Bethe Correia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bethe Correia |
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| Born | June 22, 1983 Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil |
| Nickname(s) | Pitbull |
| Residence | Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Weight | 135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st) |
| Division | Bantamweight |
| Reach | 64 in (163 cm) |
| Style | Sanda, Kung Fu, Boxing, BJJ, Wrestling |
| Fighting out of | Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil |
| Team | Pitbull Brothers MMA American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) |
| Rank | Purple sash in Kung Fu Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Years active | 2012–2021 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 18 |
| Wins | 11 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By decision | 9 |
| Losses | 6 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Draws | 1 |
Bethe Correia (born June 22, 1983) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist. She was known for competing in the women's bantamweight division. Bethe, nicknamed "Pitbull," fought professionally from 2012 to 2021. Most of her career was spent in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which is a major mixed martial arts organization.
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Early Life and Start in Fighting
Bethe Correia was born in Campina Grande, a city in Paraiba, Brazil. She went to college and earned a degree in accounting. However, she soon realized that office work was not for her. She felt she was "too hyperactive" for a desk job.
While practicing a martial art called Sanda, Bethe discovered that fighting brought something special to her life. She felt it was what had been "missing." This feeling led her to pursue a career in mixed martial arts (MMA).
Mixed Martial Arts Career
Starting Her Journey
When Bethe Correia began her MMA career, she learned many different fighting styles. These included Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Sanda, and Amateur Wrestling. Over time, she found that she really liked striking, especially Boxing.
She had her first professional MMA fight in Brazil in May 2012. She won this fight against Daniela Maria da Silva by a unanimous decision. Bethe trained with famous fighters, the "Pitbull" brothers, Patrício and Patricky Freire. She won her first six fights in just over a year.
Joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship
In October 2013, Bethe Correia signed a contract to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). This was a big step for her. She said that being in the UFC meant she could "fight with the best in the world." It was a dream come true for her as a fighter.
First UFC Fights
Bethe made her UFC debut in December 2013. She fought against an experienced MMA fighter named Julie Kedzie. At that time, Bethe had only fought six professional matches, while Julie had fought 28. Bethe won the fight by a split decision.
Next, she faced Jessamyn Duke in April 2014. Even though Jessamyn had a longer reach, Bethe used quick punches. She pushed Jessamyn against the cage and won the fight by a unanimous decision.
In August 2014, Bethe fought Shayna Baszler. After getting out of a hold in the first round, Bethe became more aggressive. She won the fight by TKO (Technical Knockout) in the second round. This meant the referee stopped the fight because Shayna could no longer defend herself.
Challenging for the Bantamweight Title
After winning three fights in a row in the UFC, other top fighters wanted to challenge Bethe. However, Bethe had her sights set on something bigger. She wanted to fight for the UFC bantamweight championship. The champion at the time was Ronda Rousey.
Bethe had already beaten Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler, who were part of Ronda Rousey's group called the "Four Horsewomen." After each win, Bethe would hold up four fingers and then put one down. This was her way of showing she was taking down Ronda's friends and coming for the champion.
In March 2015, the UFC announced that Bethe Correia would fight Ronda Rousey for the title. The championship fight happened on August 1, 2015. Bethe was very confident before the fight. However, Ronda Rousey won the fight by knockout in just 34 seconds of the first round.
After the Title Fight
After her championship fight, Bethe continued to compete in the UFC. She fought Raquel Pennington in April 2016 and lost by a split decision.
In September 2016, Bethe faced Jessica Eye and won that fight by a split decision.
She then fought Marion Reneau in March 2017. This was a close fight with strong moments from both fighters. It ended in a majority draw, meaning the judges couldn't agree on a clear winner.
Bethe Correia's next fight was against Holly Holm in June 2017. She lost this fight by a head kick knockout in the third round.
She was scheduled to fight Irene Aldana in August 2018, but Bethe had to withdraw due to an injury. The fight was rescheduled for May 2019. Bethe missed the weight limit for this fight, so she was fined. She lost the fight by submission in the third round.
In September 2019, Bethe fought Sijara Eubanks and won by a unanimous decision.
Her next fight was against Pannie Kianzad in July 2020, which she lost by unanimous decision.
Bethe Correia's final professional MMA fight was against Karol Rosa in October 2021. Bethe again missed weight for this fight and was fined. She lost the fight by unanimous decision. After this match, Bethe announced that she was retiring from professional MMA.
Fighting Style
Bethe Correia was known as a striker, meaning she mostly used punches and kicks. She also used some grappling techniques. Her fighting style included strong punching combinations, quick counter strikes, and powerful right hands. She was also known for her spinning back fists.
Bethe was good at "dirty boxing," which means punching while very close to her opponent, often against the cage. She would push her opponents to the fence and then attack with many quick punches. She used this tactic to win against Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler.
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 18 matches | 11 wins | 6 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 2 |
| By submission | 0 | 1 |
| By decision | 9 | 3 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 11–6–1 | Karol Rosa | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Walker | October 2, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Catchweight (138.5 lb) bout; Correia missed weight. |
| Loss | 11–5–1 | Pannie Kianzad | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till | July 26, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Win | 11–4–1 | Sijara Eubanks | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Stephens | September 21, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Loss | 10–4–1 | Irene Aldana | Submission (armbar) | UFC 237 | May 11, 2019 | 3 | 3:24 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Catchweight (141 lb) bout; Correia missed weight. |
| Loss | 10–3–1 | Holly Holm | KO (head kick and punch) | UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Correia | June 17, 2017 | 3 | 1:09 | Kallang, Singapore | |
| Draw | 10–2–1 | Marion Reneau | Draw (majority) | UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum | March 11, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Fortaleza, Brazil | |
| Win | 10–2 | Jessica Eye | Decision (split) | UFC 203 | September 10, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Cleveland, Ohio, United States | |
| Loss | 9–2 | Raquel Pennington | Decision (split) | UFC on Fox: Teixeira vs. Evans | April 16, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Tampa, Florida, United States | |
| Loss | 9–1 | Ronda Rousey | KO (punch) | UFC 190 | August 1, 2015 | 1 | 0:34 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | For the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship. |
| Win | 9–0 | Shayna Baszler | TKO (punches) | UFC 177 | August 30, 2014 | 2 | 1:56 | Sacramento, California, United States | |
| Win | 8–0 | Jessamyn Duke | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 172 | April 26, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Baltimore, Maryland, United States | |
| Win | 7–0 | Julie Kedzie | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Bigfoot | December 7, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Brisbane, Australia | |
| Win | 6–0 | Erica Paes | Decision (unanimous) | Jungle Fight 54 | June 29, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Barra do Piraí, Brazil | |
| Win | 5–0 | Juliete de Souza | Decision (unanimous) | WCC – W-Combat 17 | June 1, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Macapá, Brazil | |
| Win | 4–0 | Anne Karoline | TKO (punches) | Bokum Fight Championship | April 12, 2013 | 2 | 0:00 | Aracaju, Brazil | |
| Win | 3–0 | Elaine Albuquerque | Decision (unanimous) | Heat FC 4 – The Return | October 18, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Natal, Brazil | |
| Win | 2–0 | Daniely dos Santos | Decision (unanimous) | Fort MMA 2 – Higo vs. Kevin | July 27, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Mossoró, Brazil | |
| Win | 1–0 | Daniela da Silva | Decision (unanimous) | First Fight: Revelations | May 31, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Parnamirim, Brazil |
Pay-Per-View Events
Bethe Correia was part of one major pay-per-view event during her career.
| No | Event | Fight | Date | Venue | City | PPV buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | UFC 190 | Rousey vs. Correia | August 1, 2015 | HSBC Arena | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 900,000 |
See also
In Spanish: Bethe Correia para niños
- List of female mixed martial artists
