Returning at UFC Vegas 40 is Brazilian womens flyweight Luana Carolina. In her UFC run, Carolina has had some good and some bad. But, as she says in this interview, it’s all part of the fight game and she’s meant to do it. Coming off of a win after losing via kneebar, Carolina is ready to get a win streak going again, something that put her in a position to debut on Dana White’s Contender Series and ultimately earn a spot in the biggest MMA promotion in the world.
Originally scheduled to face Maryna Moroz, Carolina is now facing battle tested Sijara Eubanks after Moroz pulled out of the fight. Regardless, Carolina is looking to go into UFC Vegas 40 to simply have some fun. Her camp is going great and she’s improving all aspects of her abilities.
“Training is going well, I am training harder and harder. I dedicated myself to improving in all areas. I improved my Muay Thai, I improved my boxing, my wrestling, my jiu-jitsu is sharp. I’m ready to fight MMA, get out of hand and have fun on October 16th.”
Luana Carolina believes the fight between her and Eubanks is a great stylistic fight. Both are tough and go out to fight every time they step foot into the octagon.
“My opponent changed, it’s going to be Sijara Eubanks, an experienced athlete. She went to the The Ultimate Fighter finale but she didn’t make it to the final because she had health problems. She’s a tough athlete, but so am I and we’re going there to do our best, to put on a show for the audience.”
Luana Carolina and Overcoming Defeat
Of course, athletes are nothing without their ups and downs. For Carolina, her kneebar loss to Ariane Lipski was a growing moment. Seeing the viral moment where she was incredibly venerable did not bother Carolina. She just called the fight what it was: Lipski’s night.
“It’s part of the fight, it didn’t bother me. Ariane won, that night was hers.”
Carolina remains optimistic, however, knowing that should something come out of one of her fights like that, it would go viral as well. Her positive attitude helps her get along and just be an overall happier fighter.
“We’re on the biggest MMA stage in the world, so everything we do up there can go viral. Next time, if I win by submission or knockout, and the audience likes it, they’ll share it too. It’s part of the show.”
As for the loss, Luana Carolina bounced back to defeat Poliana Botelho via split decision in her next outing at UFC Vegas 25. After suffering such a visible loss, some athletes crumble and succumb to the pressure. But Carolina went in and did what she had to do to get the win. She attributes that to simply being a part of an athlete’s journey.
“Defeat is part of the athlete’s life,” says Carolina. “Nobody likes to lose, of course. I didn’t like it. I went to fight Poliana to come out with the victory and I won.”
Now, she takes on the tough Eubanks who is known to make everything a dog fight. Carolina says that it’s that type of challenge that drives her. Carolina goes into a fight to have fun and on October 16th, she plans to do just that.
“I like challenges, the bigger the better. I know my potential, I like to fight and on October 16th, I’ll fight and have fun again.”
Regardless of the outcome, Carolina goes into the fight and will do what she loves: fight. It’s not about winning and losing for her, instead she’s about the experience; feeling alive in the octagon. She will get that chance to live again.
Don’t forget to check out our latest interview with Luana Carolina below!
Luana Carolina: Consistent and Continuous Improvement
Luana Carolina has made a great run since losing her first career fight. Now on a six fight winning streak, she plans to continue her improvement as a MMA fighter.
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