Luana Pinheiro is likely to be one of many lightest strawweights on the UFC roster as she struggles to remain heavy sufficient to compete within the 115-pound class.
Pinheiro faces Gillian Robertson at this weekend’s UFC Vegas 100 in Las Vegas, her seventh journey to the octagon as a strawweight — together with the only look on Dana White’s Contender Collection —, and celebrated the potential for having the 105-pound division within the UFC sooner or later. White has talked about the corporate “cultivating expertise” with lighter expertise in South America and Asia.
“I by no means go over 121 kilos, so [atomweight] could be nice,” Pinheiro mentioned in an interview with MMA Combating. The Brazilian solely began slicing weight minimize two days earlier than the official UFC Vegas 100 weigh-ins, a easy and dangerous course of. “I eat one pound of meals daily for lunch, and one other pound for dinner. And three açaí bowls a day with coconut water, peanut and coconut water. I simply can’t eat greater than that, you recognize?
“My physician says my metabolism is as quick as a Ferrari. I even did some blood assessments on the UFC P.I. as soon as to test my thyroid and it got here again regular. I weighed 118 kilos on the time, and no [strawweight] weighs that. It’s laborious to remain at 121 kilos. Can I eat like a standard individual? [laughs]. I eat 0.250 kilos of rice for lunch throughout struggle week, and once more on dinner, and [other fighters] cease consuming that a month earlier than the struggle. I eat fighters hitting pads on struggle week and nearly dying, and I don’t undergo that a lot.”
Pinheiro mentioned the heaviest opponent she’s confronted thus far within the UFC was Amanda Ribas, who has additionally competed at flyweight contained in the octagon — and as soon as gained a whooping 26 kilos between weigh-ins and struggle night time. Pinheiro didn’t really feel energy and energy have been a problem in opposition to Ribas or every other, however transferring all the way down to atomweight may velocity her rise in the direction of a UFC belt.
“The girts are quick on this division,” Pinheiro mentioned. “There are quite a lot of 115 women which are shorter than me, however I don’t know if they’re gentle. Tecia Torres is small, for instance, however can she make 105? I believe 105 could be an ideal addition to the UFC. Some 115 women weigh 139 kilos, and I used to be by no means that heavy in my whole life. I must undergo a bit bit [to make 105] as a result of I’ve by no means needed to do a two-month food regimen in MMA earlier than. I used to be at a churrascaria per week earlier than the struggle, in order that’s not an issue for me proper now.”
Robertson, her opponent Saturday, holds the file for many submission wins amongst girls within the UFC, so any weight benefit within the grappling division may play an element throughout exchanges on the bottom. But, the Brazilian judoka mentioned “I consider I might be quicker than her for being lighter.”
“Often, my opponents don’t attempt to take me down, they have an inclination to commerce and strike extra, however that’s what she does finest,” Pinheiro mentioned. “She has quite a lot of submissions, that’s her factor, however you need to take me all the way down to grapple with me. I’ve skilled takedown protection and each escape there’s. I believe it’s a very good match-up. She has been submitted earlier than, and I consider I’ve all of the instruments to beat her by knockout — she doesn’t wish to get hit that a lot — and in scrambles, being lighter and quicker. I consider I can submit her, too.”
