Who are the Brazilian athletes who shine in the UFC –

January 2011. Dana White, president of the UFC, the biggest MMA league in the world, was leaving a restaurant in Los Angeles when he was approached by a group of journalists. Asked about when women would fight in his organization, he was adamant: “Never”. The film moves to July 2016. One of the most anticipated events of the year, UFC 200, loses its main fighter, caught for doping. What makes the same Dana White? Promptly raises the title of main fight of the night to the fight between the then world champion, Miesha Tate, and the Brazilian Amanda Nunes. In front of 18,000 people, in Las Vegas, the title passed to Amanda, and Brazil won its first female UFC champion. Leona’s perfect finish, as she is known, took just three minutes and 16 seconds.. The entrance of women in the men’s world of the UFC, much more.

And more: supports women’s boxing matches

What happened in five years that made Dana change her mind so much about women’s wrestling? “Unfortunately, I think the answer is machismo”, says Alexandre Matos, editor of the MMA Brasil website and one of the greatest connoisseurs of the sport in the country. “Who changed Dana White’s mind and took women’s MMA to the UFC was Ronda Rousey.” Ronda is a beautiful, blonde American fighter who divides her time between training hard to land accurate strikes on her opponents and filming Hollywood movies, such as Fast and Furious 7. “She is beautiful, aggressive and talented, with a posture that mixes a so much arrogance, arrogance and self-confidence, in addition to her past as an Olympic medalist”, opines Alexandre.

See also: 6 types of fights that help define the body

The UFC president himself does not hide that Ronda was the “complete package”. Once her place in the UFC was secured for her, the girls became beloved for hardly delivering a monotonous fight. “This resulted in audiences and pay-per-view sales”, says Alexandre about the fact that women’s combats are usually busy, with a lot of exchanges of blows. Of the last four editions of the event, three had their main fights commanded by women. Currently, there are 59 girls in the UFC, and eight are Brazilian – two of them recently disputed the belt: Cris Cyborg and Claudia Gadelha. The only title that Brazil, previously a reference in the competition, currently holds is a women’s title – that of José Aldo, won on the same night, is interim, as the champion of the category is not fighting. If the reign of Brazilians is a little shaken, that of our women promises to be just beginning.

The beginning: “A scout saw me. I didn’t even know I was so aggressive.”
Biggest Achievement: “Follow my dream.”
Athlete life: “It’s a lot of discipline.”
Dream: “Adopting my niece and bringing her to the States. She’s my brother’s daughter, but his wife left the girl a long time ago and never came back. I took care of her when she lived in Brazil. I promised her that when everything was organized here, she would come along. That time is coming.”
More difficult: “It’s training every day. At first you like it, then it becomes work, routine. I think the word here for difficulty is routine. I don’t like.”
Is your sport violent? “No. The fighters are there prepared to fight. Two professionals facing each other. Fighting is violent, not fighting, because you know what you’re doing.”
With MMA, I learned to… “Respect other people and be respected.”

The beginning: “It was in my family’s blood. And I had a lot of energy and I wanted to spend it on something. I found out how.”
Biggest achievement: “For sure, being the first Brazilian to win the UFC belt.”
Athlete life: “It is very good. I love training. I go crazy when I don’t go to the gym.”
Dream: “To be a champion for a long, long, long time.” Greatest difficulty “It’s definitely getting sponsorship. There came a time in Brazil when I definitely gave up on that and went to the United States.”
Is your sport violent? “MMA has rules, and that’s why there’s a referee in the octagon. He stops the fight when the athlete is no longer able to fight.”
With MMA, I learned to… “Think, be smarter, stay calm and have balance in life.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIfcAa7jXuH/

The beginning: “I loved sports, I wanted to train in martial arts and my mother wouldn’t let me. Until I went to an MMA event and fell in love with the sport. Then there was no way.”
Biggest Achievement: “Seeing women reaching more and more space in the UFC – and being a part of it. I am very happy and proud.”
Athlete life: “It’s too hard. I’m from the second generation of female MMA fighters in Brazil. If it’s already complicated for me, imagine for those who came before.”
Dream: “To be UFC world champion. I’m focused on that.” Greater Difficulty “Daily life, the life of an athlete, the training routine. It’s exhausting.”
Is your sport violent? “Anyone who says that doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Sport has rules and athletes need discipline.”
With MMA, I learned to… “To live.”