“I was ready to fight from December, but it took a while for me to get a spot on a card, so now we’re here and now we’re ready.
“For now, everything is a little blurry because the weight is not in place yet, but once the weight cut is done, that’s when I’m gonna have a different feeling,” he says, as Alekseeva pulls the collar of her shirt down sharply, revealing the words “Love Me” inked across her sternum in block letters. “But I’m still taking this as just a brawl — I’m gonna come out there, throw fists, and I’m gonna get hit hard.
“Once that’s done, I’m gonna take in the experience and everything that has happened.”
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Because of her background in judo and general fighting style, Alekseeva carries the nickname “Russian Ronda,” a nod, of course, to former UFC bantamweight champion and Hall of Fame inductee Ronda Rousey.
Sports history is riddled with up-and-coming athletes saddled with similar nicknames that wilted under the pressure, unable to manage a modicum of the success their namesakes achieved while constantly being reminded of the lofty expectations that come with such a moniker.
But Alekseeva has a great perspective on her nom de pugilism.