BRAZIL GUTS
MOST fighters turn professional to pursue glory and the wealth and adulation that comes with success.
For Iasmin Lucindo, at just 14, it was her only option.
The Brazilian is the youngest fighter on the women’s roster at 21 and claimed her first win in the UFC last weekend in Las Vegas with a dominant points victory over Brogan Walker. Lucindo began MMA training to get away from domestic violence and has a 14-5 record, her 19 fights meaning she has had as many or more pro bouts than nine of the top 15 in the strawweight division.
After a narrow defeat on her
UFC debut to fellow rising star Yazmin Jauregui last August, Lucindo was delighted to get off the mark against Walker at flyweight, though the 115lb division remains her target.
She said: “It was such a relief. I had waited eight months for that. We went through a lot of obstacles and it is an amazing feeling.
“I don’t want to stay at flyweight, though. It was just this fight, so I could get a fight.
“Even though I have done my whole career at flyweight, I felt very good at strawweight, I want to stay at strawweight and I want to fight soon. I am well, not injured and I want to get into the strawweight rankings. I want to come back as soon as possible.
“I am very happy and I hope the fans liked it because I gave my heart in there, I showed my Brazilian heart.”
Having made her pro debut at 15, Lucindo has been open about her motivation for stepping inside an MMA cage.
She revealed: “The women in my family, my mother and such, suffered domestic violence. I did it to defend myself and I ended up liking it and I continued to just fight, fight, fight from 14 years old.
“My mum was very supportive, especially as she understood it was a way for me to escape, a way out of the life that we had.
“You don’t want anything bad to happen to you or your family. MMA builds confidence and not just in sports, but also in life.”