Luana Carolina’s Gut Check

Heightened stakes stare right back at Luana
Carolina when she looks in the mirror every day.

The 30-year-old Brazilian flyweight could be battling for her spot
on the
Ultimate Fighting Championship roster when she toes the line
against undefeated promotional newcomer Ivana
Siric Petrovic as part of the
UFC on ESPN 48 undercard this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas. Carolina’s immediate concerns are clear.

“My goal is to win, renew my contract and fight on the Sao Paulo
card in Brazil in November,” she told Sherdog.com. “With each camp,
my main objective is to improve upon my previous performance, both
physically and technically. It won’t be any different this time. As
an MMA fighter, I train to be prepared for any situation that may
arise in the Octagon.”

Recent history has not been kind to Carolina. She has suffered
back-to-back setbacks, including a vicious spinning back elbow
knockout defeat to onetime
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Molly
McCann that shelved her for nearly 12 full months. “I had to
spend a year away to make sure my health was in perfect condition
before returning,” Carolina said. She returned to the cage at UFC
286, where she dropped a split decision to
Syndicate MMA’s Joanne Wood
on March 18. “It was an extremely close fight where the difference
was in the details,” Carolina said. “However, I do see an evolution
in my last fights, and I intend to show even more progress in the
next one.” The loss to Wood left her at 3-3 through six appearances
inside the Octagon, past wins over Lupita
Godinez, Poliana
Botelho and Priscila
Cachoeira keeping her head above water.

Carolina now has her sights fixed on Petrovic, a 29-year-old former
Ares Fighting Championship titleholder who has finished five of her
six opponents as a pro. A native of Bosnia-Herzegovina, she
operates out of Norway and looks like yet another promising
prospect out of Europe.

“It will be a challenging fight,” Carolina said. “She certainly
deserves to be in the UFC. She has a complete game and is skilled
at grappling. Now that she’s in the UFC, she’s determined to prove
her worth here and showcase her fighting style. I’m sure it will be
an exciting clash between the two of us. We’ll fight hard. I’m
prepared to face her wherever the fight goes, and I’m ready to do
my best.”