Diana Belbita is under pressure due to recent losses, but her opponent Dione Barbosa isn`t underestimating her ahead of their fight in Las Vegas this Saturday.
Barbosa is fighting at UFC Vegas 105, her first fight since losing to Miranda Maverick in July. Speaking to MMA Fighting, she said she`s preparing for Belbita as a top-level competitor, aiming for her second UFC win.
Barbosa joked about extending Belbita`s losing streak. She likes fighting Belbita because of her experience against strong fighters like Molly McCann. Despite having fewer fights herself (10 vs 24), Barbosa wants to test herself against experienced opponents like Belbita.
Belbita has won against Hannah Goldy and Maria Oliveira in the UFC, but has lost to Molly McCann twice, as well as Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Gloria de Paula, and Liana Jojua.
Barbosa isn`t focused on Belbita`s past losses, as she herself needs a victory in this fight.
Barbosa expects a tough fight. She`s not thinking about Belbita`s current situation, as Barbosa is also coming off a loss. She`s trained intensely, like it`s a title fight. Although she wants a knockout, she`s a grappler and will aim for a finish if possible.
Barbosa trained at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, noting both pros and cons. It`s beneficial to be around high-level athletes for learning, but it lacks privacy.
Barbosa is okay with training alongside potential future opponents. While sometimes inconvenient, she sees it as an opportunity. Finding female training partners is difficult, so training with whoever is available, even in the same weight class, is necessary. She`s fine with potentially fighting training partners later.
After her UFC 301 win against Ernesta Kareckaite, Barbosa called out Ivana Petrovic. They`ve trained together at the UFC PI during this camp. Barbosa says their interactions are friendly and wouldn`t prevent them from fighting in the future.
Barbosa was offered a fight in Mexico City but will now fight at UFC APEX a week later. While wanting to fight soon after a break, she prefers fighting in Las Vegas rather than traveling to Mexico City.
Barbosa explained they started preparing for the altitude when offered the Mexico fight, which requires extra expense and arriving weeks early. She was initially disappointed by the date change but realized it would save money on training camp costs.
Barbosa, nicknamed `The Witch`, wants to remain active after UFC Vegas 105 and already has future opponents in mind.
Barbosa was scheduled to fight Casey O`Neill, but O`Neill got injured and had surgery. Barbosa still wants to fight O`Neill because she`s ranked, but it`s not possible now. With JJ Aldrich newly ranked, Barbosa is interested in fighting her, as she was already aiming for a ranked opponent.
Marcus Blakely