Bellator MMA’s ‘5 Rounds’ series has often given great insight into fighter’s personalities and back stories and the latest edition featuring Anastasia Yankova is no different.
Despite Bellator’s growth over the past 18 months, one thing they have struggled with is finding a top female star. However, with Yankova – who is set to make her promotional debut against Anjela Pink on April 16 – they certainly have potential to utilise her star power.
Speaking on 5 Rounds, Yankova said: “When I was taking karate as a little girl, the coach said, ‘boys fight to first blood, and girls fight to the first death’. In this sentence is the essence of female martial arts.
“That is girls really box so emotionally, so sincerely, so real that most of men can’t do.
“When a man fights, as an athlete, he defends his honour, his team’s honour, his country’s honour.
“When a girl fights, she also defends her honour, but she also fights for all females in martial arts. That is, when I go into the ring or cage, I want to prove not only what I can, but what we can do.”
Bellator seem to have struck gold with Yankova, a rising female athlete who is looking to raise the popularity and credibility of women’s MMA.
