[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] is edging closer to [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]’s record for most female fights in UFC history.
Hill (17-13 MMA, 12-13 UFC) enters her 26th octagon bout when she meets Tabatha Ricci (10-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 62 (ESPN/ESPN+) co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
When Hill makes the walk against Ricci, she will trail Andrade’s (26-12 MMA, 17-10 UFC) record by only one fight.
“Andrade is cheating,” Hill said, jokingly, in an interview with MMA Junkie. “She’s fighting in both weight classes. I’m like, ‘Yo, pick one so I could beat you when it comes to the most fights.’ I’m excited about trying to break that record. It’s one of those things where I don’t take a lot of damage when I fight. Just recently, I’ve started to actually take a tiny bit of damage, so I’ve been trying to work on my defense and make sure that I’m still getting in there and coming out healthy – with healthy brain, healthy body and everything.
“I feel like having more of an emphasis on grappling has prolonged my career. It’s definitely added some years to it. People can say, ‘Why is she still fighting?’ but I still feel young, I still feel fresh, I still do well against the girls that are coming in, and I feel like I have a wealth of knowledge that I can use to my advantage as well.”
Hill is coming off just her second UFC finish – a Performance of the Night submission of Luana Pinheiro in May. Having won four of her past five, Hill was hoping for a higher ranked opponent, but is happy to draw Ricci.
“This is a matchup that I liked,” Hill said. “I wanted someone higher, but unfortunately most of the people higher I already fought. It’s nice to get some fresh blood, some fresh meat. I feel really good. I feel really strong.
“I feel like I’m more dangerous. I feel like there’s a lot of tools that I can use against her. She’s a cool chick. I have no animosity toward her, either. I always feel like I fight better when I like the person I’m fighting, so I’m excited about it.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.