The Combating Nerds took the UFC by storm in 2024 with 12 wins and $400,000 price of post-fight bonuses in 13 octagon appearances, they usually purpose to ascertain themselves as a power within the sport in 2025.
Bruna Brasil is the primary longtime member of the group to enter the UFC cage this 12 months, transferring up a weight class to tackle Wang Cong this Saturday at Sydney’s UFC 312. Brasil is trying to hold the momentum going after a choice win over Molly McCann.
A pure strawweight, Brasil went 1-1 final 12 months within the UFC. Her fellow Combating Nerds skills Caio Borralho, Carlos Prates, Jean Silva and Mauricio Ruffy mixed a document of 12-0 with eight bonuses claimed within the octagon. For Brasil, the good 12 months from the Sao Paulo group “lifts you up” when it’s time to compete.
“Once you stroll with people who work exhausting, you routinely work exhausting too,” Brasil instructed MMA Combating. “And the other can be true. If you happen to stroll with folks which are common, you grow to be common with out noticing it. That’s the massive key right here, that’s what motivates us. We had been named finest group of 2024 so now we have to work exhausting to indicate we will consolidate that. All people works exhausting there. The key of Combating Nerds is dedication, technique, examine and fervour, and that’s what strikes all people to beat extra.”
Brasil had Borralho in her nook in opposition to England’s personal McCann in Manchester, and once more known as her pal and teammate to be outdoors when she faces Wang. The final win was a vital one for the strawweight, who was 1-2 coming into what might find yourself being her final shot within the UFC.
“I used to be extra frightened as a result of it was the final struggle of my contract and combating a fighter at her stage was a threat as a result of it was all in her favor, in her residence,” Brasil mentioned. “She’s highly regarded in England and that makes a distinction as nicely, however all of the preparation we had helped me go in there with a cool thoughts to benefit from each alternative the UFC offers us. We enter the octagon and there’s a crowd watching, we really feel just like the rockstar of the second.
“The Molly struggle was nice as a result of it made me really feel able to profitable nice challenges, dealing with nice fighters. I’m dealing with this struggle now as an awesome problem. The circumstances round it makes it an even bigger problem, too. The opponent, the actual fact it’s in Australia, a weight up and brief camp, however I believe all that motivated me to be prepared and ready for something that occurs within the struggle.”
Brasil mentioned she anticipated McCann to be act cocky throughout struggle week in Manchester, and as an alternative noticed somebody “a bit extra pleasant.” As for Wang, who was on an increase within the sport with a number of knockouts, Brasil wonders how she’s going to react after a surprising upset to Gabriella Fernandes in November.
Wang went along with her conventional Joker moniker for the face-off, and Brasil got here in ready with a Batman masks.
“I don’t assume she’s going to change a lot the way in which she fights,” Brasil mentioned. “She would possibly change her persona a bit and be extra critical as a result of she must win. Which may pump her up, but it surely may additionally add extra stress over her and he or she’s overexcited and expose herself extra due to these feelings. Like, ‘I misplaced a struggle I used to be speculated to win and now I’ve to show [something] to the world. I’m combating somebody who’s transferring up in weight and took the struggle on brief discover.’ She has to win this struggle, and I’m going there to shock and present it gained’t finish like that.”
