It seems that neither muggers nor members of the UFC’s strawweight division are safe when Polyana Viana is in town, as the Brazilian famous for beating up a would-be thief earned a vital submission win in her octagon return.
Brazil’s Viana entered the cage in Las Vegas late on Saturday night knowing that her job was the on the line after experiencing three successive defeats.
But if she had any nerves, they certainly weren’t apparent in her performance as the 28-year-old barely worked up a sweat before successfully submitting American opponent Whitmire before the two-minute mark in the first round.
Viana seized on a stray limb to secure an armbar submission win – her first win in the Octagon in two and a half years – and the relief was apparent, as she let out a primal scream and pounded the canvas as soon as the referee called a halt to the contest. It was the fifth-fasted finish in women’s strawweight history.
The win solidifies Viana’s status in the women’s 115lbs frame, with the victorious Brazilian dedicating the win to her training partner who, according to her manager Alex Davis, tragically passed away one month ago.
Polyana Viana Textbook!! #UFCVegas8 ??? pic.twitter.com/8wMRuQIT8B
Quero agradecer primeiramente a Deus, pois ele sabe de todas as coisas. Obrigada também a todos que fizeram parte disso, minha família, minha equipe maravilhosa, meus professores, meus amigos, e meu chefe por essa oportunidade. Quem acompanhou de perto sabe que não foi fácil, tive muitas lesões durante minha preparação, mas graças a Deus deu tudo certo, eu estou muito feliz, obrigada a todos de verdade ??❤️
“Those who followed closely know that it was not easy, I had a lot of injuries during my preparation, but thank God everything went well, I am very happy,” Viana wrote on social media after the bout, via translation.
Viana garnered the attention of the world’s MMA press in 2019 after UFC chief Dana White posted an image of a man who allegedly attempted to mug the UFC star. The would-be mugger was fought off by the fighter in Rio de Janeiro, leaving his face a swollen and bloody mess.
Whitmire, meanwhile, has now dropped two straight fights inside the Octagon after being submitted by the surging Amanda Ribas in June of last year and will now face an uncertain future of her own with her career record now standing at 4-4.
