Athletes
The Best Thing In The World For Bruna Brasil
Strawweight "Fighting Nerd" Determined To Prove She Belongs Here Saturday At UFC 304 In Manchester
If you saw any of Bruna Brasil’s giddy social media posts flying several thousand miles from her native Brazil to Manchester, you’ll be happy to know the infectious smiles and good vibes have not yet abated.
“I'm feeling great here in Manchester. It's my second time in England. I'm very happy, it's an incredible country. I feel at home. I've always wanted to visit here. I'm a huge fan of soccer, so it's cool to be here.”
Order UFC 304: Edwards vs Muhammad 2
Beyond her soccer fandom, she’s here to square off with Molly McCann at UFC 304: Edwards vs Muhammad 2 Saturday night, and looking to keep the streak alive for Brazil’s Fighting Nerds. The Brazilian MMA collective that features Caio Borralho, Jean Silva and Carlos Prates, among others, has been on quite a tear lately, and the baton has now been passed to “The Special One.”
“The Fighting Nerds strategy is hard work, dedication, and the will to be great, to improve,” she says firmly.
Improving is front-of-mind these days for the 31-year-old, as the UFC road hasn’t exactly been a smooth one so far.
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After punching her ticket to the big show with one of the best knockouts of the 2022 season of Dana White’s Contender Series, she ran straight into a buzzsaw named Denise Gomes in her UFC debut, getting finished by a brutal right hook in the first round. After that “welcome to the UFC” moment, she bounced back vs Shauna Bannon, getting the unanimous nod against the previously undefeated fighter. But those tables turned once again vs Loma Lookboonmee last February, when the scorecards favored her opponent. It has been less than two years and Brasil has already tasted the high highs and low lows.
“Through all my journey as a fighter, I've been evolving a lot, because we are fighters 24/7. So you learn to be resilient, to be determined, and to get through ups and downs with your chin up. Always going forward.”
The tests aren’t getting easier, as evidenced by Brasil’s opponent this Saturday: Molly McCann. A native of Liverpool, which is just a short train ride from neighboring Manchester, guarantees McCann will have the full support of the crowd in Co-op Live Arena.
Always hovering in and around the Top 15 rankings, McCann enters as the betting favorite and the fan favorite for her dramatic wins over Diana Belbita, Hannah Goldy, Luana Carolina and others. Brasil has studied her opponent intently.
“I think this fight is going to be aggressive, it's going to be dynamic. Molly will be going forward, I’ll be looking for the win. We’re both strikers, so I think it’s going to be a great fight for the crowd.”
She smiles when she’s reminded the singularly raucous UK fans will not be cheering for her. She had a taste of that at last summer’s UFC London when she defeated Dublin’s Bannon, a friend and training partner of McCann.
UFC 304: Fight By Fight Preview | Main Event Spotlight
“This is my second fight under these conditions. I think it's interesting. Actually, I think the best part is being at the arena with the crowd. It doesn't matter if they're supporting you, it's exciting.”
Particularly if she wins.
“I think it will be nice to shut up the crowd,” she says, smiling earnestly. “To show them that I’m here and I belong here.”
Her relatively short tenure in the promotion has ushered in that feeling of belonging; an awareness that she’s doing what she was meant to do.
“My life changed completely. My livelihood comes from fighting. I can train not worrying about other jobs.
“Another huge change was the recognition from the people, from everyone who follows me. I'm still learning. I think I'll keep learning. For me, being a fighter is the best thing in the world.”
UFC 304: Edwards vs Muhammad 2 took place live from Co-op Live in Manchester, England on July 27, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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