UFC-Norfolk's Angela Hill motivated to work toward Rose Namajunas rematch

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Angela Hill’s run in the UFC has been up, down and then up again, and she hopes it continues toward the top.

Hill (7-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC), coming off a win in her last fight, looks to keep the momentum going when she takes on Nina Ansaroff (7-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) on Saturday in the opening FS1 prelim of UFC Fight Night 120, which takes place at Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Va.

Putting together a winning streak in the UFC strawwweight division has proven difficult for the former Invicta FC champion. She won her UFC debut in Sept. 2014 before losing back-to-back fights to Tecia Torres and current champion Rose Namajunas, who knocked out Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the title last weekend at UFC 217.

The two losses prompted Hill down to Invicta FC, where she put together a four-fight winning streak that included her title win and one defense. Her return to the UFC didn’t fare well, however, as she dropped a decision to title contender Jessica Andrade last February at UFC Fight Night 104.

Now that Hill is back in the win column – in the UFC, that is – after earning a decision from Ashley Yoder at The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale in July, she hopes to continue climbing the ranks until she either gets a second shot at Namajunas or a crack at Jedrzejczyk, who was on her mind for some time.

“I’ve always wanted my rematches, but I wanted to make sure that I was ready when I did have those rematches,” Hill told MMAjunkie on Wednesday. “You know, everyone’s on the list that I’ve lost to when it comes to that. But I definitely feel like I was a totally different fighter when I did fight (Namajunas). I was motivated to fight (Jedrzejczyk) when she was champ. I was hoping that I could work my way up to that. I was already thinking about what I was going to do for the face-off and everything.

“But now that (Jedrzejczyk is) out of the picture, she’s still going to be around. I’d still love to fight her at some point. Yeah, I’m definitely going for that title run after I feel I’ve got enough wins, and I’ve impressed enough to get a go at (Namajunas).”

Check out the video above to hear more from Hill on her mindset heading into her fight on Saturday.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 120, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.