the nerve-wracking fear of failure is what earned Angela Hill her latest wins in the Octagon.
Coming off two back-to-back wins over Ariane Carnelossi and Hannah Cifers, Hill added a third win to her ongoing streak with a win over Loma Lookboonmee at UFC Auckland. While her last two victories came via knockout, this one was a unanimous decision win after the two fighters went the distance.
In the ESPN+ post-fight show, Hill shared what the win meant for her and how she is paving her way towards the top rungs of the promotion's hierarchy.
Angela Hill: I just had to get back on the horse
The new fan-favorite in Women's Strawweight had previously talked about having a hard time accepting her losses. The lack of self-confidence held her back from going all the way inside the Octagon, which inevitably affected her performance. However, things have now changed for better for the former Invicta Fighting Champion.
"I just think getting in there, believing in myself, being able to put my losses behind me, and carry that into the cage with me. I feel like a lot of times I’d have that weight of the fear of losing. It would just cripple me in there and make me not open up... I just had to get back on the horse. I had to get back in there, keep fighting, keep winning, and just believing in myself a little bit more. I feel like that’s what’s showing now."
The new attitude has definitely helped Hill in her quest of securing wins, which showed in her display of impressive Muay Thai action despite her opponent, Lookboonmee, having a pedigree foundation in that style.
"I definitely felt like my Muay Thai was on display. I had to evolve my style. I had to change things up a bit and go from a straightforward muay Thai fighter to an MMA fighter. I felt like this was definitely a fight that could really showcase that evolution."
The win in the fight with Lookboonmee, which took place on Saturday at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, helped her overcome a mental block and finally push her momentum forward, Hill said.
As for the future, Hill knows that she is not there yet where everyone mentions her name all the time. But she is willing to fight her way up there, and do everything in her hand to make that possible.
"I’ve always wanted to be one of those fighters that everyone just mentions,” Hill said. “Everyone thinks of this person or that person. To be coming up, because I know I’m not there yet, but to be on my way there, is such a huge motivator for me. It’s going to make me keep calling for those short notice fights (and) keep staying in shape. (I’ll be) staying active and learning and becoming a better fighter."
Credits to MMA Junkie for the quotes.
