Treta with luck on her side to win at Bellator 202. Courtesy of Talita Treta
Bellator’s 202nd numbered event is going to be held this Friday the 13th. For the superstitious among us, the date could be a bad omen. But for Talita Treta, a Brazilian fighting for the featherweight belt in the main bout, 13 is a lucky number.
A BJJ world champion undefeated in MMA with seven wins (five by submission), Talita will be facing the belt holder, Julia Budd, for the title, and her stay at WinStar casino in Oklahoma is fitting.
What’s curious is the date chosen for Talita’s first title fight. The number 13, which in numerology means strength and self-confidence, has always been beside Talita for moments of pure luck.
Talita says she has a strong relationship with the number. “I was born on October 13th, and my mom on October 31st, right on Halloween. So what to many was bad luck, to us has always been good luck. I identify a lot with the number 13. I have it tattooed on my body, and many other good things in my life and the lives of people that are with me happen connected with the number 13. Fighting on Friday the 13th will be awesome!”
Although there is a favorable vibe surrounding her fight, luck will not be the main piece in Talita’s strategy. Aware of her tough opponent and her record of 11 wins and just two losses (and six years without a loss), Talita brought a few innovations to her camp.
“She is very experienced and physically strong,” Talita analyzes. “She has good pressure against the fence and she plays well with the rules in mind. My plan is to surprise her; I don’t want to leave it in the judges’ hands. About her ground game, I can’t say much, but I believe that if I go to the ground, I’m finishing her.
“Besides BJJ, we train a lot of stand-up things. Pittu had already been helping me with this fundamental, and Wagnão introduced me Suki, a Korean who doesn’t speak Portuguese but has been helping me a great deal in this camp. The guy is amazing at Muay Thai and has certainly added a lot to my game! I want to improve with each fight, be more well rounded.”
Even with all her weapons honed for the fight, Talita is much less experienced in MMA. So how can she make up for it? The answer is on the tip of her tongue. “I fight BJJ every month. I’m a competitor and I like fighting. In MMA, I have never gotten past round two — I feel good up there. The fans can expect someone with lots of love and joy in action. I have the best people around me, and our joy to be here is bigger than anything. I will leave the best of myself inside that cage.”
Bellator 202 — Oklahoma, USA — July 13, 2018
Julia Budd vs Talita Nogueira
Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas vs Michael McDonald
Leo Leite vs Chris Honeycutt
Valentin Moldavsky vs Ernest James
