Jully “Poca” Oliveira grew to become a web-based sensation by likelihood, however felt nearly like future that it introduced her nearer to her final dream in any case.
Oliveira gained thousands and thousands of followers on social media after certainly one of her exercise movies went viral in Brazil, and gained much more fame after getting caught on video beating up an Uber driver that was assaulting two girls within the streets of Sao Paulo in 2019. Years later, she’s now an undefeated boxer, and reigning Misfits cruiserweight champion, able to defend her belt for the second time Saturday in Newcastle, England, versus Crystal Pittman.
“I like to combat,” Oliveira mentioned in an interview with MMA Preventing. “I follow sanda since I used to be 17, so when the provide to field got here I used to be like, ‘Wow, it’s an entire totally different martial artwork, it’s a giant problem.’ I wished to turn out to be a professional in sanda and make a residing off it, and I used to be educating courses in Santo Andre, however I used to be spending more cash to compete than I used to be getting paid in return, and I’ve payments to pay.”
Oliveira was referred to as “Pocahontas” when her exercise movies first went viral, later shortening the nickname to “Poca”. It’s her model now, and it transitions properly to the boxing ring as she went 4-0 below the Kingpyn and Misfits banners in simply over a 12 months.
“I fought Elle Brooke in my second combat and he or she was extra skilled than I used to be so I used to be fairly nervous, and I received,” mentioned Oliveira, who has given the only real lack of Brooke’s boxing profession — she later received the Misfits middleweight title and got here near knocking out Paige VanZant, a match that was scored a break up draw.
“I’m coaching increasingly more to not solely defend my title, however to turn out to be higher and stronger to combat anybody. That’s my purpose,” she continued. “I might like to at some point have the chance to face somebody from conventional boxing like, I don’t know, Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Skye Nicolson, any of those boxers I’m a fan of. I’ll embrace each alternative I’ve to provide my greatest and symbolize Brazil.”
Life took Oliveira from a sanda teacher to health influencer to now movie star boxer, and “Poca” reveled her first purpose in fight sports activities was to be a part of the UFC.
“My dream was to enter the UFC,” Oliveira mentioned. “I’m from sanda and we have now takedowns and submissions. My jiu-jitsu continues to be missing a bit, as a result of I didn’t practice that a lot, however I’ve all the time mentioned, ‘I belong within the UFC, and the chance will come.’ The provide that got here was to field, so let’s do it. If the UFC calls sooner or later and says, ‘Work in your previous jiu-jitsu for a 12 months,’ I’d do it.
“I like to combat, man,” she continued. “I began preventing for self-defense as a result of I all the time lived on my own, and after I had that have after I beat that Uber driver to avoid wasting two girls — if I weren’t there and didn’t know methods to do it, nobody would have executed something —, I noticed I beloved preventing. I imagine that life throws alternatives your method and I merely embrace them.”
“Poca” sees Brooke as her hardest take a look at up to now within the boxing ring, however feels her upcoming opponent brings totally different challenges to the desk. Crystal Pittman went 3-3 in bare-knuckle boxing, stopping her previous two opponents at BKFC earlier than being provide a shot at Oliveira’s Misfits title.
“Elle’s arms are heavy and he or she was the one particular person to ever knock me down — and I rocked her too, however she refuses to go down,” Oliveira mentioned with fun. “My subsequent opponent comes from bare-knuckle boxing, and could be very sturdy, she will be able to take a punch.”
Oliveira continues to be chasing the primary knockout victory of her profession and feels stronger now that she cuts 5 kilos much less in comparison with her first two boxing matches, and hopes it results in a stoppage in Newcastle.
“I’ve solely knocked out one particular person in my life and it was in a road combat, that Uber driver, however I haven’t executed it in a boxing ring but,” Oliveira laughed. “The knockout will come ultimately, I can go there too obsessed about it. I hope I knock [Pittman] out. I really feel stronger at 145 kilos. I suffered an excessive amount of slicing to 140. The knockout will probably be my birthday current to myself, if God blesses me.
“What makes me distinctive is that when time comes, I’m going ahead to see heads rolling. I simply don’t care. I’ll give my greatest to proceed representing Brazil on the high, and I received’t depart that ring with out my belt.”
