Brazilian model who quit job for UFC gets baptism of fire
Brazilian model Gloria de Paula stepped into the UFC Octagon for the first time at Fight Night 187 but the South American stunner was given a baptism of fire by Jihn Yu Frey
The gorgeous Brazilian model has recently made her UFC debut after deciding to stop modelling in order to pursue a career in fighting.
Gloria ‘Glorinha’ de Paula, 25, lost to Korean-American Jinh Yu Frey, 35, by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 187 in Enterprise, Nevada, USA, on 13th March.
Despite the tough loss, the fighter assures she is happy with her career move since she decided to make her living inside the octagon and not in front of a camera lens.
The daughter of photographers, Glorinha had worked as a model since she was a child but quickly found her passion for fighting when she was 17 and took up Muay Thai to keep fit.
The 25-year-old told the Brazilian media: “I fell so in love with Muay Thai that I decided I wanted to make a living from fighting. My trainer advised me to move to MMA because I would have more opportunities. That is what I did.”
Glorinha said a major turning point for her was when she personally saw Ronda Rousey knock out Bethe Correia in just 34 seconds at UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August 2015.
Glorinha’s first professional fight came in July 2017, when she beat opponent Thuany Valentim Fernandes by TKO (punches) in Batalha MMA 8.
She was later hired by the UFC after defeating Pauline Macias by unanimous decision on UFC president Dana White’s reality show ‘Contender Series’.
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Following her recent loss, the Campinas native took to Instagram, where she boasts of 20,700 followers, to write: “I just want to thank everyone who was by my side and sent positive vibes! No time for sad stories!
“It was a learning day, I left (with) hunger to evolve and even more in love with MMA. Believe me, it will always be worth fighting for your dreams!”
To date, she has a record of five wins, three losses and no draws including her latest bout in her UFC debut.