LAS VEGAS – Luana Pinheiro is comfortable with the concept of setbacks as she makes her MMA journey, which sees its next stop Saturday vs. Angela Hill at UFC Fight Night 241.
After starting her octagon tenure with three straight wins, Pinheiro (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) fell short in her biggest opportunity so far when she suffered a third-round TKO defeat to Amanda Ribas at UFC Fight Night 232 in November. Instead of beating herself up about it, though, Pinheiro (16-13 MMA, 11-13 UFC) took it as a moment of growth.
“I think I made some mistakes that ended up costing me a lot, but at the end of the day wasn’t what we expected,” Pinheiro told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “I was happy with my evolution in some things, it was just towards the end that I ended up losing the fight. It was a great learning opportunity and there was a lot of stuff to take into the next fight.”
Following the tough loss, Pinheiro gets another significant challenge. Hill, who she meets in a strawweight bout on the main card at the UFC Apex (ESPN+), has the second-most fights in women’s UFC history.
Pinheiro, 31, has youth on her side against Hill, 39. However, she knew this matchup would come eventually given Hill’s level of activity, so the Brazilian is ready for it.
“I think Angela Hill’s a very experienced fighter,” Pinheiro said. “She’s a very tough fighter who has been around for some time. She’s faced everybody for so many years. There comes a point where you run out of opponents to actually face. When I looked at this I just wanted to make sure it was a good fight for me. That’s what I care about.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
