Marretinha celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC
Gabriel Marretinha is on fire in the world's biggest MMA organization. At UFC Vegas 118 , an event held last Saturday (6), the Brazilian did what he wanted against Belal Muhammad , former welterweight champion (up to 77,1 kg), and won the main fight by unanimous decision. After the fight, the athlete made it clear that he has a target in mind for his next appearance in the octagon, but, at the same time, he came onto the radar of a top fighter in the category. Willing to continue his great moment in his career, the fighter embraced the challenge.
Marretinha's intention is to face Jack Della Maddalena , who also held the category's belt, to, perhaps, in case of victory, fight for the title afterward. However, seeing the Brazilian's performance, Sean Brady recognized his quality and opened the door for a fight in the octagon. Upon learning of the challenge from the American, ranked sixth, the athlete, riding a five-fight winning streak, viewed the duel favorably and stated that it will become a statistic in his record.
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"Absolutely. I want to fight and I know I'll beat him too," said the MMA prospect at the post- UFC Vegas 118 press conference.
Brady's challenge to Marretinha
“Yes, absolutely. I wanted Belal to win so I could have a rematch. He was the first one to beat me. I’ve only lost twice in my career and I’d love to have those rematches, but it’s not going to happen now. Gabriel is among the top five and it will be interesting to see where he goes next. It’s funny, before I beat Buckley, I was already thinking that Gabriel could be an opponent,” the athlete told the YouTube channel UFC on Paramount+.
"So, I've been studying him for a while now, because I kind of knew that eventually we could meet. I don't know if he'll be my next opponent, but if he's ahead of me in the rankings, it's a fight I'd accept. That's what I'm looking for, anyone in the top 5. That's what I hope for," he concluded.
Hammer Fighters in MMA
Gabriel Marretinha , 28, is part of the new generation of welterweights and is already among the elite of the division. The Brazilian began his MMA career in 2014 and debuted in the UFC in 2023. Currently, he is ranked fifth in the division.
In the sport, Marretinha built a record of 20 wins, 17 by stoppage (13 by submission and four by knockout), and one loss. His main victories were over Belal Muhammad , Khaos Williams , Randy Brown , and Stephen Thompson.
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