Accomplishments:
- Canadian Amateur Champion MMA 2016
- OFSAA 51 kg 2nd and 3rd place 2007 and 2008
About Myself:
My name is Anastasia Nikolakakos; I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. I am the youngest of five siblings and my ethnicity is Greek/Italian. At the age of 5 my father, Jimmy Nikolakakos, introduced me to the world of martial arts. At the time he owned two karate studios, specializing in Kempo karate and Pankration. Watching and learning from him helped me establish my love of training and passion to compete.
At the age of 7 my parents separated. It was difficult without my father, and my detachment from martial arts during that time was hard even at that age. I was involved in many sports throughout my childhood, but once in high school I knew there was still something athletically missing for me. I had the urge to get back into martial arts. This lead my twin sister Alexandra and I to form an all-girl wrestling team in high school. Together, we dominated tournaments, Nationals, and OFSAA, holding onto the dream of one day competing in the Olympics. However, after high school my life took an unexpected turn due to personal issues. Shortly thereafter, I was introduced to Gracie Jiu-Jitsu by a close friend. I instantly fell in love with the art of Jiu-Jitsu; and began training everyday. I currently hold a purple belt under Gracie Humaita under Royler Gracie, and I look forward to one day receiving my black belt under him. Not long after, I started to experiment in other forms of martial arts; like Muay Thai and traditional boxing.
Throughout my life, I have been working tirelessly to perfect my skills as a martial artist. I started fighting two years ago out of Grants MMA Toronto Gym. My coaches Ryan Grant, Paul Jalbert and Almaz Dosmatov have been an incredible support system and amazing teachers. I could not have done this without them.
My amateur record is 8-0 and I joined the joined the professional fighting scene on May 27th, 2017. To date, I have a 3-0 professional fighting record and am currently fighting under Invicta FC.
I am looking forward to new opportunities that will arise that will help me grow not only as a fighter to become the best at my craft, but also as a coach passing down knowledge. My dream is to be able to teach to men, woman and children of all ages, experience and abilities, just as I have been taught throughout my career.
I look forward to coaching after I retire from fighting, because I know what a privilege and honour it is to learn how to defend oneself along with that feeling of accomplishment when you learn a new discipline or finally reach a goal you set out to achieve.
Training Experience
1 year Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mui Thai, Boxing, Wrestling, Karate
Reasons I Like To Coach
All the experiences and feelings that I have felt throughout my journey as a martial artist are all the things I hope to experience with the many people I will have the privilege to coach.