The Preventing Nerds took the UFC by storm in 2024 with 12 wins and $400,000 value of post-fight bonuses in 13 octagon appearances, and so they intention to ascertain themselves as a drive within the sport in 2025.
Bruna Brasil is the primary longtime member of the workforce to enter the UFC cage this yr, transferring up a weight class to tackle Wang Cong this Saturday at Sydney’s UFC 312. Brasil is trying to preserve the momentum going after a call win over Molly McCann.
A pure strawweight, Brasil went 1-1 final yr within the UFC. Her fellow Preventing Nerds skills Caio Borralho, Carlos Prates, Jean Silva and Mauricio Ruffy mixed a report of 12-0 with eight bonuses claimed within the octagon. For Brasil, the good yr from the Sao Paulo workforce “lifts you up” when it’s time to compete.
“While you stroll with those that work arduous, you robotically work arduous too,” Brasil informed MMA Preventing. “And the other can be true. Should you stroll with folks which can be common, you turn into common with out noticing it. That’s the large key right here, that’s what motivates us. We had been named finest workforce of 2024 so we’ve to work arduous to indicate we will consolidate that. Everyone works arduous there. The key of Preventing Nerds is dedication, technique, examine and keenness, and that’s what strikes all people to overcome extra.”
Brasil had Borralho in her nook towards England’s personal McCann in Manchester, and once more known as her buddy and teammate to be exterior when she faces Wang. The final win was a vital one for the strawweight, who was 1-2 coming into what might find yourself being her final shot within the UFC.
“I used to be extra fearful as a result of it was the final struggle of my contract and preventing a fighter at her degree was a danger as a result of it was all in her favor, in her dwelling,” Brasil mentioned. “She’s highly regarded in England and that makes a distinction as nicely, however all of the preparation we had helped me go in there with a cool thoughts to benefit from each alternative the UFC offers us. We enter the octagon and there’s a crowd watching, we really feel just like the rockstar of the second.
“The Molly struggle was nice as a result of it made me really feel able to successful nice challenges, dealing with nice fighters. I’m dealing with this struggle now as an ideal problem. The circumstances round it makes it a much bigger problem, too. The opponent, the actual fact it’s in Australia, a weight up and brief camp, however I believe all that motivated me to be prepared and ready for something that occurs within the struggle.”
Brasil mentioned she anticipated McCann to be act cocky throughout struggle week in Manchester, and as a substitute noticed somebody “a bit extra pleasant.” As for Wang, who was on an increase within the sport with a number of knockouts, Brasil wonders how she is going to react after a stunning upset to Gabriella Fernandes in November.
Wang went along with her conventional Joker moniker for the face-off, and Brasil got here in ready with a Batman masks.
“I don’t assume she is going to change a lot the way in which she fights,” Brasil mentioned. “She may change her persona a bit and be extra critical as a result of she must win. Which may pump her up, but it surely may additionally add extra strain over her and he or she’s overexcited and expose herself extra due to these feelings. Like, ‘I misplaced a struggle I used to be speculated to win and now I’ve to show [something] to the world. I’m preventing somebody who’s transferring up in weight and took the struggle on brief discover.’ She has to win this struggle, and I’m going there to shock and present it received’t finish like that.”
