Exclusive: Angela Hill chuffed with the opportunities Francis Ngannou's performance against Tyson Fury has opened up
Angela Hill is preparing to square off against Denise Gomes in a strawweight showdown at the upcoming Fight Night event known as UFC Sao Paulo, set to take place on November 4 at the Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Hill's momentum with a two-fight win streak came to a halt when she suffered a unanimous decision loss to Mackenzie Dern in their thrilling Fight of the Night showdown back in May. 'Overkill' is set to make her 24th appearance inside the octagon this Saturday. With a UFC record of 10-13, the 38-year-old American has seen varying results inside the octagon.
Angela Hill is now considering a shift in her career, and the source of her newfound motivation can be traced directly to former UFC heavyweight kingpin Francis Ngannou. His recent extraordinary performance against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has left a lasting impression on Hill.
Ngannou's remarkable effort, coming tantalizingly close to accomplishing a feat no one had ever achieved—defeating 'The Gypsy King' in a boxing ring—has sparked Hill's interest in exploring a transition to the world of boxing.
In an exclusive interview with Andrew Whitelaw for Sportskeeda MMA, Angela Hill stated:
"I was so amazed that he [Ngannou] was able to perform the way he did. It's given me this, like, this giddiness all week, because that happened. I always think about my career after the UFC...I have always loved boxing. I have always done well against boxers. So, I feel like, a lot of MMA fighters with hands are looking that and like, 'Oh man! He just put us out there. He just set the bar so high and now we have more opportunities then just getting out of UFC and fighting Jake Paul'."
Angela Hill's thoughts on prepping for the Denise Gomes fight
Angela Hill is coming off a loss and is determined to bounce back. Her upcoming matchup with Denise Gomes serves as an opportunity to do exactly that.
During a recent UFC interview, Hill discussed her readiness for the impending bout:
"I’ve been feeling really good in training, and I think this is a good person to test that against because I feel skill-wise, I have everything over her. She has power, but she still seems really green, really raw energy; a young buck coming in, kind of like me when I was just breaking in."
Watch UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Lewis live on Sony Sports Network in India on Sunday, November 5, from 6:30 AM onwards.