In her UFC 287 debut this weekend in Miami, Jaqueline Amorim quickly defeated all her MMA opponents and has light-heartedly joked about wanting to stop Sam Hughes in under five minutes to avoid worrying her father. From a young age, Amorim was trained in jiu-jitsu by her father, who was a longtime jiu-jitsu practitioner and MMA enthusiast.

At a young age, she focused solely on grappling as women’s MMA was not yet a significant market. Amorim became successful on the grappling circuit while focusing on winning championships before transitioning to MMA. With a record of 6-0 as an MMA fighter with six first-round stoppages, she won and defended the LFA strawweight championship before joining the UFC. Amorim’s father has been a significant influence on her martial arts career and is thrilled about her UFC debut.

Hughes, who has six UFC bouts under her belt and double the experience in the cage compared to Amorim, has only been finished once outside of a doctor stoppage. However, Amorim feels that her extensive experience in grappling tournaments may give her an advantage. She acknowledges Hughes as a tough athlete and knows that it will not be an easy fight, but she wants to focus on being a better MMA fighter and finish the fight.

Although grappling and MMA are two distinct sports, Amorim believes her grappling experience will make it more difficult for Hughes and is confident in her ability to win. She aims to apply her jiu-jitsu skills and finish the fight early, but is prepared for anything as her father watches on.

In summary, Amorim’s background in jiu-jitsu has led to her success in MMA, and she has quickly gained attention with her 6-0 record in the cage. With her debut in the UFC, she looks forward to applying her skills and finishing the fight against a tough opponent in Hughes. As she continues to develop as an MMA fighter, she aims to be a dominant force in the sport.