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Ketlen Vieira only fighting Brazilians as a ‘last resort,’ but would face Amanda Nunes for UFC belt

It’s not rare to see Brazilian MMA fighters voicing their discontent with potential bouts against countrymen once they get to international leagues, and it’s no different with bantamweight contender Ketlen Vieira.

There’s an important catch for “Fenomeno,” however, in the 135-pound class that’s been dominated for many years by Amanda Nunes.

Nunes has discussed retirement in multiple occasions in the past, but doesn’t show any signs of slowing down when she enters the eight-sided cage at either bantamweight or featherweight. To become a UFC champion, Vieira could inevitably be forced to go through a fellow Brazilian in the cage.

“I admire Amanda Nunes and her history in the sport a lot,” Vieira said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “I don’t like to fight Brazilians, actually. To me, that’s a last resort. Since she’s champion, OK. Between fighting a Brazilian and my dream, my dream will obviously speak louder, but I have no desire to fight Brazilians. [But] regardless of who’s champion, I want to become champion. That’s it.”

Vieira returns to action in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 19 on Saturday, taking on former Invicta FC bantamweight titleholder Yana Kunitskaya. She doesn’t expect to earn a shot at the gold with a win Saturday, but would imagine being in a No. 1 contender match next if victorious.

Vieira vs. Kunitskaya was originally scheduled for August 2020, but the bout was postponed. Six months later, Vieira believes she’s “much more prepared and aware of her skills.”

“My camp was so good and I had so much fun I couldn’t believe it was over,” she said with a smile. “I prepared for a war. I worked on her strongest weapons, put myself in the worst positions possible throughout my camp, so rest assured that we’re going for war Saturday.”

Not having an opponent changed on days’ notice like last time, when she defeated Sijara Eubanks via decision in September 2020 after doing a full camp for Marion Reneau, will impact the way she performs in the cage, Vieira said.

“Sijara is really tough, she was on a two-fight winning streak and went there to make my life miserable,” she laughed. “The pressure was over me, not only for taking this fight on short notice but also for coming off a loss and not having my coach with me and the fight almost not happening. I was under so much pressure. I never got so nervous for a fight in my life. I felt like I froze. I didn’t feel like that even in my UFC debut.

“I’m not taking anything away from Sijara, she’s a tough athlete and put me in danger. I had to control my anxiety and not walk away from my gameplan, otherwise I could lose. But I’m feeling more relaxed now with my team here and having done a full camp for Yana. I’m sure I’ll put on a better performance this time.”

Vieira was victorious in five of six octagon appearances since joining the UFC in 2016, including wins over former UFC title contenders Cat Zingano and Sara McMann. It’s been three and a half years since her last stoppage victory, but she doesn’t envision a quick night in the office Saturday.

“I see myself winning by points,” Vieira admitted. “I think it’s going to be a war. What matters to me is getting my arms raised in there, no matter how. I need this win bad. This fight will take one of us to a different level, it could make us to future contenders, so I’m sure she’ll bring her best, and so will I.”

This article first appeared at MMA Fighting – All Posts


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