In this episode of The Heart of the Bad Wolf, host Nicholas James Muscarella sits down with UFC strawweight veteran Angela “Overkill” Hill, one of the true pioneers of women’s MMA and a record-holder for most fights in the UFC strawweight division.

Angela opens up about longevity in the UFC, taking intentional breaks from training, fighting through injuries, and learning how to separate her identity from competition. She shares her journey from art school at Cooper Union to Muay Thai, The Ultimate Fighter, and becoming one of the most respected veterans in the sport.

The conversation dives deep into creativity, cosplay, gaming, animation, and how artistic expression helped Angela build a fight persona while staying true to who she is outside the cage. She reflects on growing up introverted, finding confidence through art, navigating race and representation in MMA, and the unexpected pressure of becoming the first African-American woman in the UFC.

Angela also discusses her long-term goals beyond fighting, including opening a gym, coaching the next generation, and making martial arts more accessible to young athletes. This is an honest, thoughtful conversation about legacy, self-belief, discipline, and building a life that lasts longer than a fight career.

If you care about women’s MMA, creativity, and the real human stories behind the fighters, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Please like, follow, and subscribe — it helps more people discover these fighters and their stories.

Follow Angela Hill on Instagram and X: @angieoverkill

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Produced by Command Creative Studios https://www.commandcreativestudios.com/

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In this episode of The Heart of the Bad Wolf, host Nicholas James Muscarella sits down with Carla Esparza, two-time UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion and one of the most influential pioneers in women’s MMA.

Carla shares the unlikely story of how they first met while on their honeymoons in Bora Bora, before diving into her journey through wrestling, MMA, and the early days of women fighting at the highest level. She reflects on being the inaugural UFC Strawweight Champion, setting historical records, and carrying the responsibility of helping grow women’s MMA from the ground up.

The conversation explores discipline, resilience, parenthood, training as therapy, balancing career and family, and the mental parallels between fighting, art, and life. Carla also opens up about her upbringing, the mentors who helped shape her career, and the perseverance required to stay relevant and competitive across multiple generations of fighters.

This episode is an intimate look at legacy, growth, and what it truly means to put the “bad wolf” in the cage and walk away stronger.

Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications. New episodes drop on YouTube.

Follow Carla Esparza: Instagram and X: @CarlaEsparza1

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In this episode of The Heart of the Bad Wolf, host Nicholas James Muscarella sits down with UFC lightweight Jared Gordon for a raw and unfiltered conversation about survival, addiction, faith, and resilience.

Jared shares his upbringing in New York, early exposure to drugs and alcohol, childhood sexual trauma, and the long battle with heroin addiction that led to homelessness, jail, multiple overdoses, and repeated trips to treatment. He opens up about how MMA became both an outlet and a lifeline, and how sobriety ultimately changed the trajectory of his life and career.

The conversation also dives into faith, recovery, setbacks inside and outside the cage, fatherhood, marriage, and navigating injuries and losses while staying sober. This is a powerful story of accountability, perseverance, and choosing growth when giving up would be easier.

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Follow Jared Gordon on:

website: Jaredflashgordon.com

Instagram: @Jaredflashgordon

X: @Jflashgordonmma

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