Jacqueline Cavalcanti seems to be to make waves within the bantamweight division with a win over Julia Avila this Saturday evening at UFC Vegas 102, and she or he credit a lot of her success to the legendary Cris Cyborg.
Cavalcanti was raised on the Saloá favela in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and noticed herself surrounded by martial arts early on, coaching judo and capoeira as a child. Her mom labored as a maid in Sao Paulo, making sufficient cash to make ends meet and never a lot else, so she determined to danger every thing and transfer to Portugal in search of a greater life. Two years later, nonetheless working as a maid in Portugal, however with sufficient cash to have a extra snug life, she felt it was time to convey her 11-year-old daughter over to Europe.
“Staying away from my mom for 2 years was powerful and as children we don’t perceive the whys,” Cavalcanti instructed MMA Preventing, “However now I perceive completely that it was one thing essential to get us the place we’re as we speak. There weren’t many alternatives to make cash and develop as a maid [in Brazil], and in Portugal, though she nonetheless works as a maid, she may not less than make one thing.”
Cavalcanti stated she may barely learn Portuguese when she left Brazil as a result of the general public system isn’t adequate, and arriving in Portugal at 11 and never understanding these fundamentals was “a bit traumatizing.” She labored laborious to catch up and her native language wasn’t the one factor she was studying in her new house. The Sao Paulo native dreamed of working in sports activities and ended up falling in love with kickboxing and Muay Thai. That wasn’t essentially profitable, although, so she labored as waitress and at an area IKEA to place meals on the desk after turning 18.
Established within the fight sports activities circuit as a promising kickboxer, Cavalcanti wasn’t into the concept of competing in blended martial arts till she met Cris Cyborg, who at that time was the UFC featherweight champion.
“Cris Cyborg was in Portugal for a seminar and instructed me, ‘Wow, you’re good at this. It’s best to make investments extra in MMA,’” Cavalcanti stated. “I had by no means even began coaching MMA, all I had was kickboxing and a few takedown protection and stuff like that.”
Cyborg’s seminar passed off at an area MMA health club that had already invited Cavalcanti to affix in, however initially she handed as a result of there have been no girls coaching there. After Cyborg’s present of help, Cavalcanti determined to compete in kickboxing for the ultimate time, claiming a title on an area promotion, after which focus 100% on a brand new sport.
“I knew I’d have much more alternatives in MMA and make {that a} profession, however it might additionally take a very long time,” stated Cavalcanti, who gained her first MMA bout months later in Portugal. “I had so as to add rather a lot to my sport. I wished to get to the UFC and it might take time, and I needed to begin straight away. I at all times thank Cris once I see her. She was already an idol for me, so once I obtained to see her in particular person and the way wonderful she was, I used to be like, ‘I’ve to begin now.’”
Cavalcanti hopes to at some point be an inspiration for others as Cyborg was for her, particularly in a rustic like Portugal that doesn’t have many feminine athletes competing for main MMA promotions. Cavalcanti stated she tries her greatest to stability her relationship between Brazil and Portugal, but it surely typically creates drama on-line.
“I do know there’s a battle between Portugal and Brazil so once I battle there are feedback about it,” Cavalcanti stated. “Brazilians are like, ‘Give our gold again’ [laughs] and the Portuguese reply. I really feel very welcomed in Portugal. In fact, some individuals undergo from prejudice, but it surely’s a blessed nation. I’m very joyful, however on the similar time I see it as an pointless battle.”
“I really feel Brazilian as a result of my mates are Brazilian, my household is Brazilian, and now we have Brazilian traditions at house,” she added, “However I additionally embrace this Portuguese aspect as a result of I used to be the primary girl to get there. Portugal is a really, very small nation that works laborious each single day to get higher, so it’s a method of me incentivizing the game in Portugal, of incentivizing girls to take it extra significantly and see it’s potential.”
Cavalcanti constructed a file of 4-1 earlier than claiming the LFA bantamweight title with a choice over Melissa Croden in 2023 after which signed with UFC. She beat Zarah Fairn in her debut, and improved to 8-1 with a few selections over Josiane Nunes and Nora Cornolle earlier than being provided a battle with Germaine de Randamie for Jan. 11. Nonetheless, the previous UFC champion abruptly retired from the game, citing a choice to finish her profession earlier than the top of 2024.
“Germaine was a former champion and was ranked, so it was good for me,” Cavalcanti stated. “It will be wonderful to battle her. I do know it might be a more durable battle as a result of she’s a very good striker, and she or he was somebody I seemed as much as. I used to be nonetheless in kickboxing when she was the UFC champion. Just a few weeks glided by after she allegedly agreed to the battle and signed the contract, I see a video on-line of her saying she was out of the battle and retired. It was simply 11 extra days [laughs].
“I used to be very, very upset. I used to be upset as a result of the contract was already signed. I do know Germaine, we had dinner collectively earlier than and shared a locked room as soon as. I feel she was very thoughtless. She texted me later saying she hadn’t signed the contract, however individuals right here within the UFC instructed me she did signal the contract. I used to be a bit upset, but it surely’s over. They gave me a brand new battle the subsequent day and it’s all good now.”
Avila stepped in as a alternative, with the match being moved a month later to UFC Vegas 102 on Feb. 15. “Raging Panda” solely fought as soon as since 2021, a third-round submission loss to Miesha Tate in her first battle again from being pregnant. Cavalcanti sees her as a “very explosive” fighter, however not as technical on the toes. Her objective is so as to add one other win to her résumé after which name for a prime 10 opponent subsequent, however is anxious with the politics on the prime of her weight class.
“The issue with this division is that the champion doesn’t need to battle,” stated Cavalcanti, referring to Julianna Peña. “Perhaps they’ll do an interim belt, and possibly Amanda [Nunes] comes again — or not. If Kayla Harrison wins, she may come again. For somebody who likes to remain lively as I do, it’s unhealthy. Generally there aren’t any fights. I’ll simply battle whoever I’ve to battle to remain lively and construct this reference to the followers. I’m 27 and I do know I’ve loads of time to grow to be champion.”
