Shortly after having the UFC’s 135-pound belt once again wrapped around her waist, this time at UFC 207, Amanda Nunes took a few seconds to issue a prediction.
“Nina Ansaroff is going to be the next UFC champion,” Nunes said, pointing toward the strawweight, who also happens to be her girlfriend of four years and training partner.
Such a ringing endorsement from Nunes is nothing that Ansaroff (6-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) hadn’t heard before. But, as she prepares to get back in action against Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger (6-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC), at Jan. 15’s UFC Fight Night 103, the strawweight certainly still draws motivation from it.
“She says it all the time,” Ansaroff told MMAjunkie Radio. “Every time we train, every time someone talks about me. She believes in me as much as I believe in her. She has an idea of where I stand – she’s the world champion and I’m her No. 1 sparring partner – so, it kind of, she knows how tough of a time I give her in training.
“Someone believes in you that much, it’s contagious and motivating. Look what it did for Ronda (Rousey), and Sage (Northcutt), all these people. When you have someone behind you that’s high up there and means that much and you’ve got that push, it makes it easier. You believe your own hype for a little bit, and sometimes it helps.”
Nunes’ belief in Ansaroff is not based on their love alone. After all, Ansaroff is also her main sparring partner, and Nunes, herself, says she’s one of the main forces behind the career turnaround that helped the champion turn from a promise into a reality in the UFC.
The only girl on American Top Team’s115-pound roster who actually spars with Nunes, Ansaroff was also the only strawweight at the gym who took direct part in Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s camp for Karolina Kowalkiewicz by going some rounds with her division’s current titleholder.
And though the experiences with Nunes had already given her a clue of her own capabilities, Ansaroff enjoyed the opportunity.
“It was exciting for me; of course you want to see where you stand,” Ansaroff said. “I know where I stand with Amanda. She’s the champ of 135. You just kind of want to see where it is in your weight class. But I know where I am right now. I know I have some fights to get up there. I’m not going to fight (Jedrzejczyk) any time soon.
“So it was actually a good thing for me, and I was able to help her and she was able to help me and that’s about it. There’s no egos involved, we got good training and that’s the end of it.”
While helping Nunes prepare to defend her belt against Rousey, Ansaroff was, of course, getting ready for her own scrap. Looking to bag her first-ever UFC win after an almost year-long absence, she has in Jones-Lybarger a fighter who also finds herself in an unfavorable 0-2 octagon situation.
But currently in a similar situation, Ansaroff knows better than anyone that a skid doesn’t mean someone isn’t dangerous.
“She’s a tough girl,” Ansaroff said. “She’s not ranked and she’s coming off two losses, but I’m not overlooking that. I’m also not ranked and coming off two losses, whether mine were controversial or not. You can’t underestimate your opponent.
“I take this fight very seriously, I’m fighting for the No. 1 spot, and I know Jocelyn is tough. She fought a girl on my team, and I’m definitely not overlooking her.”
It wasn’t just the technical advantages of helping Nunes with her camps that aided Ansaroff heading into her own fight. The post-fight happiness that took over the locker room after the champ’s most recent win, she says, certainly rubbed off on her, too.
“I wanted to fight that night,” Ansaroff said. “I wanted to go get some sparring rounds in with Amanda, like ‘You didn’t get a good sweat in, let’s finish your fight and start mine.’ It was kind of, you know, we were ready to go.
“It’s very contagious, motivating, and it gave me a big boost. I’m ready to go. I’m excited about this fight. I’m just ready to show my true skills. My last couple of fights, I wasn’t able to pull the trigger the way I normally do, and I’m ready to show it this time.”
Ansaroff is title-driven and, in a not-so-big division, knows it only takes a few convincing performances to get a title shot. But, other than UFC gold, the 31-year-old has another dream that she may be looking to accomplish next year: becoming a mom.
“I win this fight in impressive fashion, at this weight class it only takes two or three of those and you’re fighting for the belt,” Ansaroff said. “If I put that in motion right away and by the end of this year I’m a contender and I fight for the belt, I could stop right after that because I have no problem – money really hasn’t been an issue. It’s not something I need to do.
“I might just stop and take a break to start my family. I have my dream of being the UFC champion but I also have a dream of being a mother, and that’s very important to me, as well.”
For more on UFC Fight Night 103, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.
