Angela Hill's Ascension To UFC's Center Stage

“In New York as a city, it was very accepting,” she said. “But when it comes to art school, my school was very pretentious, so I felt like an outsider the entire time I was there. I think if I had gone to a school that focused more on graphic design or getting a job in an art field once you graduate, it would have been a little different. But because my school was so focused on the fine arts, you hear a lot of the same words when you show something. You'll hear didactic or outsider art, or folk art when they talk about my stuff. Technically, the draftsmanship of what I'm doing looks better than what these other kids are doing, but because it's coming from my perspective, it would be considered outsider art. That kind of stuff always made me a little sour on the art world.”

Hill did find her niche when she began working in animation, though, and surprisingly, the fighter who has a vibrant social media presence, a podcast with Karyn Bryant and has been on the commentary desk on fight night for the UFC, enjoyed it because she didn’t have to be the focal point of everything.

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“So going into animation was definitely accepting because you didn't really see the person. You're not judging the artist and the artwork. You're just judging the artwork. That was nice. It sounds funny now, but I've always enjoyed being behind the camera and not really being the person seen. It was a big step for me to start getting out there and fighting people in front of hundreds and then thousands and even more. If I was doing a video project, I hated acting in it and I hated taking photos of myself. I never wanted to be seen in my art; I always wanted to show other people or other things, so it's funny that I'm kind of a celebrity now.

“When I started getting into animation, I was getting into a field that was more focused on creating something to be digested by the mass community in America, as opposed to just this select group that I didn't really feel a part of, and I felt like that helped a lot in finding my creative passion again,” Hill said.

“And it's funny because I always get that question, 'Why do you think that there aren't more Black women in the UFC? There's Black women dominating in all other sports, but why don't you think that they're rarely seen in MMA?'” Hill continues. “And I know it's not me, but I feel like if I were more successful, then maybe you would see more faces there. So I've just been trying to be that role model that I would want to look up to as a young athlete, as well, and use that pressure, use that weight as a way to get out of bed in the morning when I don't feel like training or a way to push past some mental block that I'm having with a certain move. I know I can do this; I just have to focus more and use it. Because the pressure's never gonna go away. I'm never gonna stop caring about Black people, so I want to be a positive influence and be someone that people can look up to.”

She already is. And while she would have liked some of those close decisions to have gone in her direction, her work as an ambassador of the sport in and out of the Octagon isn’t determined by a win-loss record. And as hard as it can sometimes be to feel that way after a tough defeat, Hill has received plenty of messages that let her know she’s made an impact and is opening the doors she wants to.

A Timeline of African American and Black UFC Athlete Accomplishments

“I get most people saying that to me online,” Hill said. “They'll go, 'You got my daughter into MMA,' or 'You got my wife into MMA. She hated it before, then she watched a couple of your fights, and she's like, 'Oh my God!'' It's funny, I think a lot of times when people are represented in most things, then you forget what it feels like not to be represented. So that's why you have a lot of people who love hip-hop flocking to Eminem because they're like, 'Oh, this guy looks like me.' And imagine if that was every other thing in the world, where it was dominated by people who don't look like you.

"So it's really funny when you see a TV show and the main character is a Black woman, you're like, 'Oh s**t, I'm gonna watch that,' because you feel like you can put yourself in that character even easier than when you're watching something where there are no Black people. It's pretty cool to inspire people like that and open that door for them, like, 'Hey, you can be an athlete,' 'Hey, you can be an MMA fighter,' or you can do something you might have thought wouldn't be welcoming to you because you don't see people who look like you doing it.”

That’s leaving a mark that will last a lot longer than a particular fight on a particular night. Hill can be happy with that, but knowing her, she’ll just smile about it for a minute before getting back to the gym or on the phone to ask the UFC matchmakers for a fight. And that’s okay, because she is all-in on this fighting business. 

“I feel like so many people get trapped in careers that they hate, or they never find that thing that can take them away, that hobby that they're super passionate about,” she said. “And being able to have an outlet, even if you're stuck doing this boring job that you hate, if you find an outlet that you end up loving, it just improves your quality of life so much and improves your mental health. And If you're doing something physical, it improves your physical health, so it's all positives, and I think it makes the world a better place when people have something to do.”

UFC is proud to celebrate Black History Month by acknowledging the achievements of African American and Black UFC athletes throughout our history. During February, UFC will highlight the personal stories of these athletes, past and present, while celebrating their significance in promoting and growing UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts.