Atos’ Nikki Sullivan is traveling all the way from San Diego to the Bay Area this week as she takes on Warrior’s Tracy Pham for the F2W bantamweight brown belt gi title. The bout is one of four title bouts on the night and will also be the premier female match of the evening, pitting one of NorCal’s best against the San Diego rep.
For Nikki, it’s yet another opportunity to test her skills against an opponent she’s never faced before. A native of Indiana, Sullivan moved to San Diego last year to train with the renowned Atos team. With a goal of becoming one of the best in the world (read: world champion), she’s gone nonstop in pursuit of this goal. With this matchup this weekend, she hopes to show she’s well on her way.
We caught up with the bendy, cuddly panda (Nikki) to get her thoughts on this upcoming match set for Fight 2 Win 94.
Fight 2 Win 94 – Nikki Sullivan (Atos)
Tell us a little bit of your life story, for the fans.
I’m from Indiana, and I started Jiu-Jitsu while finishing up an Education degree at Indiana University. I was hooked from day one and started training as much as I could. For years, I balanced training and working as a teacher. Finally, after thinking about it for years and doubting myself, I decided to take a leap of faith and moved out to San Diego to pursue Jiu-Jitsu full-time. It’s the best choice I’ve ever made in my life.
Was it a huge adjustment?
When I decided to come to Atos, I was so nervous. I came to visit for a month, right after the 2017 Worlds, and I was actually more nervous for Atos than for Worlds. When I trained, I would push myself by thinking about how tough the training would be at Atos, and I needed to be ready for that.
The training has been as tough as I thought it would be, and more. My body is always tired and hurting. But I’m so happy to be here. The biggest surprise was how friendly everyone is here. From day one, everyone from white to black was super welcoming and helpful. I think almost everyone has come from somewhere else, so they know what it’s like to be new. My coaches care so much about the students, on and off the mat, and any time I have a match coming up, they make sure to push me and give me the training I need to be ready.
I think the biggest adjustment to moving was getting used to being lonely. I went from being in a long-term relationship and being surrounded by family and friends, to being in a place where I really didn’t have any close friends. Even though I was living in an apartment with five other people, I got really lonely at times. This definitely made me train like crazy though, and I’ve been able to develop some strong friendships over the past year.
What’s your typical schedule like?
During the week, I train twice a day. Usually a competition class in the morning, and the 6pm class at night. I also lift weights three days a week. Sometimes, if it’s a rough week, I’ll take Wednesday off or just drill on Wednesday. Weekends are for competing or resting, maybe some drilling. They push us hard at Atos, but they also really encourage taking rest days to let our bodies recover.
What are some of your main competition goals?
I want to be a World Champion at brown and black belt, and also win the ADCC Trials and be able to compete on that stage.
What about besides jiujitsu, what else do you want to accomplish?
For me, the titles and the tournaments aren’t the most important thing. They’re cool, and they definitely help in furthering my career as an athlete. They’re a really nice reward for all the hard work I put in. However, they’re not the end goal. I do this sport and pursue it full-time because I love it. I want to get as good at it as I possibly can. I love teaching and want to be able to teach Jiu-Jitsu more in the future. Ultimately, I want to be able to make a living doing what I love. I want to have a positive impact on as many people as possible. There are other things I’d like to accomplish: maybe have a family, maybe get my own place one day… we’ll see what happens.
How would you describe your jiujitsu to somebody that’s never seen you compete before?
I’m like a bendy, cuddly panda who will hug you to death.
Your opponent at F2W 94, Tracy Pham. Have you competed against her before?
I have never competed against Tracy, but I’ve seen her around for years, and I know she’s a tough chick.
What do you think you have to watch out for from her?
I know she has a good guard, and I’ll be sure to be ready for that.
What sub are you predicting for the finish?
No clue! I feel like I have sub options from everywhere, so we’ll see what happens. I think this is going to be an exciting match.
Any last words of advice for everyone?
Never give up. There will be good days and bad days, and some days you will want to give up. But don’t give up. And remember: The enemy’s gate is down.
