Poliana Botelho (born December 15, 1988) is a Brazilian

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

who competes in the strawweight division of

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

. She previously has competed in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC) and held the Women's Flyweight Championship in the

Xtreme Fighting Championships Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) is a premier international mixed martial arts (MMA) organization based in Spring Lake, Michigan, with offices throughout the United States and South America. The XFC showcases both male and female fighters, ad ...

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Botelho made her professional debut in 2013, getting knockout wins over Thais Raphaela and Ingrid Schwartz in ''Favela Kombat'' and ''KTAF'' respectively. In 2014, she fought for the vacant flyweight title in the promotion ''Bitetti Combat''. She lost the bout via Unanimous Decision to fellow Brazilian Mixed Martial Artist

Viviane Pereira Viviane "Sucuri' Pereira (born August 8, 1993) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and competes in strawweight division. She last competed for Invicta Fighting Championships. Professional mixed martial artist since 2013, Pereira has also fought ...

. She later signed to the

as a

Flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of bo ...

Xtreme Fighting Championships

In 2014, Botelho joined XFC's second women's flyweight tournament. She made her promotional debut in September 2014 at XFCi 6 against Karina Rodriguez, winning the fight by TKO. The win propelled her to the tournament's semifinal round. Botelho was then slated to fight

Taila Santos Taila Santos (born June 22, 1993) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of June 13, 2022, she is #2 in the UFC women's flyweight rankings, and as of November 15, 202 ...

at XFCi 8 in December 2014. However, Santos failed to make weight, leading to the cancelation of the bout. Botelho, in turn, was advanced to the tournament's final round. In March 2015, Botelho fought once more under the XFC banner, this time taking on Antonia Silvaneide in the Women's Flyweight Tournament Final at XFCi 9. She won the fight by TKO in the first round, becoming the second winner in the history of the tournament. After the win, she was honored with a parade in her hometown. Later that year, Botelho faced

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...

fighter

Silvana Gómez Juárez Silvana Gómez Juárez (born December 6, 1984) is an Argentinian mixed martial artist who competes in the Strawweight division. She has previously competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Gómez Juárez started training kung f ...

, this time for the vacant XFC Women's Flyweight belt at XFCi 11. Despite being dropped and nearly submitted in the early rounds, Botelho went on to win the fight after a doctor stoppage between rounds. Botelho became the promotion's Women's Flyweight Champion. After her success in XFC, Botelho vacated the title and was signed to the

in 2016.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Botelho joined the UFC's strawweight division. She was expected to make her UFC debut against Valerie Letourneau at

UFC 206 ''UFC 206: Holloway vs. Pettis'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) held on December 10, 2016, at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Background A UFC Light Heavyweight Championshi ...

, but was forced to pull out due to injury. She was replaced by former opponent and fellow

XFC Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) is a premier international mixed martial arts (MMA) organization based in Spring Lake, Michigan, with offices throughout the United States and South America. The XFC showcases both male and female fighters, ad ...

champion

. Botelho fought

Pearl Gonzalez Pearlmelia Marie Gonzalez (born August 12, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist. She formerly competed for Ultimate Fighting Championships, and currently fights in the strawweight division of the Invicta Fighting Championships. Backgroun ...

UFC 216 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

on October 7, 2017. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Botelho faced

Syuri Kondo is a Japanese professional wrestler, shoot boxer, kickboxer and mixed martial artist, better known simply as . Syuri formerly competed in Ultimate Fighting Championship. Syuri is currently working for World Wonder Ring Stardom, where she is the ...

on May 19, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 129 ''UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 129'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on May 19, 2018, at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile. Background The even ...

. She won the fight via TKO due to a body kick and punches just 33 seconds into the first round. Botelho faced

Cynthia Calvillo Cynthia Tafoya Calvillo ( , born July 13, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the strawweight and flyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of August 15, 2022, she is #14 in the UFC women's flyweight ra ...

on November 17, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 140 ''UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Ponzinibbio'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 140'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on November 17, 2018 at Estadio Mary Terán de Weiss in Buenos Aires ...

. At the weigh-ins, Calvillo weighed in at 118 lbs, 2 pounds over the strawweight non-title fight limit of 116 lbs. She was fined 20 percent of her purse, which went to Botelho, and the bout proceeded at catchweight. She lost the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in round one. Botelho was briefly linked to a matchup with

Paige VanZant Paige Michelle VanZant (''née'' Sletten; married name Vanderford; born March 26, 1994), is an American mixed martial artist, bare knuckle boxer, professional wrestler, author, and model. She is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling, as a wres ...

UFC 236 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor (company), End ...

on April 13, However, just days after the pairing was leaked, VanZant announced that she would not be competing on the card due to a fractured right arm. VanZant was replaced by

Lauren Mueller Lauren Elizabeth Mueller (born November 15, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist, currently in the Bantamnweight division of the Invicta FC. A professional competitor since 2015, she has also competed in the UFC and Gladiator Challenge. B ...

. She won the fight by unanimous decision. Botelho was scheduled to face

Maryna Moroz Maryna Moroz (Ukrainian: Марина Мороз; born September 8, 1991) is a Ukrainian professional mixed martial artist, signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she competes in the Women's Flyweight division. Moroz is also ...

on August 17, 2019 at

UFC 241 ''UFC 241: Cormier vs. Miocic 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 17, 2019 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background A UFC Heavyweight Championship rematch betw ...

. However, it was reported on August 1, 2019 that Moroz was forced to pull out from the event citing injury. Botelho faced

Gillian Robertson Gillian Elizabeth Robertson (born May 17, 1995) is a Canadian mixed martial artist (MMA). She currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Robertson was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Can ...

on October 18, 2020 at

UFC Fight Night 180 ''UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. The Korean Zombie'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 180'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 38'' and ''UFC Fight Island 6'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 18 ...

. She lost the fight via unanimous decision. Botelho was scheduled to face

Ji Yeon Kim Kim Ji-yeon ( ko, 김지연; born October 18, 1992), often anglicized Ji Yeon Kim, is a South Korean mixed martial artist (MMA). She was the Jewels and Gladiator women's bantamweight champion. She competes in the Women's Flyweight division of ...

on May 1, 2021 at UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka. However, Kim pulled out of the fight on March 22 citing injury and was replaced by

Mayra Bueno Silva Mayra Bueno Silva (born August 22, 1991) is a Brazilian female mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of March 7, 2023, she is #10 in the UFC women's bantamweight rankings. Backg ...

. Bueno suffered a back injury in late March and she was pulled from the bout. Bueno was replaced by Luana Carolina. She lost the close bout via split decision. Botelho was scheduled to face

on January 22, 2022 at

UFC 270 ''UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 22, 2022 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background A UFC Heavyweight Championship title unificati ...

, but Botelho pulled out instead and the pairing was scrapped. Botelho faced Karine Silva on June 4, 2022 at

UFC Fight Night 207 ''UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 207'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 65'' or ''UFC Vegas 56'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 4, 2022, at the ...

. She lost the fight via a submission in round one. After her last loss, it was announced that Botelho was no longer under contract with the UFC.

Invicta FC

Botelho faced Helen Peralta at Invicta FC 49: Delboni vs. DeCoursey on September 28, 2022. She won the bout via unanimous decision.

Bellator MMA

Soon after her victory in Invicta, Botelho was signed to a multi-fight contract with

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

* Xtreme Fighting Championships ** Xtreme Fighting Championships Women's Flyweight Champion (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 9–5 , Helen Peralta , Decision (unanimous) , Invicta FC 49 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Hinton, Oklahoma Hinton is a town in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,196 as of the 2010 census, up from 2,175 in 2000. It is approximately west of Oklahoma City. Geography Hinton is located in northeastern Caddo County at (35.479004 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–5 , Karine Silva , Submission (brabo choke) , UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:55 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–4 , Luana Carolina , Decision (split) , UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. The Korean Zombie , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–2 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Ponzinibbio , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:48 ,

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

, Argentina , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 ,

, TKO (body kick and punches) , UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:33 ,

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

, Chile , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , XFC International 11 , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 5:00 ,

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Antonia Silvaneide , TKO (punches) , XFC International 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:36 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Karina Rodríguez , TKO (body kick) , XFC International 6 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:15 ,

Araraquara Araraquara ( or ) is a city in the state of São Paulo (state), São Paulo in Brazil. The population is 250.314 (2022 est.) in an area of . It is also known as "the abode of the sun," because of its impressive sunset and because of its hot atmosphe ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bitetti Combat 20 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Armação dos Búzios, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Ingrid Schwartz , TKO (punches) , KTA Fight 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Cataguases Cataguases is a municipality located in the southeastern part of the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The estimated population in 2020 was 75,540. It is mainly an industrial centre (textile, metallurgy, clothes) with a strong influence of coffe ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Thais Raphaela , TKO (punches) , Favela Kombat 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Niterói Niterói (, ) is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality of the state of Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro in the Southeast Region, Brazil, southeast region of Brazil. It lies across Guanabara Bay facing the city of Rio de Janeiro and forms ...

, Brazil ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Botelho, Poliana 1988 births Brazilian female mixed martial artists Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners Brazilian Muay Thai practitioners Female Muay Thai practitioners Strawweight mixed martial artists Flyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Minas Gerais Living people Ultimate Fighting Championship female fighters