While Ashley Yoder is fighting a lot sooner than she expected, she’s more than happy to get the short-notice call.
Yoder (8-6 MMA, 3-6 UFC) is set to rematch Angela Hill at UFC Fight Night 186 in a matchup that was a late addition to the card.
A lack of a full training camp is usually not ideal for a fighter, but considering that Yoder was hearing rumblings of a summer booking, the idea of competing months earlier sounded exciting to her.
“I think the first thought to my head was I get to fight,” Yoder told MMA Junkie Radio. “The talk was I might not be fighting until after June, so when the opportunity comes, you gotta seize it and I respect Angela a lot. I’m always gonna be an underdog, but I’m excited about this rematch.”
The pair’s first outing took place at The Ultimate Fighter Season 25 Finale in July 2017, where Hill defeated Yoder via unanimous decision. Since then, Yoder has seen mixed results, but has won three of her past five, most recently defeating Miranda Granger via unanimous decision in November.
Hill (12-9 MMA, 7-9 UFC) has also had her ups and downs, but has risen through the strawweight ranks when at one point, she put together a three-fight winning streak in the span of five months. A lot has happened since their first fight and Yoder said she’s looking forward to the opportunity of avenging that loss in the rematch.
“It’s my first rematch so that’s exciting,” Yoder said. “It’s been four years since we’ve fought. We’ve both grown a lot since then, and I’m just excited to go in there and show what I’ve been working on.”
She continued, “I think this is a great time for a rematch, I think this is a great fight for both of us, and for me, I’m coming in guns blazing. There’s nothing to lose for me so I’m just excited to be out there and get some time on the mat again and get to do what I love.”.
Ashley Yoder ‘coming in guns blazing’ for short-notice Angela Hill rematch at UFC Fight Night 186