In May 2023, Ketlen Souza signed with the UFC and, less than a month later, she made her debut in the world’s main MMA league. Her debut at flyweight (57 kg), however, did not go as expected, with a defeat to compatriot Karine Silva by submission – which also resulted in a knee injury. Recovered from the injury after surgery and a recovery period, ‘Esquentadinha’ returns to compete this Saturday (27), at UFC Vegas 91. In search of her first victory in the company, the man from Manaus bets her chips on moving to strawweight (52 kg ).
In an exclusive interview with the news team at Ag Fight, Ketlen highlights that despite his history of competing at up to 57 kg, he considers the strawweight division to be his natural category – where he even took his first steps in his career. Facing American Marnic Mann, ‘Esquentadinha’ promises to present a real show to fans with a ‘new version’ inside the most famous octagon in the world.
“It changed everything, right. Category. (Side) Psychological. Strength. Everything. We learn from our mistakes, I’m always looking to improve. Yes (I consider myself more competitive in straws). In the flyweight category, the girls are very tall and much stronger. Strawweight has always been my category, I was a bit of a ‘fool’ in the other category (laughs). This time I had a (complete) and wonderful camp, I learned several things. I’m well prepared on the floor, it was one of the lessons I learned, I talked about this a lot with my teacher. I’ve always been a striker, so I also improved my punch and my speed. So you can expect a knockout or a bonus of the night from me, who knows. You can expect a different Ketlen, much more focused and with much faster knockout power”, highlighted the Brazilian.
Tags: Ketlen Esquentadinha praises move strawweight UFC debut defeat
