Tainara Lisboa has her UFC debut scheduled and celebrates: “I am very happy”

One year after signing a contract with the biggest MMA event in the world, Tainara Lisboa from São Paulo will finally make her UFC debut. The two-time Muay Thai world champion will face Australian Jessica-Rose Clark on May 13 in a location yet to be defined by the American organization. At 31 years of age, Tainara had been anxiously awaiting the announcement of her debut in the Octagon. Despite the wait, she guarantees that this time was important for her to evolve physically and technically.

Tainara Lisboa signed a contract with the UFC in May last year (Photo: personal archive)

“I’m very happy with the announcement of my first UFC fight. I was super excited for my debut. But I see that, since I signed the contract with the organization and was waiting for the call from the UFC, I had the chance to improve even more technically. In addition, I was able to transform that initial euphoria of being at the biggest event in the world into something more mature to be able to present myself in the best possible way”, said Tainara.

Owner of a cartel with seven professional MMA fights, five of them wins, three of them by knockout and two by submission, and only two defeats, the fighter will have to face veteran Jessica-Rose Clark, who has 20 MMA fights, 11 wins, eight losses and one no contest. For the UFC, the Australian has had eight fights, won four and lost another four.

“I know my opponent is well rounded in the UFC, but I think our game is home. She comes from standing up fighting, just like me, so we have everything to deliver a fight to the guys”, concluded Tainara, the first Brazilian to win a world title in Muay Thai, a feat achieved in 2013 in the World Professional Muay Thai Federation (WPMF), and the only one to become a two-time champion when she won the World Woman Boxing Association (WWBA) belt in 2014.