LAS VEGAS – Dione Barbosa beat Diana Belbita with a first-round submission Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 65 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Barbosa, who lived up to her 11-1 favorite status with a bonus-winning finish.
Dione Barbosa def. Diana Belbita
Result: Dione Barbosa def. Diana Belbita via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:13
Updated records: Barbosa (8-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Belbita (15-10 MMA, 2-6 UFC)
Key stats: Barbosa has half of her wins by submission – and Belbita has more than half her losses by submission.
Barbosa on the fight’s key moment
“The game plan was to have the best performance of my life. … I journal a lot and do mental training. I didn’t just prepare my body, but prepared my mind for the best performance of my life. I wanted so bad to finish the fight – it didn’t matter if I knocked her down or (submit her). I knew I had the tools to do both. I just had to be patient.”
https://twitter.com/UFCEspanol/status/1908682104595972464
Barbosa on her passion for fighting
“I was excited to get back in the cage. I feel happy when I’m in the cage. I love to fight. It’s not just about winning and losing. I train so hard every single day. I’m consistent in the work and doing what I need to do. … I feel full when I’m in there. There’s no anxiety to get a victory or anything. I can’t wait to get back again.”
Barbosa on what she wants next
“I’ll be back to the gym for sure – no time off. I want to fight JJ Aldrich. I’ll get back to the gym and train for whenever the UFC wants me. … It’s a fun matchup. I was supposed to fight Casey O’Neill, but she had an injury. I don’t think she’ll fight till December, so I don’t want to sit and wait for her. But I’d love to fight Casey O’Neill (when she’s healthy). JJ Aldrich, I think would be a fun match.”
To hear more from Barbosa, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 65.
