Jessica 'Baby Bull' Hilger just had her first Pro fight after a very impressive amateur run. She lost a very close decision, but I have heard many people say she deserved the win. I have taken a very big interest in Jessica because to me, she is the kind of fighter and person that makes me love the sport. Dedicated, hard working, always trying to improve, and also just a very likable woman. There is a well known saying that you win more in losing than you do in winning. I truly think this is the case with Jessica. I believe she is someone that fans should watch and follow. Basically, jump on the bandwagon now, because you are going to be hearing a lot more of this amazing woman.
Q: Jessica, thanks for taking time out to do a second interview.
A: THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY AGAIN.
Q: For those who may have missed the first interview, can you tell a little about yourself.
A: I AM NOW A PROFESSIONAL MMA FIGHTER. I HAVE A LOT OF HEART, DEDICATION, AND AM VERY HEAD STRONG. I LIVE IN WISCONSIN BUT I TRAVEL 2 HOURS TO TRAIN ALSO IN CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA. I AM VERY FAMILY ORIENTED AND AM ONE OF THE MOST CARING PERSON YOU MAY EVER MEET.
Q: You just had your first Pro fight. For those who don't know, can you tell who you fought, and what the result was?
A: I FOUGHT KIM CONNOR HAMBY FROM LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. SHE WAS A VERY TOUGH OPPONENT. IT CAME TO A VERY CLOSE SPLIT DECISION. SHE RECEIVED THE DECISION. I TRIED MY HARDEST TO FINISH HER WITH A SUBMISSION BECAUSE I KNEW WITH ME BEING IN HER HOME TERRITORY THAT'S WHAT I WOULD NEED TO DO. I FELT THAT IT WAS VERY CLOSE, I WAS VERY PROUD OF MYSELF FOR ALL THAT I HAD ACCOMPLISHED AND I ALSO KNOW WHAT I NEED TO WORK ON MORE. IT WAS A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME.
Q: Do you feel you should have got the decision?
A: EVERYONE ALWAYS BELIEVE THEY SHOULD AND I DID AS WELL. ON THE OTHER HAND I KNEW I LEFT IT UP TO THE JUDGES AND THAT'S WHERE YOU DON'T WANT TO LEAVE IT WITH SUCH A CLOSE FIGHT. I BELIEVED WE BOTH DID OUR BEST AND WE WERE EVENLY MATCHED.
Q: How was the training for the fight? Did you feel everything went as it should?
A: EVERYTHING WENT GREAT. THE LAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE FIGHT MY TAKEDOWNS IMPROVED TREMENDOUSLY. I WAS TAKING DOWN 200 POUND MEN IN THE GYM. SO WHEN IT CAME TO TAKING HER DOWN IT SEEMED A LOT EASIER WITH HER BEING QUITE A BIT LIGHTER.
Q: Was your training any different for this fight now that it was as a Pro?
A: I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN TOUGH FIGHTS SO WITH EVERY FIGHT I TAKE ITS ALL ABOUT PERFECTING MY SKILLS. MY TAKEDOWNS AND MY STANDUP IMPROVE EVERY DAY AND WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE. I TRAIN AS IF IT IS GOING TO BE AN EVEN TOUGHER FIGHT THAN MY LAST.
Q: The week leading up to it, whats the thoughts in your head? Nervous, excited, what?
A: I WAS VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. I RAN MY GAME PLAN OVER IN MY HEAD EVERYDAY. MY NERVOUSNESS KICKS IN A COUPLE HOURS BEFORE I FIGHT. I CAN'T EVEN WATCH THE OTHER FIGHTS BECAUSE I WANT TO GET INTO THE CAGE AND EXECUTE MY GAME PLAN.
Q: How about those last minutes before it when you are walking to the cage?
A: THE LAST MINUTES BEFORE I WALK INTO THE CAGE, I AM ALL BUSINESS I HAVE A JOB TO DO AND TO ME ITS A DAY AT WORK. I NEED TO ACCOMPLISH AND PUSH TOWARDS MY DREAM.
Q: Anything you did in training for this fight, you may want to do different next time?
A: ALL MY TRAINING FOR THIS FIGHT WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ON. ITS HOW I AM IN THE CAGE IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO WORK ON. I GET HIT THEN JUST WANT TO TEAR HER HELD OF SO I TEND TO NOT PLAY MY GAME BUT THE GAME SHE WANTS WHICH IS STAND UP. I'VE REALISED I NEED TO CONTROL MY ANGER IN THE CAGE AND STAY FOCUSED THROUGH IT ALL AND STICK TO MY GAME PLAN. NOT ALLOW MY OPPONENT TO TAKE ME OUT OF MY GAME. BE A SMARTER FIGHTER.
Q: Did you know much of anything about your opponent before getting in the cage with her?
A: YES I STUDIED HER AS MUCH AS I COULD. I WAS ABLE TO FIND HER ON THE INTERNET. SHE HAD MENTIONED IN THE RADIO INTERVIEW THAT SHE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING ABOUT ME. THAT IS MY INTENTIONS. THIS IS WHY I DO NOT POST ANY OF MY FIGHTS. IT GIVES ME THE UPPER HAND WHEN IT COMES TO STUDYING YOUR OPPONENT. I SAW THAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ON THE GROUND AND I KNEW SHE WOULD HAVE VERY HARD HITS.
Q: I know you said you were trying for submissions a lot. At any point did you feel you had her?
A: I DID. RIGHT AWAY TO IN THE FIRST ROUND WITH THE FIRST SUBMISSIONS I HAD ON HER. A STANDING GUILLOTINE, THEN I THREW HER AND HAD A NECK CRANK THEN NOT TO MUCH LATER PUT A REAR NAKED CHOKE ON HER. SHE WAS ABLE TO WIGGLE OUT OF THEM ALL THROUGH OUT THE FIGHT. SO I KNOW I NEED TO WORK ON EXECUTING THEM BETTER AND MAKING SURE I AM ABLE TO FINISH THEM.
Q: Does that fact it was a decision, and maybe not a good decision, lessen the unhappiness of losing
A: I TRULY KNEW I HAD TRIED MY HARDEST AND I AM A MENTALLY STRONGER FIGHTER NOW THAN I HAD BEEN IN THE PAST. I HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ME TELL ME THAT IT WAS SUCH A GREAT FIGHT AND I KNEW LEAVING IT TO DECISION IT MAY NOT TURN OUT IN MY FAVOR. I COMMEND HER FOR EVERYTHING SHE PUSHED ME THROUGH IT ONLY WILL MAKE ME A BETTER AND SMARTER FIGHTER IN MY FUTURE.
Q: OK, easy question of the day. Would you want a rematch?
A: OF COURSE, I AND MY MANAGER HAVE DISCUSSED IT ALREADY AND SPOKE TO THE PROMOTER. THE PROMOTER IS DOING A SHOW AGAIN IN JUNE AND I ASKED IF WE WOULD BE ABLE TO REMATCH AND POSSIBLY PUT A TITLE BELT ON IT. HE SPOKE OF ALMOST PUTTING IT ON MY DEBUT BUT HE ALSO WANTED ME TO BE A LITTLE MORE KNOW IN ARKANSAS FIRST. I BECAME AN INSTANT ROLE MODEL DOWN THERE FOR YOUNG GIRLS AS WELL. I HAD 2 FATHERS WANTING ME TO TAKE PICTURES WITH THEIR DAUGHTERS ALL BEFORE I FOUGHT, THAT REALLY TOUGHED ME. JUST KNOWING THAT THEY SEE A FUTURE IN ME AS WELL IS A GREAT FEELING.
Q: Did you learn anything from this fight? Such as something you want to improve on?
A: I LEARN A LOT FROM EVERY FIGHT. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING YOU CAN IMPROVE ON. BEING A SMARTER FIGHTER AFTER EACH FIGHT IS WHAT EVERY FIGHTER SHOULD SEE AND IMPROVE ON WHETHER THEY WIN OR LOSE, THERE IS ALWAYS MORE YOU CAN LEARN.
Q: Take the result out of it, were you happy with your performance?
A: I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH MY PERFORMANCE AND THAT'S WHAT IS IMPORTANT. EVERYONE I SPOKE WITH AND HAVE SEEN MY VIDEO OF IT WHERE VERY PLEASED AS WELL.
Q: How hard is it to balance a job and training while getting ready to fight?
A: IT IS VERY HARD TO JUGGLE ESPECIALLY TRAVELING AS FAR AS I DID. IT WAS A LOT OF LACK OF SLEEP AS WELL. I, ALTHOUGH, WOULD NOT CHANGE A THING.
Q: Anyone you want to thank for helping get you ready for the fight?
A: I WANT TO THANK MY MANAGER NICK MARIN. ALSO I HAD A LOT OF HELP FROM TEAM HARD DRIVE OUT OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA. (BILL KAMERY, SARAH LACINA, SHANNON GILLESPIE, KEONI KOCH, DEMIEN PAPAGNI, BRENT STEPANEK ALL HELPED ME THE MOST ) ALSO MY TEAM FROM HOMETOWN OF LANCASTER, WI. (BRIAN WELLINGTON, BRANDON HUGHEY,(MY BEST FRIEND, MOLLY JERRETT) AND (MY FUTURE HUSBAND, DAN YOOSE) THEY ALL HAVE BEEN A GREAT PART OF WHERE I AM AND WHERE I AM GOING.
Q: Anything you want to plug or promote?
A: I WANT TO THANK ALL OF MY SPONSORS, THEY HAVE HELPED ME SO MUCH ALONG MY PATH. REVCOMBAT.COM, KANE ROOFING, TUFFTEETH CUSTOM MOUTHGUARDS, CARRIED OUT FIGHT GEAR. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
Q: Any idea when we will see you fight again?
A: IF I DON'T END UP FIGHTING IN JUNE. I DO HAVE A FIGHT SCHEDULED FOR JULY 24 IN CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA AT THE KERNAL STADIUM FOR REVOLUTION COMBAT CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Q: Looking for any sponsors? If so what are they getting in Jessica Hilger?
A: I WOULD LIKE TO ACQUIRE MORE SPONSORS IF POSSIBLE. WITH "BABY BULL" JESSICA HILGER THEY WILL RECEIVE A VERY DEDICATED FIGHTER AND SOMEONE THAT IS VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE HELP THAT I AM BLESSED TO RECEIVE. ANY TIME I AM ABLE TO THANK MY SPONSORS I MAKE SURE I DO, EVEN IF I KNOW WE ARE PUSHED FOR TIME EITHER ON THE RADIO SHOW I WAS ON OR AFTER MY FIGHT I MADE SURE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT I HAD PEOPLE THAT I WANTED TO THANK
Q: Jessica, again, thanks for doing another interview. And Congrats on getting the first Pro fight. No doubt you will learn from this and improve and come back even better. Any last words before you go?
A: I TRULY WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GIVING ME A CHANCE TO GET MY NAME OUT THERE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP ME REACH MY DREAMS.
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