Six years later, Dione Barbosa and Karine Silva will as soon as once more meet inside a cage to battle, this time beneath the brilliant lights of the UFC, when the octagon lands Aug. 16 in Chicago for UFC 319.
“The Witch” Barbosa was 2-0 as an expert when her coach acquired a suggestion to fly to Parana and face native expertise Karine Silva at Katana Struggle 9. Silva held a 9-3 document on the time, and Barbosa got here out victorious through unanimous determination after three rounds.
Wanting again in time, Barbosa feels she was introduced in to lose to Silva in Parana.
“I all the time see myself because the underdog, in opposition to all odds,” Barbosa advised MMA Preventing. “That motivates me, provides me that additional push. However to your level, sure [I was brought to lose]. However I simply needed to battle and check myself.”
Silva would win her subsequent 9 fights, together with one Dana White’s Contender Sequence look and 4 bouts within the UFC cage, and Barbosa would wish to attend two extra years to lastly get her shot.
Silva has gone 4-1 within the UFC with first-round finishes over Poliana Botelho, Ketlen Souza and Maryna Moroz, however misplaced her most up-to-date one in a choice in opposition to Viviane Araujo. Barbosa received two of three within the UFC, together with a current bonus-winning arm-triangle choke victory over Diana Belbita.
“I bear in mind rather a lot [from that fight],” Barbosa stated. “The plan again then was to all the time use my grappling. I had nothing, nothing on the toes. I had simply began coaching boxing — and it was boxing coaching targeted on closing the space for the takedown. My first novice MMA battle was after a month of hitting pads, solely. The whole lot occurred so quick.
“However I bear in mind we stayed on the bottom for a very long time, caught on that boring 50-50, as a result of we have been each grapplers. In my head, I assumed she would come to commerce on the toes since she had extra expertise, she was extra snug than me there. In my head, I might grapple her to dying [laughs]. Keep there and attempt to all the time be on prime place. Grappling in MMA was one thing new for me.”
They’re two fully completely different fighters six years later, and Barbosa received’t enter the cage anticipating a simple win simply because she has already crushed “Killer” as soon as.
“We’ve fought earlier than, however I’m mature sufficient to realize it’s [six] years in the past and we’ve developed,” Barbosa stated. “She was within the UFC earlier than me, she has extra expertise. I fought her in my third MMA battle and he or she had 12, 13 fights, one thing like that. Once they despatched me that battle on the time I used to be like, ‘I’ll battle her or I received’t battle anybody.’ Nobody needed to battle me on the time. There have been no women to battle, so I stated, ‘Let’s go.’”
Barbosa stated she didn’t really feel jealous to observe a fighter she beat make it to the UFC first. As an alternative, she regarded as inspiration — and a message that “it’s a matter of time” till she obtained the decision, too.
“She has developed a lot within the UFC, and that has undoubtedly given her toughness,”Barbosa stated. “I see nice evolution in her. She’s far more full as an athlete now. Going to Preventing Nerds might have improved rather a lot her recreation, too.”
“As for myself, I see me as a totally completely different athlete in the present day,” she continued. “Higher in each single facet, particularly in feeling snug contained in the octagon, which is one thing that takes time. … I think about this being a three-round battle, and I’m prepared for this. Our first battle was like that, and we’re each somewhere else, higher bodily and technically higher. [When they offered me] I used to be like, ‘Let’s break one another extra.’ [laughs]”
