Alexia Thainara and Rose Conceicao have been coaching companions and roommates not that way back. Now, they struggle one another for a UFC contract at Dana White’s Contender Sequence.
The strawweight prospects beforehand shared a spot in Varginha, Brazil, coaching alongside UFC star Amanda Ribas on the native fitness center. They even fought on the identical card that yr, with Thainara dismantling her opponent in simply eight seconds to maneuver to 6-1 as an expert, and Conceicao bettering to 5-0 with a second-round submission.
Conceicao left the crew months after that, ultimately transferring to Pitbull Brothers’ crew in Natal, and future brings them nose to nose at Tuesday night time’s DWCS card in Las Vegas after their authentic opponents Alice Ardelean and Fatima Kline signed straight offers with the UFC as replacements.
“We spent three months coaching collectively,” Conceicao mentioned in an interview with MMA Preventing. “To assume we all know one another as a result of we skilled collectively may very well be a entice, as a result of it is dependent upon the mindset of every athlete. They could assume they know my recreation, and find yourself shocked by a totally new recreation, so I attempted to not fear about it. In the long run, I don’t assume the truth that we lived collectively and know one another makes any distinction.”
Thainara instructed MMA Preventing that they had no contact since Conceicao left Ribas Household to hitch one other camp, and “lots has modified” since their coaching periods again in 2022.
“It’s fully completely different,” Thainara mentioned. “We at all times have new data that makes a giant distinction, however there are at all times some triggers. Loads has modified since then. My combating fashion is totally completely different, and I’m positive it’s going to be a conflict. She’s not right here anymore, and we’re each chasing our goals. There can solely be one champion and there’s no second place. She left, I stayed, and we’re each after our goals. so let’s brawl in there.”
“We had a pleasing time residing collectively however after that, each adopted their very own path,” Conceicao mentioned. “I don’t take a look at folks as doable opponents, it’s all pure. I at all times say we present within the struggle who we’re outdoors of it. I respect her as I’d respect some other particular person, however there was no friendship. However we all know how aggressive the world could be, proper? There may very well be a friendship, however when we now have to defend what’s ours, all of it modifications. I’m cool about it. I’m centered on these round me, spending my time with my household and mates as a substitute of worrying about that.”
Thainara believes Conceicao’s hanging has modified a little bit bit over the previous few years “however nothing that scares me.” However, Conceicao mentioned she hasn’t watched any of Thainara’s latest fights, and plans on exhibiting the division she has the hanging and grappling to go to conflict in opposition to the most effective.
“I see this struggle ending by knockout or additionally by submission, and never due to holes I’ve seen in her recreation, however as a result of I’ve skilled laborious for each eventualities,” Conceicao mentioned. “We’ve got a gameplan however once we’re speaking about [DWCS], we’re speaking about profitable impressively. Perhaps a boring technique doesn’t persuade [White], and I feel that makes this struggle simpler since you’re there to be signed on your expertise.”
Thainara mentioned her gameplan to win Tuesday night time — and be supplied a deal the CEO of the UFC — is to “brawl and be versatile”.
“The present begins from the weigh-ins, along with your fashion, your look, your hair, and your pleasure to struggle,” Thainara mentioned. “If you don’t do what you’re keen on with pleasure, you gained’t placed on a present even if you happen to’re the world’s finest. There’s strain each time you’re combating, since you’re not combating a dummy, however an individual who labored laborious to be there. Issues go proper if you’re well-trained and centered on the purpose.”
Conceicao, a former LFA interim strawweight champion who’s unbeaten in seven skilled bouts, mentioned this match “will put me among the many finest on the planet” within the UFC.
“I don’t wanna simply get within the UFC to be a part of it after which depart, I need to make a run there,” Conceicao mentioned. “I need to get in and keep there for good. Being within the UFC will change my life fully — and rapidly. And I don’t say financially, or due to the eye and issues like that, I imply laborious work. I’ll should focus extra, change my habits, and fully re-shape my total life so I can go there and make historical past as a result of it’s the world’s greatest occasion with the world’s finest athletes.”
