Exclusive: Amanda Cooper Sees Her Inexperience As An Advantage Over Angela Magana

Amanda Cooper asked for Angela Magana because she thinks she knows how to beat her. 

In an interview with Fightful MMA’s James Lynch, Amanda Cooper discussed her upcoming bout against Angela Magana at UFC 218. Magana has been fighting professionally for a decade. The twenty-six year old Cooper has only been fighting for only a few years and Cooper explained to Lynch why Magana’s longer fighting career may be a disadvantage for Magana. 

 “They actually gave me a couple names and I asked for Angela Magana. I was like ‘I don’t know if she’s still fighting or what’s going on, but that would be a great fight for me.’ I know she’s had a lot of fights. She’s has a lot of experience. I watched her on TUF. I’ve been watching this girl for years knowing her fight style and knowing who she is as a person,” said Cooper. “She probably doesn’t really know who I am. So that is good for me, to call someone out that I already know. She’s going to be like ‘who’s Amanda Cooper?’ and google me and figure out what I do. I’ve already been watching her for years,” she continued. 

Stylistically, Cooper believes she matches up very well against Magana. Cooper said she is confident about her chances in the fight. 

“I’m really excited about the fight. Since I picked it, I think I’m going to win one hundred percent,” said Cooper. “I definitely think my striking is way better. I don’t know what she could give me that would be an issue. She more of a high body lock, drag you to the cage, and slowly work for take downs. I’m an explosive exciting fighter. I think she’s going to do this slow grappling weird style and I’m going to put the pace on her,” she added. 

Cooper later said she is planning on finishing her fight against Magana in the first round. Magana has created some tension with other fighters because of her out-of-cage behavior, but Cooper said she only cares about beating Magana because it will advance her career. Cooper considers herself a “young and explosive” fighter and she claimed she would show Magana that during their fight. 

In the full interview, Amanda Bobby Cooper (3-3) discusses her upcoming fight against Angela Magana (11-8) at UFC 218 on Dec. 2. Amanda also talks about her loss to Cynthia Calvillo at UFC 209, fighting her hometown for this matchup and who she's brought in for her training camp.