Anastasia Yankova On Bellator Debut: “It’s a Dream For Any Fighter”

Anastasia Yankova spoke with MMAjunkie about her Bellator debut against Anjela Pink at Bellator 152. Some highlights are below:

On how she made it to the big time: “There are no secrets to this, just years of hard work…I’m in the middle of training camp and all I feel is soreness in my muscles and pains after sparring.”

On making a living in MMA: “Until I was able to get some sponsors and some good people around me, I went through not only good people but some unethical and downright rotten people. But I was able to overcome all that, and here I am now.”

On learning what makes fighters successful: “There are two types of fighters, you have talented fighters, you have super talented fighters, but that’s inside the ring. The second type of fighters don’t only think about preparation for a fight, but also have a business head, and think about building a career, and plan out their future. I would like to think of myself as the second type.”

On her Bellator debut: “Honestly, to have a fight on Spike TV under the banner of one of the two largest MMA companies in the world is a dream for any fighter. My fight will be on the main card which will be broadcast all over the world including the US, Russia and Italy – which for a simple girl from a common area of Moscow is not too bad, what do you think?”