Luana Carolina Finally Free to Fly

A variety of factors once conspired to curtail Luana Carolina’s development in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. She claims to have put them all in her rearview mirror through trial and error.

“Dread” kicks off what she hopes will be a career-defining 2025 campaign when she faces Montana De La Rosa as part of the UFC Fight Night 253 undercard on Saturday at the UFC Apex and Las Vegas. Issues with injuries and the scale—she has missed weight twice—have slowed the 5-foot-7 Brazilian’s rise within the women’s flyweight division.

“Those types of problems have been addressed,” Carolina told Sherdog.com. “My height makes it tricky to put on muscle, so my training focuses on the right amount of…