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 competed in the women's bantamweight division. From 2012 to 2021, Correia was a professional fighter. She was well-known for competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Contents
About Bethe Correia
Early Life and Training
Bethe Correia was born in Campina Grande, Brazil. She studied accounting in college. However, she found office work too boring for her energetic personality. She started practicing a martial art called Sanda. This made her realize that fighting was what she truly loved. She then decided to become a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.
When she first started MMA, Correia learned many different fighting styles. These included Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Sanda, and Amateur Wrestling. She soon discovered that she really enjoyed striking. This means using punches and kicks. She especially liked Boxing.
Starting Her MMA Career
Bethe Correia had her first professional MMA fight in Brazil in May 2012. She won her first fight by a unanimous decision. This means all the judges agreed she won. She trained with famous fighters known as the "Pitbull" brothers. With their help, she won her first six fights in just over a year.
Fighting in the UFC
Joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship
In October 2013, Bethe Correia signed a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The UFC is where many of the world's best MMA fighters compete. Correia said that being in the UFC was a dream come true. It gave her the chance to fight the best and face big challenges.
Her first UFC fight was in December 2013. She fought an experienced fighter named Julie Kedzie. Correia had only fought six times before, while Kedzie had fought 28 times. Even with less experience, Correia won the fight.
Key Wins in the UFC
Correia continued to impress in the UFC. In April 2014, she fought Jessamyn Duke. Even though Duke had longer arms, Correia used fast punches. She pushed Duke against the cage. This helped her win the fight.
She then fought Shayna Baszler in August 2014. Correia was very aggressive with her punches. She won the fight by TKO in the second round. TKO means "Technical Knockout." This happens when the referee stops the fight because one fighter can't defend themselves.
Fighting for the UFC Title
After winning three fights in a row, other top fighters wanted to challenge Correia. But Correia had her eyes on something bigger. She wanted to fight for the UFC Bantamweight Championship. The champion at that time was Ronda Rousey.
Correia started a campaign to get a title shot. After beating Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler, she would hold up four fingers and then put one down. This was a symbol against Rousey's group of friends, known as the "Four Horsewomen." In March 2015, the UFC announced that Correia would fight Rousey for the championship.
The fight happened in August 2015. Correia was very confident. However, she lost the fight by knockout in just 34 seconds of the first round.
Later UFC Fights
After her title fight, Correia continued to compete in the UFC. She had several more fights:
- In April 2016, she lost to Raquel Pennington.
- In September 2016, she won against Jessica Eye.
- In March 2017, her fight against Marion Reneau ended in a draw. This means neither fighter won.
- In June 2017, she lost to Holly Holm by a head kick knockout.
- She was supposed to fight Irene Aldana in 2018, but she got injured.
- The fight with Aldana happened in May 2019. Correia missed the weight limit for the fight. She lost by submission in the third round.
- In September 2019, she won against Sijara Eubanks.
- In July 2020, she lost to Pannie Kianzad.
- Her last fight was in October 2021 against Karol Rosa. Correia missed weight again for this fight. She lost by unanimous decision.
After this fight, Bethe Correia announced that she was retiring from professional MMA.
Bethe Correia's Fighting Style
Bethe Correia was known as a "striker." This means she liked to use punches and kicks. She often used boxing techniques. She was good at putting together combinations of punches. She also used counter strikes, which means hitting an opponent right after they try to hit her. Her spinning back fists and powerful right hands were also famous.
Correia was also known for "dirty boxing." This is when a fighter uses short punches and elbows while close to their opponent, especially against the cage. She would often push her opponents against the fence. Then she would attack them with many quick punches. This technique helped her 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 |
See also
In Spanish: Bethe Correia para niños
- List of female mixed martial artists
