Diana Belbita is feeling the pressure after losing five of her last seven UFC matches. However, Dione Barbosa, her opponent, isn`t underestimating her. Barbosa is preparing for a difficult fight when they meet in Las Vegas this Saturday at UFC Vegas 105.
Barbosa is returning to the Octagon at UFC Vegas 105 after a decision loss to Miranda Maverick in July. She told MMA Fighting that she respects Belbita as a high-level competitor as she aims to improve her UFC record to 2 wins and 1 loss.
“If I have my way, her losing streak will continue,” Barbosa said with a chuckle. “I’m excited about this matchup because she’s experienced and has faced strong fighters like Molly McCann, who recently retired. She definitely has more experience than me, with 24 MMA fights compared to my 10. This is exactly the kind of fight I want to test myself against seasoned athletes.”
Belbita has secured UFC victories against Hannah Goldy and Maria Oliveira. However, she has suffered defeats in two bouts against McCann, as well as against Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Gloria de Paula, and Liana Jojua.
Barbosa isn`t concerned about Belbita`s past losses, as she knows she also needs to secure a win.
“I’m ready for a war,” Barbosa stated. “I’m not paying attention to her current situation. I’m also coming off a loss, even though it was a short-notice fight, it’s still a loss. I’m training like this is for a title. My goal is really to knock her out, but I’m a grappler. If I see an opportunity for a submission, I’ll take it.”
Barbosa held her training camp at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas once again. She recognizes both the advantages and disadvantages of this. On one hand, she’s surrounded by top-tier athletes who are willing to share their knowledge. On the other hand, it’s not the most private setting.
“But I’m okay with training alongside people I might face in the future,” Barbosa explained. “Sometimes it can be a bit annoying, but it’s also a great opportunity. It’s harder for women to find training partners, especially other women, so we have to train with whoever is available—even if they are in the same weight class. I’m fine with it. If we end up fighting each other later, that’s alright. It’s all good.”
For example, after her successful debut against Ernesta Kareckaite at UFC 301, Barbosa called out Ivana Petrovic. During this camp at the UFC PI, she encountered Petrovic several times. Barbosa says their interactions are friendly and wouldn`t prevent them from fighting each other in the future.
Barbosa was initially offered a fight on the UFC Mexico card, but ultimately she will be competing a week later at UFC APEX. As a Las Vegas resident, she preferred to compete closer to home after a long time without a fight.
“As soon as we heard about the Mexico fight, we started preparing for the high altitude,” Barbosa said. “You have to invest more to get ready for that. We were planning to go there three or four weeks beforehand. I was initially disappointed when they moved my fight a week later because I was eager to fight, but at the same time, it worked out well because I would spend much less money on this camp.”
“The Witch,” Barbosa’s nickname, wants to remain active after UFC Vegas 105 and already has potential future opponents in mind.
“I was supposed to fight Casey O’Neill, we had a verbal agreement, but she got injured a week later,” Barbosa shared. “She had knee surgery. Actually, she’s doing her rehab here [at the UFC PI], and we see each other sometimes. I want to fight her because she’s ranked, but it’s not possible right now. Since they updated the rankings and JJ Aldrich is now ranked, I’ll challenge her next. They were already planning to give me a ranked opponent anyway, so why not?”
