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Julia Polastri | Fight Like No One’s Watching
Brazilian Strawweight Julia Polastri Says She Has Unlocked The Secret To Her Fighting Success, And Plans To Showcase Her Skills To The Maximum In Shanghai
Julia Polastri earned her spot in the UFC by fighting with a clear mind and a carefree attitude. But, after admitting she lost her way a little in the Octagon, “Psycho” has discovered that the best way to impress is to stop trying to impress.
Contender Series graduate Polastri has competed five times in the Octagon to date, alternating wins and losses along the way. But prior to her arrival on the big stage, the Brazilian had built a formidable record on the regional scene before eventually making it to the UFC. Now, the 28-year-old from the Duque de Caxias area of Rio de Janeiro is ready to shed the mental baggage that has been holding her back since reaching the big stage.
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“All my career, before the UFC, I was always fighting for myself, and I didn't want to impress anyone. It was just to have fun and be proud of myself,” she told UFC.com. “But when I got in the UFC, I felt some pressure, and I think maybe I [wanted] to impress everyone that was watching… I'm just letting go of this, because my last fight I tried to impress, and I didn't play myself in the Octagon, so I don't want to do this anymore. I just want to go back to my origins. I'm gonna get in there to have fun, be myself, and get out of the fight proud of myself.”
Based on her resumé, a pressure-free Polastri is a dangerous proposition. The Brazilian strawweight captured championships for the respected Shooto Brasil and LFA promotions either side of a Contender Series defeat to current flyweight contender Jasmine Jasudavicius, at 125 pounds. After that loss, Polastri returned to her natural weight class and claimed a hat-trick of victories, culminating in her LFA title win over the previously undefeated Brenda Gottig to earn another Contender Series shot. She made the opportunity count as she earned her UFC contract with a second-round submission victory over Patricia Alujas.
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The jump up to the UFC, and all the pressure that comes with it, saw Polastri go 1-2 in her first three appearances, but against former strawweight title challenger and UFC veteran Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Polastri produced a huge performance to knock out the Polish vet and prove to everyone, including herself, that she belonged on the big stage.
“Oh, [that win] means a lot, because I'm a fan of Karolina, and she is a girl so tough and so resilient,” she said. “I was ready to win the fight by decision. And then I got the knockout, and I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ It was so amazing! … I think that built some confidence in me, and I couldn't show that in the last fight because of everything else. [But] I’m bringing a lot of this confidence to this fight now.”
Julia Polastri Earns Dominant TKO In Round 3 | UFC Rio
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Julia Polastri Earns Dominant TKO In Round 3 | UFC Rio
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This weekend, Polastri faces China’s former longtime ONE Championship champion Xiong Jingnan in a strawweight matchup that promises fireworks on the preliminary card in Shanghai. It’s a fight that Polastri is clearly excited for, too.
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“I think she's an amazing fighter because she defended her title so many times,” she said of her opponent. “So I think she earned the place that she got. And she’s also a striker, so this will be super entertainment… She's a striker, I’m a striker, and it's easier when you get an opponent with the same skills that you’ve got. I think that maybe I can surprise her, but also I'm ready for her trying to surprise me in this fight, because both of us are strikers. It’s common, but it's better. I prefer [it].”
Polastri said she knows she can elevate her performances to push herself further up the strawweight ladder, and her plan is to deliver the sort of performances to earn more opportunities that will eventually see her break into the top 15.
“I think that I can go up some levels,” she said. “And maybe the UFC will put me higher with better opponents – ranked opponents – and that's what I want the most, you know? To get into the rankings.”
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To do that, Polastri will first have to impress against Xiong, who has competed with distinction across Asia and has a well-earned reputation as a ferocious striker who loves to drag her opponents into stand-up battles.
That’s music to Polastri’s ears, and “Psycho” said she’ll be happy to oblige on fight night, before eventually finding the finish, either via strikes or submissions.
“I think that we're gonna really get into a war, probably in the first round, probably with a lot of blood,” she laughed. “But I'm looking for a knockout or submission in the second round, to play a little bit, and then just finish.”
And for Polastri, the key to success is simple.
“My last fight was a fight that I was confident in, but like I said, I was just trying to impress the boss and be seen,” she explained. “But I think that the better way to be seen, especially in this fight, is just by being myself. So in this fight, of course, I will shine, but just being me.”
UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs Song took place live from Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China on August 29, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!