Alexia Thainara and Rose Conceicao had been coaching companions and roommates not that way back. Now, they combat one another for a UFC contract at Dana White’s Contender Sequence.
The strawweight prospects beforehand shared a spot in Varginha, Brazil, coaching alongside UFC star Amanda Ribas on the native gymnasium. They even fought on the identical card that yr, with Thainara dismantling her opponent in simply eight seconds to maneuver to 6-1 as an expert, and Conceicao enhancing to 5-0 with a second-round submission.
Conceicao left the group months after that, finally transferring to Pitbull Brothers’ group in Natal, and future brings them nose to nose at Tuesday night time’s DWCS card in Las Vegas after their unique opponents Alice Ardelean and Fatima Kline signed straight offers with the UFC as replacements.
“We spent three months coaching collectively,” Conceicao mentioned in an interview with MMA Preventing. “To assume we all know one another as a result of we skilled collectively may very well be a entice, as a result of it will depend on the mindset of every athlete. They could assume they know my recreation, and find yourself stunned by a totally new recreation, so I attempted to not fear about it. Ultimately, I don’t assume the truth that we lived collectively and know one another makes any distinction.”
Thainara instructed MMA Preventing they’d no contact since Conceicao left Ribas Household to affix one other camp, and “lots has modified” since their coaching periods again in 2022.
“It’s utterly completely different,” Thainara mentioned. “We at all times have new data that makes an enormous distinction, however there are at all times some triggers. So much has modified since then. My combating fashion is totally completely different, and I’m certain it’s going to be a struggle. She’s not right here anymore, and we’re each chasing our desires. There can solely be one champion and there’s no second place. She left, I stayed, and we’re each after our desires. so let’s brawl in there.”
“We had a nice time dwelling collectively however after that, every one adopted their very own path,” Conceicao mentioned. “I don’t take a look at individuals as doable opponents, it’s all pure. I at all times say we present within the combat who we’re exterior of it. I respect her as I might respect some other particular person, however there was no friendship. However we all know how aggressive the world will be, proper? There may very well be a friendship, however when we’ve to defend what’s ours, all of it modifications. I’m cool about it. I’m centered on these round me, spending my time with my household and buddies as an alternative of worrying about that.”
Thainara believes Conceicao’s hanging has modified somewhat bit over the previous few years “however nothing that scares me.” However, Conceicao mentioned she hasn’t watched any of Thainara’s latest fights, and plans on displaying the division she has the hanging and grappling to go to struggle in opposition to one of the best.
“I see this combat ending by knockout or additionally by submission, and never due to holes I’ve seen in her recreation, however as a result of I’ve skilled exhausting for each eventualities,” Conceicao mentioned. “Now we have a gameplan however after we’re speaking about [DWCS], we’re speaking about successful impressively. Possibly a boring technique doesn’t persuade [White], and I feel that makes this combat simpler since you’re there to be signed on your expertise.”
Thainara mentioned her gameplan to win Tuesday night time — and be provided a deal the CEO of the UFC — is to “brawl and be versatile”.
“The present begins from the weigh-ins, together with your fashion, your look, your hair, and your pleasure to combat,” Thainara mentioned. “Once you don’t do what you’re keen on with pleasure, you received’t placed on a present even should you’re the world’s greatest. There’s strain each time you’re combating, since you’re not combating a dummy, however an individual who labored exhausting to be there. Issues go proper whenever you’re well-trained and centered on the purpose.”
Conceicao, a former LFA interim strawweight champion who’s unbeaten in seven skilled bouts, mentioned this match “will put me among the many greatest on the planet” within the UFC.
“I don’t wanna simply get within the UFC to be a part of it after which go away, I wish to make a run there,” Conceicao mentioned. “I wish to get in and keep there for good. Being within the UFC will change my life utterly — and rapidly. And I don’t say financially, or due to the eye and issues like that, I imply exhausting work. I’ll need to focus extra, change my habits, and utterly re-shape my complete life so I can go there and make historical past as a result of it’s the world’s greatest occasion with the world’s greatest athletes.”
