UFC Vegas 74: Who is Ketlen Souza?
This is the debutant to watch this Saturday at UFC Vegas 74: Kara-France vs. Albazi
UFC is back on Saturday following a weekend off. Another fight night event brings about opportunities for new fighters to prove themselves as they look to climb the rankings and become household names for MMA fans all around the world. The women's flyweight division has an exciting offer for fight fans this Saturday.
Ketlen Souza is such a fighter who will be making her promotional debut this Saturday at UFC Vegas 74. Hailing from Manaus, Brazil, this standout fighter looks to dominate in the octagon and add her own name among the great Brazilians who have walked the same path before her.
Nicknamed 'Esquentadinha', Ketlen Souza is as vicious as they come and certainly lives up to her nickname. Her explosiveness paired with her impressive Luta Livre (Brazilian Submission Wrestling) has seen her dominate all arenas of combat she has stepped in. Souza made her professional debut in 2016 and has fought in different regional promotions in Brazil, earning the respect of her peers and fans alike in the industry.
With an 11-3 record, Souza was enlisted to join the Invicta FC ranks in 2022. Following a unanimous decision victory in her September 2022 debut for the promotion, she quickly found herself in a championship bout. The Invicta FC Flyweight Championship was vacant and she would go up against Kristina Williams in January 2023 for the title. At Invicta 51, Souza went the distance with her opponent to emerge the victor and be crowned the new champion of the 125 division.
At this point, Souza has 16 fights under her name with a healthy variety of finishes and results. Soon enough, the UFC came knocking and it was announced on May 2nd that Souza had been signed to the promotion. Her UFC debut is expected to be this Saturday, June 3rd and she has got quite the first test. Souza will make her first trip to the octagon against fellow Brazilian, Karina 'Killer' Silva on the main card as they represent the women's divisions.
The UFC women's flyweight division has a bright future
Silva has been nothing short of impressive in the UFC securing a contract within the promotion with a second-round Guillotine Choke at Dana White's Contender Series in 2021. In her June 2022 debut, Silva cinched in a D'Arce Choke in the first round to get the Performance of the Night performance bonus. Now, a year later, she looks to put on another stellar performance.
Ketlen Souza will look to derail that building hype train by showing out in her own debut for the UFC though. Coming off of being the Invicta FC Flyweight Champion, Souza will be looking to break into the UFC women's flyweight rankings sooner rather than later. 'Esquentadinha' might be in the best and most focused form of her life, and she will certainly look to make an impact upon landing in the women's division.
Next. UFC weight classes in order. dark
UFC Vegas 74: Kai Kara-France vs. Amir Albazi takes place on Saturday, June 3, 2023, live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided MMA for all your news and highlights.