Ketlen Scallop has the North American challenge Kayla harrison this Saturday (5), in the second fight of the main card of UFC 307. The fight is loaded with expectations. The winner of the fight will probably secure the position of number one contender in the women's bantamweight category (up to 61,2 kg), which will be disputed by Juliana Peña and Rachel Pennington in the penultimate fight of the night.
In an exclusive interview to SUPER FIGHTS, the athlete shared details about her training during the camp, as well as talking about the strategy for combat.
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Preparation
Despite all the expectations from the media and fans for the American, two-time Olympic champion in judo, the Brazilian, who is also a black belt in the sport, assured that she was confident for the fight due to the preparation, which included the presence of one of the country's main names in the martial art.
“I have a very good knowledge of judo. I may not have reached the Olympic level, but I am sure I know enough to defend myself. I also had the help of Rafaela (Silva), our great judo name. She brought two sparring who were with her in Paris. So I had a camp very complete”, said the fighter, who also said she had the support of José Aldo, his training partner at Nova União.
Altitude
The location of the event also constitutes one of the most important aspects involving the UFC 307. Held in Salt Lake City, Utah (USA), the fighters will have to face the altitude of the city, which is 1.300 meters above sea level. Regarding this, Ketlen said she was ready for the situation, highlighting the importance of the work of Dedé Pederneiras, the team's head coach.
“I arrived here on Sunday because I am a woman and have to deal with issues such as fluid retention and menstruation. Regarding altitude, Dedé does all the research. He calculates how much altitude can affect performance and this influences the type of training we have to do. Everything is very well calculated and we did a good job,” she said.
Kayla harrison
Although she recognizes her opponent's qualities, she countered them Harrison's statements, claiming to be superior to her rival and believing that the weight cut could harm the North American.
“I feel very prepared in all areas. Today I can play with anyone. My opponent is not the same. She is totally dependent on ground fighting. She thinks she is better than me in everything, so I think we think the same, because I also think I am better than her in everything,” she declared.
Dream of being champion
The second-placed woman in the category ranking also recalled the times when she wanted to face Amanda nunes for the title. Despite the retirement of her compatriot, the goal of wearing the belt remains intact.
“I have all the respect in the world for Amanda. I think she’s a great athlete and, if there’s any doubt, the greatest of all time so far. If you want to be the best, you have to fight the best. That was my wish, because I had and still have the dream of being UFC champion. God put me one step away from the belt once again, and I believe that at this moment I feel very prepared in all areas. On Saturday it’s going to be a great show, because what she wants, I want twice as much. I’ve been wanting what she wants for years,” concluded the fighter.
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