Alexia Thainara desires to spoil the English get together Saturday evening and debut with the appropriate foot within the octagon by beating Molly McCann at UFC London.
“Burguesinha” completed a coaching session final Friday in Varginha, Brazil, when the cellphone rang. Her supervisor known as staff chief Marcelo Ribas to verify if the Contender Collection veteran was able to take a combat on brief discover.
“After all,” Ribas responded immediately. “She’s prepared.”
A couple of minutes later, her supervisor known as again to tell her the combat was on. Thainara had two days to depart Varginha for Sao Paulo after which embark on a protracted flight to London, all that with seven kilos to chop in only a week.
“We have been anticipating a high-profile combat already as a result of there have been seven months for the reason that Contender,” Thainara instructed MMA Combating. “It’s a great combat, a troublesome combat, and that’s as a result of they noticed I used to be a troublesome fighter. I’m a well-rounded athlete they usually clearly wouldn’t give me a half-ass combat. It’s a combat for us to placed on a present.”
Thainara beat former teammate Rose Conceicao on The Contender Collection to go 11-1 as an expert and earn a contract with the UFC.
In the meantime, the combat at UFC London is McCann’s 14th octagon look, having received seven of these. “Meatball” has the sting by way of expertise, however Thainara sees herself a step forward in different areas of the sport.
“[I beat her] with my greatest, my coronary heart, by going ahead and being aggressive and versatile,” Thainara mentioned. “Don’t let her use her boxing, which is her greatest. That’s all she exhibits in her fights, actually.”
“And we’ve the [jiu-jitsu] background, proper? 5 submissions in a row. Faucet or sleep.”
Thainara had a great run on the Brazilian circuit earlier than incomes her UFC contract. Actually, the 5 straight submissions occurred between 2021 and 2023, a run that included a pair of eight-second finishes. She wasn’t competing in opposition to the elite of the game at that stage — each opponents have been 0-1 as professionals —, however “Burguesinha” sees UFC London as her popping out get together.
“I’m nonetheless unknown within the UFC,” Thainara mentioned. “However I’m positive this chance will make me recognized by your complete world as a result of not each individual takes a combat on seven days’ discover. That solely exhibits that our staff is prepared.”
