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Luana Carolina Wants To Show She Evolved
A Year After Getting Knocked Out In London, Luana Carolina Heads Into UFC 286: Edwards vs Usman 3 Intent On Showing Her Growth
Luana Carolina is well aware of the coincidental circumstances around her upcoming fight at UFC 286: Edwards vs Usman 3.
Carolina is set to take on flyweight veteran Joanne Wood in the O2 Arena, where the Scot will certainly have the crowd behind her on March 18. The bout takes place a day short of a year since her last fight: a vicious knockout loss to Molly McCann in the same arena.
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“It’s crazy because out of all places I could fight, I’m back in London one year later,” Carolina told UFC.com. “There’s the weather, weight cutting, dieting, but they have a whole structure here in London, and I’ve acclimatized.”
“Dread” doesn’t shy away from the disappointment from her last loss, but she also knows that’s just the fight game. A loss is just that: one loss on the record. Nothing more; nothing less.
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Like with any loss, Carolina learned from it and intends on showing that growth against Wood. It’s not the first time she has had to come back from a difficult defeat. Her other setback in the Octagon came by way of a brutal kneebar submission from Ariane Lipski, and, after 10 months out of action, Carolina responded with a pair of wins over Poliana Botelho and Loopy Godinez in 2021.
“What makes me want to come back is to fix my mistakes and show that everybody can change and evolve,” Carolina said. “That’s what I’m going to show Saturday.”
Wood, like McCann, is a crowd favorite anywhere she competes, and the London fans love backing anyone from the UK. That environment likely won’t shake Carolina, though, who seemed to relish the energy during her last fight week.
She joked that she always happens to be on the other side in the eyes of the fans, even when she fought Priscila Cachoeira in Brazil at UFC 237. In other words, this is all regular to her.
“I know the whole crowd will be on my opponent’s side,” she said. “She’s very well known here, but even in my last fight, people were very nice and welcoming. A lot of fans showed up. I know the crowd will be on my opponent’s side, but there are also some fans and people recognizing my work, so that’s cool.”
Wood is one of the mainstays in the flyweight rankings and was close to a title shot before embarking on the three-fight losing streak she rides into this fight with Carolina.
Even still, she is one of the more notable fighters at 125 pounds, and Carolina believes their dual Muay Thai bases will make for an entertaining spectacle for the fans. Carolina is of the mindset that her striking and clinch game will surprise Wood and ultimately make the difference come the end of the fight.
“(Wood) is a very experienced fighter,” Carolina said. “She’s a big name not only here, but also worldwide. So to have the opportunity to fight her is also an opportunity to be able to show my work next to a great fighter.”
Carolina has her eyes on the rankings, and with a change at the top after Alexa Grasso shocked Valentina Shevchenko to take the belt, the ever-growing talent pool at flyweight is recalibrating itself accordingly.
Although, from the outside, a Top 15 fight seems a ways off for Carolina, a win over Wood can provide a bit of an inside track. It wasn’t long ago when Wood was a Top 10 mainstay before taking a year off to recharge.
On top of that, there might not be a more fitting way to wipe the taste of defeat out of Carolina’s mouth than doing so in the exact same place a year later.
“I watched the fight (against McCann) and saw my mistakes,” Carolina said. “Besides studying the opponent, I studied myself in order to be able to train, fix my mistakes and come back.”
UFC 286: Edwards vs Usman 3 took place live from the O2 Arena in London in March 18, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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