Ketlen Vieira: This Is MMA, Not Judo

Ketlen Vieira hears the hype and knows the stakes but isn’t letting any of it bother her.

As she prepares to face Kayla Harrison on the main card of UFC 307 on Saturday in Salt Lake City, Utah, in a likely bantamweight title eliminator, the 33-year-old Brazilian spoke to Sherdog about the path that brought her to this, the biggest fight of her career so far.

“Looking back, I only see good things in my career,” Vieira said. “There were a lot of conquests over the years. God gave me more than I asked for. I came close to the championship belt many times. I always believe in God’s plans. It wasn’t the right time. When the right time comes, it will happen. I haven’t fought in a year. I was supposed to face Macy Chiasson in January but unfortunately, I suffered a knee injury. A training partner landed on my knee. I had a meniscus tear and a fibula fracture. I wouldn’t have been able to fight. In these eight years in the UFC, I only dropped out twice. Once, in 2018, I needed surgery. And this time, I came close to needing surgery again, but we dealt with it via three months of physical therapy. Now I’m blessed and happy with this new fight – this new opportunity.”

UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

Vieira understands why her foe is considered by many to be the champ-in-waiting. After all, the 17-1 American is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo and a two-time Professional Fighters League lightweight champion, who made a spectacularly successful transition to the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the lightweight division with a mauling of former champ Holly Holm at UFC 300 in April. However, she refuses to be intimidated by Harrison’s credentials, and points to her own skills and experience, a combination she believes Harrison has yet to face in mixed martial arts.

“Kayla is an excellent fighter,” Vieira said. “If she wasn’t, she wouldn’t be in the UFC, nor would she have been the PFL champ twice. She’s good and she keeps evolving. Her ground game is very strong. But so is mine. The difference is that she’s never faced an athlete like me. I don’t panic on the ground, unlike her previous opponents. I’m also a judo black belt. I have the best takedown defense of all UFC female fighters. And among all men and women [in the UFC] I’m the fifth best. I also have my strong qualities. My striking has also improved significantly. If she wants to fight on the ground, fight on the feet, or go for takedowns, I’ll be ready for anything. The big question is if she’ll be ready too. Some people see a monster when they think of Kayla. I only see another woman with dreams of championship – just like me. Once we step into the cage, the chances are 50/50. Those who follow my career know I never had it easy in the UFC. I fought hard to get into the top 5. I didn’t just fight once to get there. I’ve been building up to it. It took me seven years to get to number five. I’ve been battling hard for this, while always trusting that the best is yet to come. Kayla is a great fighter and so am I. This is MMA, not judo. In judo, she’s a phenom. But in MMA, she’s number three and I’m number two.”

As with all of her camps for years, Vieira has prepared for this fight at Nova Uniao. “I belong to Nova Uniao [in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]. Our head coach is Andre Pederneiras [master Dede]. I’ve been doing my preparation work with Hacran Dias and Johnny Eduardo. Our academy’s strength is grappling. I get more ready with each session. Kayla is a big name, but I was born for this. I was born to fight the best. That’s the thing that makes me happy. I don’t want any shortcuts. I want to take the right path without skipping anything. I was very young when I arrived in the UFC. I had few fights and had to mature in the promotion. I was tossed into a shark pool but I’m thankful for all the challenges and setbacks. They made me the fighter I am today.”

Vieira is aware of the elevation of Salt Lake City (approximately 4,200 feet above sea level), but maintains that she is unconcerned about it, much less the idea of fighting an American in America, which she points out is par for the course. “This will be my 12th fight in the UFC. All my fights have been outside Brazil, so I’m very used to that. I haven’t had the chance to fight in my own country. As far as the altitude, my physical conditioning coach as well as coach Pederneiras get me ready for that. It won’t be a problem. I can hardly wait for fight time. May God’s will be done.

“I plan to win this fight and then see what’s next,” she concluded. “We can’t worry about Tuesday if we don’t make it through Monday first. I’m very focused, motivated, and happy. To fight a big name is additional fuel for me. We’ll put on a great show on Oct. 5. Hopefully I’ll have a great performance. That’s what I’m training for.”