Final Destination

When Tainara Lisboa entered the martial arts arena, she did not have to search far and wide for inspiration. She found it at home.

“My father was always an athlete,” Lisboa told Sherdog.com. “He was in love with taekwondo and really encouraged me. Around the age of 13 or 14, I stared muay thai. I joined classes to control my weight and anxiety, and I fell in love with fighting. At 14, I had a trial bout, and by 16, I was already on a team and competing. I fought for 15 years and earned two world titles in Thailand.

“When I saw I had accomplished all my goals in muay thai, I sought out the next step,” she added. “I felt I could either stop fighting and become an instructor, or I could migrate to MMA, which was a sport with increasing popularity. That’s when I chose to make the transition and jump headfirst into MMA.”

Lisboa held her own and went 2-2 through her first four appearances, sandwiching losses to Norma Dumont and Lorrany Santos around wins over Mara Suzamaque and Daline Gomes Silvestre on the Brazilian regional scene. The 32-year-old has since rattled off three straight victories.

“In wins, we learn, but in losses, we learn much more,” Lisboa said. “I took the time to learn all I could and correct my errors. I sought new professionals and I looked to understand where I may be lacking. I also put a lot of work in on my emotions. I’m a big believer in the psychology of sports. I worked on all those areas so I could be equipped to be in the world’s biggest promotion.”

Consider that mission accomplished. Lisboa will make her Ultimate Fighting Championship debut when she meets Jessica-Rose Clark as part of the UFC on ABC 4 undercard this Saturday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Clark owns a 4-4 record across eight assignments inside the Octagon, wins over Bec Rawlings and Paige VanZant anchoring the Syndicate MMA rep’s resume.

“I was very happy when the UFC announced my opponent,” Lisboa said. “I’ve been following her career for some time. I think she’s a great fighter, and I’m happy to debut against someone I admire. Of course, my team and I have studied all her positive and negative traits. We trained with my best qualities and my flaws in mind. We’ll be ready for what she does best. We prepared very strategically. My plan is simply to show up and give the best of me.”

The under-the-radar bout serves as an opportunity for Lisboa to maintain her current momentum and a chance to establish an immediate foothold in the UFC women’s bantamweight division.

“I’m only focused on letting my game go so I can show my work,” she said. “Hopefully, I’ll debut on the right foot. After that, I’ll do what I always do, which is to take things one step at a time. I want to make my name inside the organization. Of course, every athlete dreams of being champion, but it will happen at the right time.”