Bia Mesquita made the Guinness World Information with most gold medals gained at IBJJF World Championship, and is now pushed to pursue historical past contained in the octagon. The ten-time IBJJF champion and one-time ADCC gold medalist is losing no time in combined martial arts, going 3-0 with three rear-naked chokes in a span of six months to enter this 12 months as one of many top prospects to watch.
Set to face Hope Chase in a bantamweight showdown at LFA 203, which takes place Thursday night time on the Palms On line casino Resort in Las Vegas, Mesquita hopes to safe a contract with the UFC with one other end.
“I’ll be preventing in Vegas in every week that’s gigantic for the UFC,” Mesquita advised MMA Combating. “There’s UFC Invitational on Thursday, Energy Slap on Friday, and UFC 313 on the T-Cellular Enviornment [Saturday], so I feel that’s an enormous alternative for me. God keen, I’ll have the ability to present up there and do some community and extra doorways will open for me — and perhaps already put a foot within the UFC and the contract comes. I’m able to signal with the UFC as quickly as they name me.”
If the provide doesn’t come this week, Mesquita vows to remain energetic and add extra wins to her MMA file — and perhaps the LFA bantamweight belt — to then persuade Dana White and firm matchmakers she’s UFC materials.
“The boss will make the decision and I’ll say, ‘Ship me location,’” Mesquita laughed. “I’m prepared for this. My purpose is to make noise and make the distinction. That is one other step in that route. Regardless of how lengthy it takes, I actually consider I’ll signal with the UFC this 12 months.”
Mesquita stated it will be potential to make 125 kilos in MMA, but it surely may have an effect on her recreation. Being a high-level grappler requires energy and power, and he or she fears that chopping further 10 kilos may diminish her skills the next day. That, and the actual fact girls’s bantamweight is among the shallowest weight courses within the UFC right this moment.
“I’m chopping extra weight to enter a division, however do I actually wanna be simply one other one there?” Mesquita stated. “There’s 30 women there, a ton of nice fighters, in the meantime 135 is like… Positive, the highest 10 is stacked, however the path is shorter. I’ll be stronger at 135, fitter to combat. It’s already a warfare to make weight for 135, think about at 125. … I consider I’ll simply be within the prime 10 [of the UFC] in a single or two years, preventing on the prime. That’s one other advantage of this division.”
Julianna Peña at present holds the UFC title at 135 kilos, and Kayla Harrison is probably going subsequent in line. Mesquita trains alongside Harrison each day in Florida, and celebrates the assistance of the two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL championship underneath the identical roof at American High Crew.
“Kayla is a phenom,” Mesquita stated. “We assist one another loads. If Kayla places you towards the cage or clinch, the takedown is coming. It’s surreal. Her judo is so, so, so good. And that’s precisely how I really feel about my floor recreation. The extent is totally different. I do know I’ll get to the submission after I take somebody down. And that’s nice as a result of we assist one another a lot in observe. It’s priceless to be surrounded by folks like that. There’s no different future however to be champion as a result of all people is on the identical vibe, the identical self-discipline, the identical vitality. It makes the method a lot simpler.”
Mesquita moved to American High Crew and “grew to become a white belt once more” in MMA, getting punched within the face in sparring to appreciate it lit a hearth that was not there within the jiu-jitsu circuit. She credit ATT head coach Marcos Parrumpa for the evolution in a brand new sport, studying new approach in each facet of the sport — even grappling.
“My jiu-jitsu right this moment isn’t the identical of after I gained the ADCC in 2017. Quite a bit has modified,” Mesquita stated. “And the combat begins on the toes and I must take somebody down with a purpose to use my jiu-jitsu. Did I keep away from getting punched and took somebody down? Good. I can’t waste alternatives. I’m snug on the bottom, however the wrestling I’m coaching now could be fully totally different than the one I skilled for jiu-jitsu. Now I prepare to place myself for jiu-jitsu with floor and pound, punching to create house to advance place and submit. It’s all fully totally different.”
“I’ve to maintain my jiu-jitsu on the highest stage, after all,” she continued. “I can’t let it drop as a result of that is my background. I’ll by no means be a striker. That gained’t occur. If I can, I’ll be like Demian Maia. Get there, takedown, submit. That’s my dream [laughs]. I’m 33 right this moment and I don’t have time for that, so let’s work the gamers with have on the staff, which is jiu-jitsu [laughs].”
Mesquita needed to make the transition to MMA earlier, but it surely was onerous to tug the plug and stop a sport she did for practically three a long time. Mesquita took grappling matches with MMA veterans to make some cash and discover out extra about MMA grappling, defeating former UFC champion Miesha Tate and one-time UFC title contender Jennifer Maia earlier than the transition, and realized it was onerous discovering girls keen to face such a jiu-jitsu beast in a MMA cage.
“In case you’re a fighter, it’s a must to combat,” Mesquita stated of the battle for opponents early in her profession. “If you wish to be a champion, it’s a must to combat whoever they put in entrance of you. You don’t get to select and select. That’s how I made my profession in jiu-jitsu, and I gained’t likelihood in MMA. If I need to be a terrific MMA champion like I used to be in jiu-jitsu, I’ve to be able to face whoever comes.”
The brief however already intense MMA profession has taught Mesquita essential classes about herself as a lady and athlete, but additionally opened her eyes on how losses are handled in comparison with jiu-jitsu. Mesquita has but to style defeat underneath the LFA banner, and getting her palms raised after every of her MMA bouts felt totally different than the tons of of jiu-jitsu wins.
“In jiu-jitsu, you lose a match, there’s one other one subsequent week. And one other massive event subsequent month,” Mesquita stated. “I really feel that reminiscence is shorter in jiu-jitsu. You lose the Pans? You may win the Mundial two months later and nobody will do not forget that. It’s not the identical in MMA. The [loss] will keep in your file. I really feel that each time I combat I’m getting one step nearer to my purpose, which is to compete with the world’s greatest and turn into champion. I’m not right here to be one other one.
“And I do know that this division nonetheless doesn’t have many massive names. It’s nonetheless fairly empty, let’s put it this fashion. The champion is altering on a regular basis, and I see an enormous alternative with my background, knowhow and expertise. I’m an athlete my whole life and I’m coming to make some noise, to turn into champion, and be among the many greatest.”
