Kay Hansen is not worried about ring rust.
Taking 2021 off due to injuries and personal reasons, Hansen (7-4) returns to action at UFC 270 for the first time in over a year. The 22-year old has competed twice a year since going pro in 2017, even fighting five times in 2018. Not fighting for a year could cause some rust, but Hansen isn’t worried and doesn’t think it will affect her
“Not at all. Since I was 18, well, I started training when I was 16 and went all in. But I went professional when I was 18, and I have fought three to four times each year, and this is the only time I’ve taken it off,” Hansen told Cageside Press in an exclusive interview. “During that time, it wasn’t like I was not training, you know? Obviously, I took some time for my health and stuff but, like, I have trained year-round since I was 16 years old. So, for me, this is like my second nature, so I’ve not really worried about that. It’s like a natural instinct; once I’m in there, everything will kick into gear. I’m excited.”
Hansen welcomes Jasmine Jasudavicius to the UFC this Saturday, and they also kick the fight card off. She likes the match-up and thinks it will be an all-around good fight.
“I think it’s a good match-up. When you’re in the UFC, you have to expect every fight to be tough and every fight to bring a different challenge, whether it’s your opponent or yourself. I’m looking forward to a tough fight,” Hansen said. “I never like to make predictions; I’m always like whatever comes, comes. She could try and grapple; I could grapple, she could try and strike, I could try and strike. We’re at a point now in martial arts, especially women’s martial arts, where it’s no longer boxer vs. striker for the most part; Everyone is good at everything. I’m expecting an all-around good fight.”
Another thing that Hansen is excited about is fighting in front of a sold-out crowd and fighting in her hometown, something that she personally requested. She said that she actually texted UFC President Dana White, and it got switched from the UFC Apex to Anaheim “pretty quick.”
Watch the rest of Kay Hansen’s interview above. Kay Hansen and Jasmine Jasudavicius kick off UFC 270 on ESPN + this weekend.
