Luana makes weight and confirms fight in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC
Luana Santos entered UFC Vegas 119 , held last Saturday (20), with the goal of getting closer to the top 10 of the bantamweight division (up to 61,2 kg). Days later, the Brazilian was surprised to see her name appear directly in the third position in the category ranking, a jump that placed her among the main candidates for the organization's belt.
In an exclusive interview with SUPER LUTAS , Luana revealed that she didn't expect such a significant jump in the ranking update. The fighter explained that she entered the event focused on winning convincingly against Karol Rosa and placing among the top 10 bantamweight athletes, but ended up achieving a spot among the elite of the category.
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“I went in to try and get into the top 10 and I came in as number three in the update. I was in shock, I'm still kind of not processing it. It feels like I'm dreaming, it doesn't feel real what's happening,” said the Brazilian.
The result against Karol was crucial for a step up in the division. Besides overcoming a well-established opponent among the best in the category, Luana positioned herself for even greater challenges in the race for the title.
Luana Santos awaits UFC decision.
With her new ranking position, the Brazilian fighter's future now depends on the event's plans for the bantamweight division. Without a defined opponent, the fighter assured that she is open to any challenge and emphasized that she has always left the decisions in the hands of the organization.
“My goal is to work, I’ve always left it in the UFC’s hands. We ask for some names, but it never worked out, none of the fights I asked for happened. I don’t know if the UFC wants to put me against the number one or number two, to wait and see who will fight for the belt. I don’t know if they’ll put me against someone further back in the pack to test me. I asked to come back in November,” declared the athlete, who is based on judo.
Brazilian wanted to show improvement in striking.
Karol and Luana face off respectfully at the UFC. Photo: Getty Images/Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Despite the positive result and the position she achieved in the ranking, Luana believes she hasn't yet shown everything she's developed in training. According to the athlete, the plan was to display a more complete version of her stand-up game, something that ended up being interrupted by the premature end of the fight.
“I had a very clear strategy, but I wasn’t supposed to go into the first round like that. I had trained my striking a lot and wanted to really showcase that,” added the Queen of TikTok.
At 26 years old, Luana Santos is experiencing the most important moment of her professional MMA career. Now firmly established among the top three in the bantamweight division, the Brazilian awaits the confirmation of her next fight while getting closer and closer to an opportunity to challenge for the UFC belt.
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