For the first time in nearly three years, Tainara Lisboa is finally set to step into the UFC octagon this weekend.
Lisboa is scheduled to face the younger Luana Santos in the preliminary portion of UFC Vegas 106. This marks her first fight since suffering a serious left knee injury in late 2023. Remarkably, she defeated a late-notice replacement, Ravena Oliveira, at the UFC APEX despite the injury before immediately undergoing surgery for knee cartilage reconstruction.
“It was very difficult,” Lisboa explained. “I could list the many challenges I’ve faced, but the hardest part was the idea of not being able to do what I’ve dedicated my entire life to.”
She revealed that the injury brought her close to retirement, describing the procedure as a “test surgery” where the doctor made it clear the outcome was uncertain.
“Imagine going through all that after finally arriving in the UFC and delivering two strong performances,” she continued. “You’re living the dream, and all of a sudden you have no idea if you’re going to come back. And if I do return, will I be the same Tainara? Can I become the best Tainara I can possibly be? That entire situation was incredibly complicated.”
The 34-year-old Lisboa underwent surgery on December 1, 2023, about six weeks after improving her UFC record to 2-0 with wins over Oliveira and Jessica-Rose Clark. The recovery process led to significant muscle atrophy in her thigh, losing 2.3 inches. The veteran bantamweight`s weight increased to 168 pounds before she could resume training on the mats. It took a full year before she was finally able to inform the UFC that she was ready to begin a training camp.
“I couldn’t even walk up stairs, for example,” Lisboa stated. “I had to literally relearn how to walk again.”
She admitted there were moments she felt her career was over, but credited her support system. “Whenever I was feeling down, my amazing team was there to lift me back up again. It felt like starting the toughest camp of my life [referring to the recovery] on December 2, 2023, without knowing the end result.”
As Lisboa was unable to train physically in the gym, an unexpected opportunity arose when the promotion contacted her to work as a color commentator. She was invited to commentate on LFA and UFC shows for the Brazilian version of UFC Fight Pass. This helped her get through the difficult times and maintain her connection, making her “feel part of the UFC.”
“To experience that other side and learn, and still feel connected to the fights, that was an incredible experience,” Lisboa commented. “I plan on studying more and more to continue doing that. I think I’m kind of good at it. I’ve been immersed in fighting since I was 13, so watching and talking about fights is something I do well.”
She also mentioned that commentary benefited her as a fighter. “It’s because you study other athletes that weren’t on your radar, like men and other weight classes you don’t watch that much, and you start to see things and other techniques. I’m constantly learning.”
Lisboa enters Saturday on a five-fight winning streak that dates back to 2021. On the other side, Santos is returning to the 135-pound division after a flyweight loss to Casey O’Neill, which was her first professional defeat in the octagon.
“I think it’s going to be a very interesting fight,” Lisboa remarked. “Luana is very young and has impressive statistics. We have similar numbers and we both like to finish fights before the final round. Even though the age gap is significant, we both bring similar aggressive intention to the cage.”
Lisboa believes that being nine years older than her opponent gives her an edge in experience. And not just that.
“Few things scare you after you go through hell,” she concluded. “Simply being back already is an enormous victory alone. This fight isn’t primarily about who’s on the other side. It’s about myself, it’s about everything I went through and being able to return to the world’s biggest organization. Being able to return to work and show I’m fine, that my knee is alright. People have that doubt. And I’m sure I’ll face the best Luana there’s ever been because she’s also worked hard for that; she has her dreams. I’ve prepared to face her at her absolute peak.”
Wesley Dunham 
Marcus Blakely