Bruna Brasil: An Unfinished Product

Job security in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight division remains elusive for Bruna Brasil. While she has lost two of her first three bouts inside the Octagon, the experience has not been without its benefits.

“I’m fighting in the world’s biggest promotion, with great challenges and opponents,” Brasil told Sherdog.com. “Without a doubt, things are much harder now, inside and outside the Octagon. With every fight, losses or victories, we find ways to evolve. I’ve grown a lot, especially emotionally. I’m ready for the next challenge.”

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A member of The Fighting Nerds camp, the 30-year-old Brazilian will confront former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Molly McCann as part of the UFC 304 undercard this Saturday at the Co-op Live in Manchester, England. McCann, 34, has rattled off four wins across her past six appearances. The Liverpool, England, native last competed at UFC Fight Night 235, where she put away Diana Belbita with a last-second armbar in the first round of their Feb. 3 confrontation.

“I’m very excited with this great opportunity that the UFC gave me,” Brasil said. “She has a big name and I’m the underdog, but this is clearly a great opportunity to show the world and the UFC all my abilities as a fighter. I wish to show that I can be a UFC star. I’ll chase after her, impose my game [and] hurt her, and if I see an opening, I’ll knock her out; and if she’s not paying attention, I may even submit her. I can hardly wait. To beat her at home will be incredible. I’m ready to put on a show.”

Brasil finds herself on the rebound following a unanimous decision defeat to Konklak Suphisara at UFC Fight Night 236 in February. Suphisara outstruck her by a 73-52 margin, doing enough to offset the Shooto Brazil veteran’s 2:29 of control time.

“I cut her off and made her walk back, but in the end, I feel aggression was lacking, as well as the right strategy,” said Brasil, who has never suffered back-to-back losses as a pro. “We let that win get away. I feel it was a great fight, but that extra something was missing. Of course, whatever we go through helps us get better. All my challenges in the UFC have allowed me to grow even more as an athlete and as a person. This has made me stronger for what comes next. I have a very big objective: to be a world champion. I have to grow from my missteps to be able to get there.”

Brasil now sets her sights on McCann and the possibilities that lie ahead.

“I have many plans for my future,” she said. “Mainly, I want to win this fight, renew my UFC contract and hopefully fight once more this year.”