The grit, fire and resilience that define Repp are evident every time she steps into the cage. At LFA 215, she suffered early setbacks against Lidia Helena, being dropped by a left hook in the opening round, but survived to fight on. In the second, Repp turned the tables and landed a thunderous right hand that knocked Helena out cold. With a nod to her corner, she walked away victorious.
“I grew up with an older brother, so you know what, I had to survive! Yeah, I got dropped off. It was almost like a flash. I was up in less than a second, but I wasn’t going to go down like that and that’s the resilience we’re talking about,” she said.
“That translates into the fight. You’re really going to have to do some work to get me out of there, and I don’t care who you are. The second round came and my coach said, ‘You have to go.’ I was like ‘yes sir’, we went for it.”
That viral moment quickly became a signature highlight of Repp’s career. A mix of raw emotion and swagger that fans are still talking about. She laughs now as she remembers how unplanned it actually was.
“The head nod at the end, everyone always brings it up,” she said with a smile.
“I didn’t even try that! It just came out naturally! I was talking to my husband and he said, ‘You do that a lot!’ It’s just natural. Everyone says, ‘Oh, that’s mean!’ I wasn’t even trying to be mean! It just came out.”
Now Repp is having one of the biggest moments of her career. A co-main event clash with Aline Pereira, sister of UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, at LFA 222. The matchup has attracted a lot of attention given Pereira’s famous last name and kickboxing pedigree, but Repp isn’t interested in the hype. She sees this fight as a test of skill, not celebrity.
“I wouldn’t say it’s just any opponent. Just because I feel like I have to give credit where it’s due. I do think she’s going to be an elite striker, I’ve seen some of her matches, but as far as weight goes, I don’t look at that,” she said.
“At the end of the day, she’s human, I’m human. It’s nice that she has that name behind her, but I’m not going to compete with him. At the end of the day, it’s about her skills and mine. I wouldn’t say it intimidates me or makes me feel a certain way. I know who I am and what I have to offer. It does excite me.”
As fight night approaches, Repp’s confidence is undeniable. She promises fans a showcase of her striking style and the kind of intensity that defines her style.
“Expect fireworks! Expect a very fast fight and lots of bombs being thrown,” Repp said.
Watch the entire interview with Nejra Repp above. She will face Aline Pereira at LFA 222 on November 14.
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