Matheus Nicolau, Luana Pinheiro Looking to Become ‘First Couple Champions’ in UFC

Romance can be quite a powerful motivator.

Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight contender Matheus Nicolau has grand designs on his division, and he does not plan on being at the top by himself. The upcoming UFC on ESPN 33 card on Saturday will have two important chapters to set up the future of flyweight division, and Nicolau aims to cement his place as a top contender with a decisive win.

Besides the fight between Askar Askarov and Kai Kara France, ranked two and six, respectively, there is one more matchup pitting top-10 flyweights against one another. The Columbus, Ohio, event will also feature a fight between Brazilian Nicolau (17-2-1) and the surging David Dvorak (20-3), with the latter coming off three straight UFC wins. Nicolau spoke to Sherdog about his upcoming bout, and what he plans after it takes place.

“David is a pretty solid fighter [and] well-rounded,” Nicolau admitted. “He has the same number of knockouts and submissions. For being very experienced, he feels the rhythm of the fight and normally reacts over what the opponent brings to him. No doubt it’s going to be a great challenge to me, but I’m ready to solve this puzzle and bring another victory.”

When asked to give his predictions about the next challenges in his division, Nicolau displayed that he is paying very close attention to the flyweight landscape.

“Flyweight division is one of the toughest today,” the Brazilian said proudly. “The fights are so even that it’s really hard to pick winners. But concerning the top-ranked guys who already have the fights confirmed, I would say Askarov is [a] little favorite over Kara France; I would bet Brandon Royval will beat Matt Schnell and, if UFC confirms the rumors, I believe Deiveson Figueiredo will win his fourth fight with Brandon Moreno.”

In case of a win over Dvorak, Nicolau believes he would have two or three more fights until he earns a title shot.

“I would love to face any of the above winners next in fights that would make sense, but now my goal is 100% in Dvorak, which is another great challenge,” he explained.

Training out of Nova Uniao in Brazil, Nicolau praised the opportunity to train with his idol, Jose Aldo.

“Since the first day in Nova Uniao, Aldo has been really nice with me,” Nicolau happily explained. “Having him as a training partner is an opportunity to evolve every day. Aldo is such an inspiration to me. Reaching the top is hard. Aldo got the title, stayed undefeated for 10 years, then lost the title and came down to bantamweight, getting three straight wins over some of the toughest guys of the division. How many guys in MMA history could stay among the best for 15 years? Aldo is definitely someone I look up to.”

Another training partner that puts a smile on Matheus’ face is the UFC’s 15th ranked strawweight fighter: his girlfriend, Luana Pinheiro.

“Sometimes we have to control ourselves to stop living MMA 24 hours a day,” recognized the passionate Nicolau.

The Brazilian lauds her Judo background as something that both inspires him and helps him train harder.

“Her father is a Judo Shihan; she competed since [she was] six years old,” Nicolau noted. “She grew up with the discipline of losing weight. She is so dedicated; she never misses [training]. She is such an unbelievable athlete. What impresses me more about her is that in day-to-day routine, she is so emotional, but as soon as she starts to warm up, she turns on what I call ‘Lulu killer mode.’”

Pinheiro has won both of her appearances inside the Octagon, and she sports a win streak of eight straight. With UFC victories over Randa Markos and Sam Hughes, Pinheiro is booked to take on former Invicta Fighting Championships champ Jessica Penne on April 30.

“For the way she is dedicated to training and how fast she is evolving, I have no doubt that soon she will reach the top of the rankings,” he expects.

Nicolau revealed that he and his significant other have a very important goal in mind. They do not plan to exchange rings, but rather want to conquer belts.

“It’s not just our dream, it’s a plan that we are working hard every day to achieve. We want to be the first couple champions in UFC history,” Nicolau concluded.