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.”
Dione Barbosa def. Diana Belbita, UFC on ESPN 65 (via UFC)
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.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
