Sonya Deville considering MMA return: ‘I really loved fighting’

“The Jersey Devil” Daria Berenato, better known to WWE fans as Sonya Deville, says she is considering a return to mixed martial arts.

Deville last competed in amateur MMA on March 8, 2015, losing a decision to Jasmine Pouncy. Later that year, she joined the sixth season of WWE Tough Enough, leading to a nearly decade-long run with the company before her release last month.

Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show on Monday, Deville said she sees her chances of continuing in pro wrestling as equal to those of making a return to MMA.

“I think the chances of me continuing my wrestling career and the chances of me reigniting my MMA career are about the same right now,” she said on the show.

“I’m in the stage of my life right now where everything is going to be based on what I want and what I feel inside. It’s not for any other reason. So, wherever my passion is the strongest is where I’m going to go.”

Deville defeated Allenita Perez via guillotine in her first amateur fight. She followed that with a TKO win over Jeselia Perez before losing a decision to Pouncy in her final bout.

“I was heartbroken when I left MMA for wrestling,” she continued. “I was really messed up about it for probably about a year to two years.”

“I was just getting started, I was fresh, I was 21-years-old, I took three fights, it was going great. Even though the last one was a loss, it was close. I felt good, I was on that journey and I was obsessed with it.”

“I was excited to embark on the WWE journey, but very conflicted because I really, really loved fighting.”

Deville’s full interview on The Ariel Helwani Show is available below: