Juliana Velasquez’s father introduced her to the judo mats when she was only four years old. The young carioca entered high-level competition 11 years later, capturing a few medals in the South American judo circuit. At age 28, she decided to try her luck in the mixed martial arts world.
One month after fellow judoka Ronda Rousey destroyed Sara McMann in just 66 seconds in the UFC cage, Velasquez won her amateur debut via second-round submission in 2014. Later that year, Velasquez kicked off her professional career with a decision victory.
Velasquez never came close to achieving what Rousey has done in judo competition, but she sees her career in mixed martial arts as a chance to get to the top of the world.