Ketlen Vieira: Holly Holm Was Trying to ‘Neutralize’ Me at UFC Fight Night 206

Ketlen Vieira added another significant feather to her cap on Saturday night.

Some six months after besting Miesha Tate, Vieira defeated another former champion, taking a hard-fought — and somewhat contentious — split decision triumph against Holly Holm in the UFC Fight Night 206 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Vieira was still competing on the regional circuit when Holm became a massive star by knocking out Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in November 2015.

“As I was growing up and watching MMA in Manaus, Amazonas, I still had dreams of coming to the UFC, and I watched her shock the world and beat Ronda Rousey,” Vieira said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “And just like other fighters I mentioned like Miesha Tate and others, I’ve always wanted to fight them and be a part of this. So ever since I started, I’ve always wanted to fight her.”

While many observers thought that Holm deserved the nod on the scorecards, Vieira wasn’t impressed with her opponent’s approach, which included plenty of clinch work and control time. However, when the bantamweights were at range, Vieira often seemed to land with more power than the ex-boxing champion. The Brazilian believes the judges ultimately rewarded her for more effective offense in the bout.

“I think she was doing more of an ‘antigame,’ we use that term for soccer,” Vieira said. “That’s what she was doing, she was basically trying to neutralize me. She was just pressing me against the cage but nothing was happening, she just wanted me to stop fighting and I think that the judges actually saw that.”

Vieira appeared to be on the verge of securing a finish in the second round, when she trapped Holm in a standing rear-naked choke. Holm’s eyes bulged and her face turned red, but “The Preacher’s Daughter” somehow managed to escape the predicament.

“I felt pretty good about that and I thought that she actually was doing a light tap,” Vieira said. “I saw the ref come in close and when I looked over to see him coming close that’s when I think she took the opportunity because I looked away from what was going on and she escaped me. But God’s plans, they can’t be denied.”

Heading into the fifth round, Vieira received a tongue lashing from cornerman Andre Pederneiras, who insisted that she was down on the scorecards. While that didn’t turn out to be true, Vieira claims that is a trick her coach employs on a regular basis.

“Not just in the fights, but also in the gym, he’s always like, ‘You’re losing, you’re losing,’” Vieira said. “‘… And yes, it’s something that he uses to propel us to actually win and to find more, to actually go for a fight, to look for a fight, to look for a win. So it’s something that works and he knows he needs to actually use that kind of approach.”

Vieira is among the winningest fighters in the history of the UFC’s bantamweight division, and her resume includes victories over the likes of Holm, Tate, Cat Zingano and Sara McMann. With that in mind, she believes a title shot should be next on the agenda, and she is willing to wait for the winner of the rematch between Julianna Pena and Amanda Nunes scheduled for UFC 277 on July 30. Vieira balked at the mention of a rematch with Irene Aldana, who defeated her via first-round knockout at UFC 245.

“I don’t think it’s necessary. I just beat someone who beat her,” Vieira said. “I’d rather take my time, go back to the gym, keep getting better because I’ve waited a lot. I’ve been close to No. 2 all this time, so I just want to take whatever time is necessary and wait for the winner there.”