Eduarda Moura, a competitor relatively new to the bright lights of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, offers a dual perspective on the fight world: her own careful navigation of divisions and her strong belief in a teammate`s championship destiny.
While Moura, now comfortably competing at flyweight, asserts she is not rushing her *own* pursuit of UFC gold, she sees a different trajectory for her training partner, heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida. Almeida, known as “Malhadinho,” has rapidly ascended the ranks since joining the promotion in 2022, securing eight victories in nine outings, with all but one ending before the final bell.
Almeida has made no secret of his ambition to challenge for the heavyweight title, specifically eyeing a clash with interim champion Tom Aspinall following Jon Jones` departure from the division. Moura shares this view of inevitability regarding Almeida`s championship opportunity. According to Moura, Almeida is “there,” belonging at the division`s apex, and his title shot is simply a matter of time and opponent scheduling, perhaps after a potential matchup against someone like Alexander Volkov. There is, she suggests, “nowhere else to go” but towards the belt, leading to a calm confidence within their camp regarding the eventual outcome.
Moura anticipates that a potential bout against Aspinall would represent the most significant challenge of Almeida`s career. She views the current waiting period not as a setback, but as valuable time for Almeida to refine his skills and reach optimal preparation for such a formidable opponent. Her technical prediction for the hypothetical clash is straightforward: she believes Almeida will leverage his superior grappling. Moura envisions her teammate securing a takedown early in the fight – a signature move he “loves doing” – and subsequently submitting Aspinall. It’s a confident forecast aimed, perhaps humorously, at concluding the fight swiftly to spare spectators (and presumably, herself) undue stress.
Turning to her own path, Moura`s recent move to the flyweight division appears to be a strategic and necessary adjustment. Her sole professional loss occurred in June 2024 at strawweight, a contest where she also missed weight. This experience highlighted the severe physical toll of competing at 115 pounds, including disrupted sleep and illness prior to the fight. Identifying it as a crucial learning moment, Moura realized there was “no need” to subject herself to such demanding weight cuts when she possesses natural strength at 125 pounds. She considers flyweight her “true division” and feels significantly better adapted to the weight class.
Ahead of her upcoming preliminary bout against veteran Lauren Murphy at UFC Nashville, Moura expects her opponent to display seasoned composure. However, she is confident her grappling skills will ultimately prove decisive. Securing a victory would move Moura to 2-0 as a UFC flyweight, further solidifying her position in the division.
Moura also offered an interesting comparison between the flyweight and strawweight divisions, particularly concerning the perceived threat levels at the top. While acknowledging the toughness of flyweight stalwarts like Valentina Shevchenko, Moura holds immense respect, bordering on apprehension, for strawweight champion Weili Zhang. She describes Zhang as a “badass” and someone she consistently viewed as the toughest potential opponent. This stark perception makes the flyweight title picture seem, perhaps ironically, less daunting to her simply because it doesn`t currently include the formidable Chinese champion, even if Shevchenko presents her own unique set of challenges. The hypothetical scenario of Zhang moving up to flyweight was met with a hopeful, albeit humorous, dismissal from Moura – “She won’t come up. She will stay quiet down there” – though she acknowledged the necessity of facing any challenger should it arise.
In essence, Eduarda Moura is settling into her optimal weight class while keeping a keen, and highly confident, eye on her teammate`s ascent towards heavyweight glory, navigating the complex landscape of UFC divisions with a blend of personal strategy and unwavering team support.
Jasper Hawthorne