Maria Oliveira is no stranger to learning from adversity.
As she prepares to face Vanessa Demopoulos at UFC Fight Night 215 on Saturday, hoping to establish herself as a serious prospect in the Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight division with a win, “Spider-Girl” can draw on the hard-bought experience of setbacks at every step along the way. After losing to Kanna Asakura in the final of the Rizin Fighting Federation bantamweight grand prix four years ago, Oliveira dropped to 115 pounds, only to come up short against current UFC strawweight contender Marina Rodriguez on Dana White's Contender Series.