Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Farah Hannoun and Ken Hathaway

Jennifer Maia: Viviane Araujo ‘a hard opponent, but I think I’m better’

LAS VEGAS – Jennifer Maia expects to have the advantage over Viviane Araujo.

Maia (21-9-1 MMA, 6-5 UFC) takes on Araujo (11-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC) in a flyweight bout in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 230 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

“I’m happy with this fight,” Maia told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “She is a hard opponent, but I think I’m better.”

If Maia can make it three straight wins vs. Araujo, that would mark her longest winning streak in the UFC. The former title challenger hopes she can return to fighting the upper echelon of the division.

“I’m excited for this fight because if I win, I want to fight against the top five,” Maia said.

Maia gave former champion Valentina Shevchenko a tough outing when she challenged her for the title in November 2020. She looks forward to competing for the title again in the near future.

“I’m prepared to fight with the champion soon,” Maia said.

Watch Maia’s full pre-fight interview in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 230.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.