Jacqueline Cavalcanti appears to be like to make waves within the bantamweight division with a win over Julia Avila this Saturday night time at UFC Vegas 102, and she or he credit a lot of her success to the legendary Cris Cyborg.
Cavalcanti was raised on the Saloá favela in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and noticed herself surrounded by martial arts early on, coaching judo and capoeira as a child. Her mom labored as a maid in Sao Paulo, making sufficient cash to make ends meet and never a lot else, so she determined to threat every little thing and transfer to Portugal on the lookout for a greater life. Two years later, nonetheless working as a maid in Portugal, however with sufficient cash to have a extra comfy life, she felt it was time to convey her 11-year-old daughter over to Europe.
“Staying away from my mom for 2 years was powerful and as children we don’t perceive the whys,” Cavalcanti informed MMA Preventing, “However now I perceive completely that it was one thing essential to get us the place we’re at present. There weren’t many alternatives to earn cash and develop as a maid [in Brazil], and in Portugal, though she nonetheless works as a maid, she may no less than make one thing.”
Cavalcanti mentioned she may barely learn Portuguese when she left Brazil as a result of the general public system isn’t ok, and arriving in Portugal at 11 and never understanding these fundamentals was “a bit traumatizing.” She labored laborious to catch up and her native language wasn’t the one factor she was studying in her new house. The Sao Paulo native dreamed of working in sports activities and ended up falling in love with kickboxing and Muay Thai. That wasn’t essentially profitable, although, so she labored as waitress and at a neighborhood IKEA to place meals on the desk after turning 18.
Established within the fight sports activities circuit as a promising kickboxer, Cavalcanti wasn’t into the concept of competing in combined martial arts till she met Cris Cyborg, who at that time was the UFC featherweight champion.
“Cris Cyborg was in Portugal for a seminar and informed me, ‘Wow, you’re good at this. You need to make investments extra in MMA,’” Cavalcanti mentioned. “I had by no means even began coaching MMA, all I had was kickboxing and a few takedown protection and stuff like that.”
Cyborg’s seminar passed off at a neighborhood MMA gymnasium that had already invited Cavalcanti to hitch in, however initially she handed as a result of there have been no girls coaching there. After Cyborg’s present of assist, Cavalcanti determined to compete in kickboxing for the ultimate time, claiming a title on a neighborhood promotion, after which focus one hundred pc on a brand new sport.
“I knew I’d have much more alternatives in MMA and make {that a} profession, however it could additionally take a very long time,” mentioned Cavalcanti, who received her first MMA bout months later in Portugal. “I had so as to add rather a lot to my sport. I wished to get to the UFC and it could take time, and I needed to begin straight away. I at all times thank Cris after I see her. She was already an idol for me, so after I acquired to see her in individual and the way wonderful she was, I used to be like, ‘I’ve to start out now.’”
Cavalcanti hopes to in the future be an inspiration for others as Cyborg was for her, particularly in a rustic like Portugal that doesn’t have many feminine athletes competing for main MMA promotions. Cavalcanti mentioned she tries her finest to steadiness her relationship between Brazil and Portugal, however it typically creates drama on-line.
“I do know there’s a warfare between Portugal and Brazil so after I combat there are feedback about it,” Cavalcanti mentioned. “Brazilians are like, ‘Give our gold again’ [laughs] and the Portuguese reply. I really feel very welcomed in Portugal. After all, some folks undergo from prejudice, however it’s a blessed nation. I’m very glad, however on the identical time I see it as an pointless warfare.”
“I really feel Brazilian as a result of my buddies are Brazilian, my household is Brazilian, and we’ve got Brazilian traditions at house,” she added, “However I additionally embrace this Portuguese facet as a result of I used to be the primary lady to get there. Portugal is a really, very small nation that works laborious each single day to get higher, so it’s a method of me incentivizing the game in Portugal, of incentivizing girls to take it extra significantly and see it’s potential.”
Cavalcanti constructed a document of 4-1 earlier than claiming the LFA bantamweight title with a call over Melissa Croden in 2023 after which signed with UFC. She beat Zarah Fairn in her debut, and improved to 8-1 with a few choices over Josiane Nunes and Nora Cornolle earlier than being provided a combat with Germaine de Randamie for Jan. 11. Nonetheless, the former UFC champion abruptly retired from the game, citing a call to finish her profession earlier than the tip of 2024.
“Germaine was a former champion and was ranked, so it was excellent for me,” Cavalcanti mentioned. “It might be wonderful to combat her. I do know it could be a more durable combat as a result of she’s a superb striker, and she or he was somebody I appeared as much as. I used to be nonetheless in kickboxing when she was the UFC champion. Just a few weeks glided by after she allegedly agreed to the combat and signed the contract, I see a video on-line of her saying she was out of the combat and retired. It was simply 11 extra days [laughs].
“I used to be very, very upset. I used to be upset as a result of the contract was already signed. I do know Germaine, we had dinner collectively earlier than and shared a locked room as soon as. I believe she was very thoughtless. She texted me later saying she hadn’t signed the contract, however folks right here within the UFC informed me she did signal the contract. I used to be a bit upset, however it’s over. They gave me a brand new combat the subsequent day and it’s all good now.”
Avila stepped in as a alternative, with the match being moved a month later to UFC Vegas 102 on Feb. 15. “Raging Panda” solely fought as soon as since 2021, a third-round submission loss to Miesha Tate in her first combat again from being pregnant. Cavalcanti sees her as a “very explosive” fighter, however not as technical on the toes. Her purpose is so as to add one other win to her résumé after which name for a prime 10 opponent subsequent, however is anxious with the politics on the prime of her weight class.
“The issue with this division is that the champion doesn’t wish to combat,” mentioned Cavalcanti, referring to Julianna Peña. “Perhaps they’ll do an interim belt, and perhaps Amanda [Nunes] comes again — or not. If Kayla Harrison wins, she would possibly come again. For somebody who likes to remain lively as I do, it’s dangerous. Generally there are not any fights. I’ll simply combat whoever I’ve to combat to remain lively and construct this reference to the followers. I’m 27 and I do know I’ve loads of time to grow to be champion.”
