Luana Dread performs this Saturday (27) at UFC Perth. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Riding high on three straight wins in the organization and heading towards another fight in the octagon, Luana Dread is preparing to compete in the bantamweight division (up to 61,2 kg) after having to give up the flyweight division (up to 56,7 kg) due to difficulties with weight cutting. The fighter welcomes debutant Michelle Montague this Saturday (27), at UFC Perth.
Asked about her weight difficulties on three separate occasions since arriving at the UFC in 2019, Luana opened up in an exclusive interview with SUPER FIGHTS and explained the battle fought with his own body.
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"There was a lot going on (behind the scenes). In the Poliana (Botelho) fight, I had just come back from an injury, I think it was the leglock. I'd been out for a year, and they offered me this fight. Poliana was a month away, and I went. I was 16kg overweight, I lost 16kg in a month, and I was literally out of action. I'd been kicking again for two or three weeks, so it was difficult to lose weight because of that."
"(Julija) Stoliarenko was a communication error on the part of the nutritionists, the old ones, whom I had previously worked with. They asked me to change something, I did, and my weight stalled. Besides the stress and a lot of things that sometimes happen during a training camp, which get in the way, I couldn't do it," Luana stated.
Luana Dread in victory over Julija Stoliarenko. Photo: Reproduction/UFC
In her last scheduled fight, Luana was not cleared by doctors after failing to weigh in. The athlete ended up being prevented from competing. montana de la rosa and accepted the UFC's request to move up a category next.
“And this one here (montana de la rosa) It was all very well, like, the training was fine, but my body was in bad shape. I had several tests and everything beforehand; my hormones were all messed up, my thyroid was messed up, I don't know what really happened. In the end, the fight didn't work out, I returned to Brazil, did all the tests, and discovered a health problem. My weight wouldn't go down; I was way overweight, but it wasn't because I didn't want to, irresponsibly, or because I ate junk food. I stayed the same weight for a month, even though I was dieting.
Fight in enemy territory
Accustomed to performing in countries where she represents opponents, Luana will once again perform in front of a hostile crowd. Despite the situation, the veteran assures she has no problems and claims she has overcome worse episodes.
Luana Dread in a duel against M. McCann in UFC London. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
“I was knocked out, and a year later they threw me in the same place. For me, it's super cool; you can count on one hand the number of times I fought with the crowd behind me. When I started Muay Thai and went to Florianópolis, it was all boos. I fought in Rio de Janeiro, against someone who trained in Rio, I fought with the Priscila Pedrita "And Bate-Estaca was going to have the main fight, so the gym was packed with their fans. As soon as I got to the passage, I could hear 'Uh, you're going to die' in Portuguese. You'd think someone cursing at me in English would, like, affect me. I don't care about that. Of course, the fans are cool, they give off that vibe and everything, but inside it's just me and them, there's no one else," he concluded.
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