Create a free account to unlock this article! Get Started Already a subscriber? Log In

Bellator flyweight Anastasia Yankova has all the markings of a mainstream crossover star.



The undefeated (3-0) Moscow native fights for the second time under the Bellator banner Friday night live on Spike TV, taking on fellow undefeated fighter Veta Arteaga (2-0). While the fight marks Yankova's first professional MMA tilt on American soil, she feels she owns some advantages heading into the matchup. Specifically, Yankova believes the hardships she's overcome and her “Russian Spirit” have made her the tougher, more resilient fighter. Friday, that will show.



“In Russia, it’s not an easy life most of the time,” Yankova said. “I come from a culture that has endured much throughout history, dating back thousands of years. There has been a lot of bloodshed and many wars in my country. We, as a people, have always figured out a way to persevere. I have that advantage. Anybody can win a fight, but when dragged into deep waters, I feel like my upbringing and the environment in which I grew up prepared me to be able to push through it more so than others.”



In preparation for this fight, Yankova, for the first time in her career, spent a full training camp at AKA Thailand, a satellite school of the world famous American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California. AKA is home to current UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, among others. Yankova would like to eventually add her own championship hardware to the always-growing AKA trophy case.



“I want to be a champion,” Yankova said. “My goal, within the sport, is to become a champion. That requires a lot of dedication. It requires a lot of training. If you want to be a champion, you focus on that single goal. Outside of just the training aspect, it also requires the ability to communicate with the media, to always be available and to be able to interact well with the fans. I understand all of that. I try to excel at all aspects of the fight game.”



The multi-talented Yankova earned a Bachelor’s degree in Art with dreams of one day becoming a fashion designer. That career, along with her modeling and television work, has been put on hold as her combat sports career skyrockets. She is a talented artist and an equally talented martial artist. The irony is not lost on Yankova as she seamlessly merges the two far different worlds.



“It’s the yin and the yang. It's two opposites," she said. "On one side, I’m a mixed martial artist and I train to punch people in the face and train to get punched in the face myself. In the other world, I am an artist who expresses myself and how I feel through art. I don’t just draw mountains. I draw my dreams. It’s all about my thoughts and it’s an expressionist art. One side balances the other. I have found the perfect balance between one world and the other. They do coexist.”



Only time will tell if Yankova is just a pretty face or a legitimate fighter at the highest level of the sport. What is clear today, however, is that she is an incredibly marketable fighter on numerous levels. As Bellator President Scott Coker has said on many occasions, he wants fighters that move the needle. Clearly, Yankova falls into that category. Her model looks, outgoing personality and growing skill set all point toward a bright future.



“Yes, eventually I would like to cross over into the mainstream,” Yankova said. “It’s every fighter’s goal to become popular and famous on some level. With the fame and popularity achieved, if nothing else, it means that whatever you are doing, you are doing it the right way.”



Yankova is already experiencing that initial taste of fame, with fans going as far as waiting in line for her to show up to the gym in the morning.



“I am starting to get a glimpse of it now,” Yankova said. “After only my second fight with Bellator, I have fans coming to AKA in San Jose, to get autographs every morning. People are sitting on chairs outside just waiting for me. People recognize me at the doctor’s office. It’s undeniable. I notice it. I cherish it. I think it’s phenomenal. I am totally blessed. I am going to try to take advantage of it and excel in areas outside the cage.”