Tainara Lisboa had to learn ‘how to walk again’ in emotional roller-coaster before UFC return

For the primary time in practically three years, Tainara Lisboa lastly enters a UFC cage this weekend.

Lisboa faces the youthful Luana Santos within the preliminary portion of UFC Vegas 106 for her first match since struggling a severe left knee harm in late 2023. She beat late-notice substitute Ravena Oliveira on the UFC APEX regardless of the harm, and went straight to surgical procedure for a knee cartilage reconstruction.

“It was very troublesome,” Lisboa advised MMA Combating. “I might listing the numerous difficulties I’ve confronted, however the concept of not having the ability to do what I’ve finished my total life was the toughest half. This harm left me near retiring. It was a check surgical procedure. The physician made it fairly clear that it may very well be profitable or not.

“Think about going that complete course of after lastly arriving within the UFC and placing on two good performances. You’re residing the dream, and swiftly you don’t have any concept when you’re going to come back again. And if I do return, am I the identical Tainara? Can I grow to be one of the best Tainara I might be? That was very sophisticated.”

Lisboa, 34, underwent surgical procedure on the primary day of December 2023, six weeks after enhancing to 2-0 within the UFC with wins over Oliveira and Jessica-Rose Clark. The restoration course of precipitated a leg thigh muscle atrophy of two.3 inches. The bantamweight veteran jumped as much as 168 kilos earlier than going again to the mats and wanted a full yr to lastly have the ability to inform the UFC she was prepared to start out a camp.

“I couldn’t stroll up stairs, for instance,” Lisboa mentioned. “I discovered methods to stroll once more. There have been moments I felt that was the top of the road for me, however I had an important workforce round me. Each time I used to be down, they picked me again up once more. I began the hardest camp of my life on Dec. 2, 2023 not figuring out the top consequence.”

Lisboa wasn’t in a position to practice within the fitness center, and that’s when a name from the promotion to work as a color-commentator got here to the rescue. Lisboa was invited to commentate LFA and UFC exhibits on the Brazilian model of UFC Battle Cross, and that helped her get by troublesome instances and “really feel a part of the UFC”.

“To reside that different aspect and study, and nonetheless really feel alive in fights, that was an unimaginable expertise,” Lisboa mentioned. “I plan on finding out increasingly more to proceed doing that. I feel I’m form of good at it. I breath combating since I used to be 13, so to look at and speak about fights is one thing I do effectively.”

It additionally helped Lisboa enhance as a fighter, she mentioned, “since you examine different athletes that weren’t in your radar, like males and different weight lessons you don’t watch that a lot, and also you begin to see issues and different strategies. I’m consistently studying.”

Lisboa enters Saturday driving a five-fight successful streak that dates again to 2021. On the opposite aspect, Santos returns to 135 kilos after a flyweight loss to Casey O’Neill, her first defeat within the octagon.

“I feel it’s going to be a really attention-grabbing struggle,” Lisboa mentioned. “Luana may be very younger and had nice numbers. Now we have comparable numbers and we each like to complete fights earlier than the ultimate spherical. Although the age hole is gigantic, we each carry comparable intention to the cage.”

Lisboa believes that being 9 years older than her opponent provides her the sting experience-wise. And never simply that.

“Few issues scare you after you undergo hell,” Lisboa mentioned. “Being again already is a gigantic victory alone. This struggle just isn’t about who’s on the opposite aspect. It’s about myself, it’s about every little thing I went by and having the ability to return to the world’s largest group. Having the ability to return to work and present I’m wonderful, that my knee is alright. Individuals have that doubt. And I’m positive I’ll face one of the best Luana there’s ever been as a result of she’s additionally labored laborious for that, she has her desires. I’ve ready for her greatest model.”