Anastasia Yankova is aware of the naysayers – those who believe she was signed to Bellator not because of her fighting ability, but rather for her good looks.

That’s a tough label to overcome, but the Russian flyweight said she’s doing everything to set up a legitimate, successful MMA career.

“I feel like I’m in the right training environment with the right gym (at American Kickboxing Academy in Thailand),” Yankova told MMAjunkie through an interpreter. “Everything is very professional. I feel like I’m training like a professional fighter, not just like an amateur or someone that’s doing it as a hobby. I feel like I’ve picked up a lot of new tools in this camp, and I’m constantly improving. I’m in the right place, and I’ve grown as a fighter.”

Yankova (3-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) makes her second Bellator appearance on Friday at Bellator 161. She meets Veta Arteaga (2-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) in a 125-pound matchup on the Spike-televised main card following prelims on MMAjunkie at H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas.

Although Yankova said she’s directing her energy and focus into her pre-fight prep, she said that hasn’t always been the case. Before relocating to AKA Thailand, Yankova trained in her hometown of Moscow but had her attention split between various obligations.

During her kickboxing career and early days fighting MMA, Yankova modeled and did television hosting, among other things. She’s dropped all of that, she said, and after leaving her homeland, her days consist of little more than a rigorous training routine.

“When I used to live in Moscow and train there, I had a lot of obligations with television shoots and all kinds of other stuff I did outside of fighting,” Yankova said. “So basically my camp would consist of training, and instead of resting and focusing, I would take care of all those oblations. I put all of it on hold and focused on training. I relocated my camp to Thailand, where literally I get up, train, rest, go back to train, rest, then get up the next day and do the exact same thing. There’s no distractions or other projects. I’m able to now focus solely on my training, and I feel a much … improvement.”

Yankova, 25, could probably make a solid living if she stuck exclusively to modeling and TV, but she said her passion is combat sports. She wants to find her ceiling as an MMA fighter while she’s still physically capable. She knows many will look at her and see nothing more than a pretty face, but her goal isn’t to prove herself to any critics, she said.

No, Yankova simply wants to be the best fighter she can. One who, if she keeps winning, could eventually fight for the Bellator women’s flyweight championship if and when it’s introduced.

“When Bellator first signed me, I only had two MMA fights, but I did have 12 professional kickboxing fights and even more than that in amateurs,” Yankova said. “Those guys are hitting you in the face. That wasn’t ballet dancing; it was still fighting. I just wasn’t as exposed to the fans. I know what I’m capable of. My coaches know what I’m capable of. I see what I can do in training and sparring with other fighters.

“It’s just a matter of time until all of that comes out in my fights. The more fights I have, the more people will start to see. It’s not that I’m trying to legitimize myself in anybody’s eyes, because I know what I am and I know what I can do. It’s just a matter of time until everyone catches on.”

After a 95-second submission win over Anjela Pink her in promotional debut at Bellator 152 in April, Yankova said she’s ready to take on a new challenge at Bellator 161. Although Arteaga has only two fights and turned pro in February, Yankova praised the grappling of her upcoming opponent and said the threat on the ground will be a step up from anything she’s encountered.

That’s not intimidating to Yankova, she said. After training at AKA Thailand for the majority of her camp and finishing the final weeks at the stateside AKA gym in San Jose, which houses the likes of current UFC champ Daniel Cormier as well as former UFC titleholders Luke Rockhold and Cain Velasquez, she said she’s feeling prepared.

“I’m pretty happy with this opponent because a lot of people question my ability to fight on the ground, and I recognize that’s something that’s going to need to come along,” Yankova said. “I feel like it’s a good challenge fighting a purple belt. I’m a white belt. I’m fighting someone with years of experience on the ground, and I have years of experience in standup. Let’s see who is going to impose their will. It’s a challenge. It’s not a walk in and just punch somebody once then walk out.”

Not only is the fight with Arteaga a benchmark to discover Yankova’s progression after dedicating herself full-time to training, it’s also significant because it represents her first fight in the U.S. That means she will be competing in front of an entirely new audience. That causes some concern, she said, but as long as she sticks to her strategy, she expects to add another win to her undefeated record.

“I’m excited to fight in the U.S. but I’m also a little worried because I’m fighting an American in America,” Yankova said. “I’m big on crowd reactions and drawing energy from the crowd. I don’t think it will change the outcome of the fight. I will fight my fight, but it’s definitely on my mind.”

For more on Bellator 161, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.