Virna Jandiroba is assured she deserves a title shot — and that she may give the champion a run for her cash.
The Brazilian veteran’s grappling abilities had been on full show Saturday within the UFC Vegas 94 major occasion as she tied Amanda Lemos into knots for the higher a part of 10 minutes earlier than discovering a submission with an armbar simply 12 seconds earlier than the tip of Spherical 2. Afterward, Jandiroba made it clear that she intends to problem strawweight queen Zhang Weili for her belt, and if she will get the possibility, she’ll current Zhang with a problem in contrast to any the champ has seen earlier than.
“The factor is, I’m not a really orthodox fighter,” Jandiroba stated on the night’s post-fight presser by way of a Portuguese translator. “With time, I’m studying that I combat bizarre. My fashion’s slightly totally different. The way in which that I grapple is slightly unusual. I do know my wrestling could be very efficient, my jiu-jitsu is superb, nevertheless it’s not like you’ll be able to say, ‘Oh, she’s like a correct wrestler,’ however I make it work.
“And inside the weirdness of every little thing that I do, I believe that I create issues for most individuals, and that’s how I can beat her. With the weirdness, that’s how I get my arm raised.”
In 28 professional bouts, Zhang has solely misplaced 3 times and by no means been submitted.
If there’s anybody who has the abilities to be the primary to make Zhang faucet, it’s Jandiroba, who’s now the proud proprietor of 14 profession submission wins.
The previous Invicta FC strawweight champion has lengthy been acknowledged as probably the greatest Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialists in all of MMA, nevertheless it wasn’t till just lately that Jandiroba managed to string collectively the sorts of outcomes changing into of a UFC contender.
Requested how her distinctive grappling fashion would possibly have an effect on her opponents’ method, Jandiroba acknowledged that it will possibly doubtlessly be to her profit.
“I believe that there’s slightly little bit of that, and simply I suppose that not being as orthodox as most individuals are simply makes it slightly more durable to know what I do and the way I get to the positions that I do, and the way I can get the submissions,” Jandiroba stated. “So I’m in all probability slightly underestimated by folks, and that’s good. That offers me higher possibilities in opposition to them, I suppose, and provides me alternatives that perhaps in the event that they had been overestimating me they may not let me have it.”
Jandiroba has now rattled off 4 consecutive victories in opposition to top-20 competitors, together with top-five contender Lemos, in addition to Crazy Godinez, Marina Rodriguez, and Angela Hill. Come Tuesday when the UFC updates its official rankings, there shall be few names left forward of Jandiroba on the strawweight checklist.
Although it’s unclear when Zhang plans to defend her title subsequent, Jandiroba sees no purpose why she shouldn’t be the primary contender to get the decision.
“I imagine {that a} title combat needs to be subsequent,” Jandiroba stated. “We don’t know the way the division’s going to work out now, however 4 wins in opposition to a few of the best fighters within the division, and particularly with a submission over a title contender, I imagine that needs to be sufficient to get me a title shot subsequent.”
Watch Jandiroba’s post-fight media scrum under, courtesy of FanSided MMA.
