Bia Mesquita imagines a duel against a women's MMA legend after a devastating debut at UFC Rio

Bia Mesquita in victory at UFC Rio. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.

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Bia Mesquita showed that her jiu-jitsu resume has translated well to MMA. The Brazilian, a ten-time world champion in the gentle art, made her UFC Rio debut, held last Saturday (11), on the right foot. defeated Irina Alekseeva by submission and now you can imagine yourself in a duel against one of the pioneers of the sport: Ronda Rousey.

In a press conference at UFC Rio, Bia Mesquita demonstrated her respect for Ronda Rousey and pointed out that, without the American, women's MMA wouldn't be where it is. Therefore, he awaits the return of the former champion.

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“I proved that my takedowns are up to par, and I’m a big fan of Ronda too. Ronda Rousey She made history in MMA and opened many doors for all the women who came after, including me... I really respect her entire career and everything she did to make women's MMA what it is today. So, I really hope she returns," said Mesquita.

Next, the black belt imagined a duel against Ronda. In Bia Mesquita's view, the clash would be between two armbar specialists, even though she herself has never submitted an opponent in that way in the UFC.

"Everyone loves to see her fight, and I think it would be amazing. An armbar battle, even though I haven't submitted anyone like that yet, but who knows? Maybe fighting her will happen. I really respect Ronda, I'm a huge fan of everything she's done, and if she really is coming back, it will be incredible for the MMA world and especially for women," concluded the jiu-jitsu specialist.

With her victory at UFC Rio, Bia Mesquita maintained her undefeated record in MMA and extended her winning streak to six victories, four of them by submission. Ronda Rousey, for her part, last fought in the UFC in 2016 and then moved to pro wrestling with the WWE before stepping away from the spotlight in 2023. However, recently, she has shown signs of a possible return to the Ultimate.