Luana Pinheiro may be one of many lightest strawweights on the UFC roster as she struggles to remain heavy sufficient to compete within the 115-pound class.
Pinheiro faces Gillian Robertson at this weekend’s UFC Vegas 100 in Las Vegas, her seventh journey to the octagon as a strawweight — together with the only real look on Dana White’s Contender Collection —, and celebrated the potential of having the 105-pound division within the UFC sooner or later. White has talked about the corporate “cultivating expertise” with lighter expertise in South America and Asia.
“I by no means go over 121 kilos, so [atomweight] can be nice,” Pinheiro mentioned in an interview with MMA Combating. The Brazilian solely began reducing weight reduce two days earlier than the official UFC Vegas 100 weigh-ins, a easy and dangerous course of. “I eat one pound of meals every single day for lunch, and one other pound for dinner. And three açaí bowls a day with coconut water, peanut and coconut water. I simply can’t eat greater than that, you understand?
“My physician says my metabolism is as quick as a Ferrari. I even did some blood assessments on the UFC P.I. as soon as to examine my thyroid and it got here again regular. I weighed 118 kilos on the time, and no [strawweight] weighs that. It’s laborious to remain at 121 kilos. Can I eat like a traditional particular person? [laughs]. I eat 0.250 kilos of rice for lunch throughout struggle week, and once more on dinner, and [other fighters] cease consuming that a month earlier than the struggle. I eat fighters hitting pads on struggle week and virtually dying, and I don’t undergo that a lot.”
Pinheiro mentioned the heaviest opponent she’s confronted to date within the UFC was Amanda Ribas, who has additionally competed at flyweight contained in the octagon — and as soon as gained a whooping 26 kilos between weigh-ins and struggle evening. Pinheiro didn’t really feel energy and energy had been a difficulty towards Ribas or every other, however transferring all the way down to atomweight may velocity her rise in the direction of a UFC belt.
“The girts are quick on this division,” Pinheiro mentioned. “There are quite a lot of 115 women which are shorter than me, however I don’t know if they’re gentle. Tecia Torres is small, for instance, however can she make 105? I feel 105 can be an important addition to the UFC. Some 115 women weigh 139 kilos, and I used to be by no means that heavy in my whole life. I must undergo a bit bit [to make 105] as a result of I’ve by no means needed to do a two-month food regimen in MMA earlier than. I used to be at a churrascaria per week earlier than the struggle, in order that’s not an issue for me proper now.”
Robertson, her opponent Saturday, holds the document for many submission wins amongst girls within the UFC, so any weight benefit within the grappling division may play an element throughout exchanges on the bottom. But, the Brazilian judoka mentioned “I imagine I might be quicker than her for being lighter.”
“Often, my opponents don’t attempt to take me down, they have an inclination to commerce and strike extra, however that’s what she does greatest,” Pinheiro mentioned. “She has quite a lot of submissions, that’s her factor, however you need to take me all the way down to grapple with me. I’ve skilled takedown protection and each escape there’s. I feel it’s a very good match-up. She has been submitted earlier than, and I imagine I’ve all of the instruments to beat her by knockout — she doesn’t prefer to get hit that a lot — and in scrambles, being lighter and quicker. I imagine I can submit her, too.”
