Athletes
Dione Barbosa Putting The Pieces Together
Brazilian Flyweight Aims To Get Back In The Win Column When She Faces Diana Belbita
Dione Barbosa is a big fan of puzzles, inside and outside the Octagon.
It has been more than eight months since Barbosa has fought, and in her spare time she has been improving her game, spending time with her cats and, of course, working on puzzles. Both fun puzzles and the constant puzzle that includes her life as a fighter.
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“I’ve been putting together all the pieces about the MMA game,” Barbosa said. “So, the striking with grappling and the game plan. This time I tried to work a lot and make my MMA game plan solid.”
As she heads into her third UFC fight this Saturday against Diana Belbita, the Brazilian is starting to feel more comfortable with the fight week responsibilities, and everything that comes along on Saturday night. She made her debut last May in Brazil, and came out victorious, but looking back, it was a lot of pressure for her first UFC fight.
Now, she believes confidence is key.
“My first fight was in my country, it was my debut,” Barbosa said. “It was a lot of emotion, my family there and everything. The second fight was short notice, so everything happened so fast. Now, I've done this twice, I know where I am and everything, so I feel more comfortable. I think this is the way I want to step inside the Octagon, too.”
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Her preparation for this fight against Belbita included a lot of time spent at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, where she had access to a variety of different things that can help make sure she’s in top shape when leading up to fight night, and also during the fight.
“I'm so blessed to have the PI,” Barbosa said. “The team over there, they helped me a lot during an injury I had last year. I was so bad about recovery before, and all the rooms and things they have for recovery help me a lot and I think it’s really good. I think it's the one point, for sure, that I have an advantage is to have the PI in my preparation.”
She hopes the steps she has taken to feel 100 percent heading into this fight help get her back in the win column after she dropped her last contest by unanimous decision to Miranda Maverick in July. On the other end, her opponent, Belbita, is also eager to get things back on track after being submitted by Molly McCann more than a year ago. Ten of Belbita’s 15 wins have ended inside the distance, so Barbosa is looking forward to testing her striking against “The Warrior Princess.”
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“I think it is a really good matchup,” Barbosa said. “She's so aggressive, she walks forward and is a good striker. This is what I'm looking for. Keep my distance and prove my striking is getting better and capitalize with a really good win this Saturday.”
When she looks at the matchup, she envisions an exciting first few minutes, which is something she loves and embraces. From those first few minutes, she’ll be able to take her time and build on her victory from there.
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Throughout the fight, she wants to keep the distance and not only showcase her striking but also show the many tools in her toolbox. If she does all that, she believes she will come out victorious and that will set her up for a successful 2025.
“I want to fight two or three more times this year,” Barbosa said. “It's just the beginning. So far, the year started so good. I feel good about my body and my team around me. I think by the end the year, I will be in the rankings.”
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