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After win over Frota, Livinha Souza focused on improvement – and maybe Mackenzie Dern
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FORTALEZA, Brazil – Livinha Souza isn’t ready to label herself a title contender in the UFC yet, but thinks that could be a reality one day.
Souza (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) on Saturday opened the UFC on ESPN+ 2 main card with a split-decision win over Sarah Frota (9-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC). Afterward, the former Invicta FC strawweight champion said it’s a little early to be thinking about title shots.
“I’m far off from a title shot,” Souza said. “Now I need to make my performances like top 10, top 15 first before I think about top five. In the future, (I’d like) a title shot. I’m not prepared, and I’ll train a lot this year.”
UFC on ESPN+ 2 took place Saturday at Centro de Formacao Olimpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza, Brazil. The card streamed on ESPN+.
Souza was fighting an opponent in Frota who came in seven pounds above the strawweight limit. But Souza said she never considered not taking the bout – especially in Brazil with some of her best contemporaries on the main card with her.
“It was a hard fight, a tough fight,” Souza said. “A few moments, I felt Sarah had too much weight and was too heavy to move to my best positions. But I said (Friday) I came here to work. … It didn’t matter, her weight. I appreciate she apologized to me. But life is this way – risks and success, that’s it.
“My first time on the main card with big Brazilian stars of MMA? I can’t lose this chance. I came here to work, any time, anywhere.”
Souza said she won’t call out anyone, but given she’s a jiu-jitsu standout, and so is Mackenzie Dern, a matchup between the two of them might seem a natural fit.
Dern (6-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), though, has had issues making the strawweight limit, too. In her second fight in the UFC in May 2018, she came in seven pounds heavy herself.
But it sounds like Souza will cross that bridge if a matchup is made.
“Now I’m focusing on getting better … and keep improving my skills,” she said. “In my next fight, I’ll promise I’ll do better. … Two fighters of jiu-jitsu? If Mackenzie makes weight, that’s possibile.”
For complete coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 2, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
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