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After losing two of her past three, Poliana Botelho underwent some changes.
Botelho (8-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC), who meets Luana Carolina at UFC on ESPN 23 on May 1, has specifically been working on her ground game by participating in multiple grappling competitions.
The Nova Uniao fighter’s two most recent losses have come on the mat. She was submitted by Cynthia Calvillo in 2018, then controlled on the canvas by Gillian Robertson in her most recent outing at UFC Fight Night 180.
So during her time off, Botelho has been honing her skills and hopes she can return to her finishing ways – she’s scored knockouts in six of her eight pro wins.
“We learn from all experiences – both wins and losses,” Botelho told MMA Junkie. “People tend to say that we learn more from losses. After a loss, we examine videos and manage to spot all the mistakes. However, even wins can be full of errors. After a win, there isn’t as much scrutiny. I have evolved significantly. I’ve trained a lot of jiu-jitsu with coach Marcos Galvao. I participated in jiu-jitsu competitions here in Rio de Janeiro. I’m feeling much more comfortable when grappling. Against Gillian Robertson, it was my fight to lose. I clearly won the first round. I lost my focus on the second and third rounds.
“I lost to myself. Against Cynthia Calvillo, it was the third time I made 115 pounds. My body couldn’t take it anymore. I could barely train. I had several injuries, including a broken nose. It was a very difficult weight cut. I had to move up in weight class after that for medical reasons. Previously, I had been shedding 40 pounds. I am a knockout artist. I haven’t been able to demonstrate that too well. But I’m hoping, after some improvements to my game, I can get back to doing that. I plan to demonstrate that I’m a complete fighter. I look forward to letting my game flow.”
Botelho had multiple opponents fall out before landing Carolina, which made her training camp more difficult than needed. She was first booked to face Ji Yeon Kim. After Kim withdrew, she landed Mayra Bueno Silva, who ended up pulling out due to a back injury.
“I’ve had two opponent changes for this card,” Botelho said. “First, Ji Yeon Kim got hurt, and then so did Mayra Bueno Silva. Now, I get to face Luana Carolina. ‘ll be ready. But opponent changes are difficult – we plan for one specific opponent, and then everything changes. We have to create a new strategy from scratch after watching some video.
“I hope Luana stays on the card, so we can battle it out. It is Brazilian vs Brazilian, which we prefer not to do. But we’re professionals, and we do our jobs in the best way possible. We’ll step in the cage and show the work we’ve been putting in. That’s the main thing, regardless of who’s standing on the other side.”