Athletes
Alexia Thainara | Leading With Joy
Talented Brazilian Looks To Earn A Place In The Rankings With Sophomore Victory In Perth
Exactly one year ago today, Alexia Thainara scored a unanimous decision win over Rose Conceicao on Season 8, Week 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series, impressing the eponymous UFC President and earning a contract to compete on the biggest stage in the sport. A year later, the ebullient Brazilian with colorful braids and a megawatt smile is stationed in Perth, Australia, waiting to make the second start of her rookie campaign against Loma Lookboonmee at RAC Arena this weekend.
“It’s been a year of a lot of learning experiences,” Thainara said when asked to reflect on her past year. “Coming in for my second fight now, against a ranked opponent, it just goes to show that my debut was great.”
What’s often forgotten about Thainara’s debut is that it came on short notice, as she stepped in to replace compatriot Istela Nunes opposite Molly McCann in London when Nunes encountered visa issues. After a joyous and energetic jaunt to the Octagon, “Burguesinha” immediately showed she belonged, putting the veteran from Liverpool on the canvas a little over a minute into the contest, patiently working from inside McCann’s guard for much of the time before passing into mount with 90 seconds remaining in the round. From there, Thainara began to attack, wrapping up a rear-naked choke finish, much to the dismay of the partisan crowd inside the O2 Arena.
Not only did the victory extend her winning streak to double digits, but it earned the 27-year-old a Performance of the Night bonus as well, something she had spoken into existence, but that has yet to sink in for the promising strawweight.
“It really hasn’t sunk in,” admitted Thainara, who carries an impressive 12-1 record with 10 straight victories and eight submission finishes into her clash with Lookboonmee this weekend in Perth. “Master Marcelo (Ribas) used to always tell me ‘words have a lot of power,’ and I kept thinking to myself, prophesizing in my head that ‘I’m gonna debut with a bonus! I’m gonna debut with a bonus!’
“Marcelo said it and I went in there and I went in there and I got a bonus. It is amazing to have a debut like that, and hopefully we’re gonna get another bonus this week.”
There is something to be said about having people who have already lived through much of what you’re about to experience along to guide you through the ups and downs soon to be headed your way, which is exactly what Thainara has in Master Ribas and his daughter, UFC standout Amanda Ribas.
As the recent Dana White’s Contender Series grad readies to make her sophomore appearance inside the Octagon, she’s able to lean on the Ribas family for guidance and support, knowing that her long-time training partner and her family are there to answer any and all questions she has and help her feel comfortable as she prepares to head back into battle.
“I was just saying this after training this morning: they’ve done all of this before and having them is very strengthening; it’s like having a fortress around you,” Thainara said of having Ribas and her father in her corner at all times. “Having Amanda and Marcelo here; it makes me feel really good. I brought in my physical therapist and another training partner, so I feel like I’m really safe and surrounded by people that make me feel secure.”
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In addition to feeling secure, it’s clear, despite the language barrier between us, that the intriguing strawweight prospect is once again filled with joy and anticipation to make the walk to the Octagon and ply her trade against Lookboonmee.
Even before my question about her infectious energy was translated, the ultra-positive Thainara started pantomiming elements from her high-energy walkout in London, her smile lighting up the room.
“It comes down to my desire to want to have a better life for myself, want to give my family a better life, want to build a legacy and leave an example for kids coming up,” she said in response to my question about her joyous nature. “I’m just happy and thankful, and I always say, ‘If you wake up and you’re breathing, just be thankful.’ That’s what makes me happy.”
So too does the opportunity to step in with a ranked opponent in her second UFC appearance.
The 29-year-old Lookboonmee has quietly put together a strong resume through her first nine Octagon appearances, amassing a 7-2 record and a four-fight winning streak heading into this one, good enough to claim a spot in the Top 15 in the 115-pound weight class. Few competitors get the chance to potentially punch their ticket to the rankings this quickly, and while Thainara certainly doesn’t take it for granted, she’s also intent on making the most of it.
“Obviously, it means a lot for my career,” she said of facing Lookboonmee, who sits at No. 14 in the rankings. “I just have to go in there and be myself, be Alexia, and take this opportunity with everything.
“The plan is to go in there, have fun, be the Alexia that we see every day in training, and enjoy it. That’s what I’m here for —I’m here to bring joy, to have fun, and to do what I do best.”
After manifesting a bonus-winning effort in her promotional debut in March, just what would it mean to the talented first-year UFC fighter to collect another victory and claim a spot in the rankings all before getting a full year on the roster behind her?
“It’d be amazing,” she said, her smile growing even wider. “It would be one more step (towards where I want to go). This is what I got into MMA for.
“A great debut, if I have a great second fight, and I can get into the rankings? It’s incredible; that’s why we’re all here.”
UFC Fight Night: Ulberg vs Reyes took place live from RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on September 27, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!