Angela Hill: UFC on ESPN 8 win over Claudia Gadelha shoots me to top of strawweight division

Angela Hill sees herself entering title contention with a win Saturday.

Hill (12-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) faces former UFC strawweight title challenger Claudia Gadelha in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 8.

After a rough 3-5 stretch, Hill has had a career resurgence with three straight wins, including two stoppages. She faces a significant step up in competition in Gadelha and is grateful for the opportunity to face an established name in the division.

“I think right now, the strawweight division has been turning over a lot,” Hill told said during Thursday’s UFC on ESPN 8 virtual media day. “I don’t remember how many fights (champion Zhang) Weili won before she got a title shot, but it wasn’t that many – at least not that many ranked opponents that she beat. So I feel like a win over Claudia is just going to shoot me up to the top. So I definitely feel a little lucky with the fact that I was able to get this matchup right now.

“I feel like in normal circumstances, I would have had to fight maybe a top 10 to 15 fighter and then Claudia if I did well. But I feel like it’s a good matchup for me, especially how I’m feeling in the cage and in the gym right now. A win over her would be a great way to argue that I deserve a title shot.”

Hill’s past six fights have come in about 11 months and she’s ready to prove she can compete with the division’s elite.