Back to the MMA Newsfeed

Once ‘afraid’ of fighting MMA, Jennifer Maia aims to shock the world by beating Valentina Shevchenko

Not many people give Jennifer Maia a real shot at beating Valentina Shevchenko and becoming a UFC champion at Saturday night’s UFC 255 in Las Vegas, but that’s not new to the Brazilian. Feeling overlooked her entire career, Maia vows to teach the entire world a lesson inside the octagon.

“I was the underdog in my last fight and saw several comments, especially here in Brazil, all in favor of my opponent,” said Maia, who submitted Joanne Calderwood with an armbar in under five minutes in August. “They don’t recognize me.