BJJ champion, Talita expects to repeat the feat in MMA. Photo: Ivan Trindade.
Black-belt BJJ world champ Talita “Treta” Nogueira is ready to soar higher in MMA. Undefeated after 6 bouts, the athlete, who remains active in BJJ competitions, has a date and adversary set for her Bellator debut.
In an exclusive talk with Graciemag, Talita said she will face Strikeforce champion Marloes Coenen at Bellator 163 on November 4, in Connecticut. The featherweight duel may give Treta a title shot.
GRACIEMAG.com: How did you receive the news of your debut against such an experienced opponent?
Talita Treta: It was okay. We got the proposal a month ago. My manager contacted me and asked what I thought. The proposal was very good, and we accepted the fight. If I win the bout I’ll fight for the belt, so we could not pass up this opportunity. There was no pressure due to who the opponent is. I can get over that with a lot of training to get to the fight feeling confident.
And how is your preparation? Lots of BJJ, or are you more focused on stand-up?
I do my BJJ preparation at Demian Maia’s Vila da Luta, in Sao Paulo, which in my opinion is the best gym for training MMA-focused ground play. But today I’m in Curitiba, at Killer Bees honing my striking. My stand-up game is my main concern, and people here are giving me all the support. Rodrigo Vidal and Ricardo Leite are working miracles! I’m better prepared with each passing day.
So your focus is on suprising in the cage via sharp striking.
My game is BJJ. My strategy is focused on taking it to the ground and getting the submission, but I want to be confident and have some weapons to surprise her with. Marloes is a strong ground player, with 17 subs in her career, but, if she wants to take our fight in that direction, she’s more than welcome.
You’re coming off of six wins and stand before the biggest challenge of your career to date. How do you deal with the pressure of a Bellator debut?
I always conquered everything in my life by training and competing with love, always giving it my best. Up there anything can happen. I’ll fight with a girl with a long history, and I respect that to death, but I have my weapons and I’ll trust them. Every fighter wins and loses. I really want to win, really, but I cannot forget that there is a person on the other side that wants the same. I want go there with a smile on my face and have fun.
