LONDON – Alexia Thainara had to make some compromises on her ideal scenario, but overall she couldn’t ask for much more for a UFC debut.
After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Thainara (11-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes her promotional debut Saturday at UFC Fight Night 255 at The O2 (ESPN+) when she takes on fan favorite Molly McCann (14-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in a strawweight bout.
Thainara steps in as a late replacement for Istela Nunes on just eight days’ notice, and although a full training camp would’ve been preferred, she feels ready for this moment.
“I’m really happy to be here, and we accepted this fight on Friday. which is probably the last day we could’ve done that,” Thainara told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 255 media day. “But I was prepared. My master always says that fighters need to stay prepared for when the phone rings so you can step up, and that’s exactly what we did. We’ve been waiting for a fight since the Contender Series, and we took this one.”
It’s a lot to take on for the 27-year-old Thainara, who hails from Brazil. She will enter enemy territory against England’s McCann and face a hostile crowd in addition to an opponent who has more UFC fights than she has professional bouts.
McCann, 34, has proven to be a turbulent fighter in terms of her results, however, and with youth and a potential stronger drive on her side, Thainara likes her chances of pulling out the win under these conditions.
“I have a pretty versatile and well rounded game,” Thainara said. “We watched some of her fights and we didn’t see anything that stood out in particular, so I think my well rounded and aggressive style is going to match up good against her.
“I’ve been working a lot on my striking, so I’m not worried about that. I can stand up with her. Not a problem. I have a huge heart. But if it goes to the ground then I’m going to make her terrified.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 255.
