Iasmin Lucindo will fight the oldest woman on the UFC roster at UFC Vegas 109, which takes place Aug. 9 in Las Vegas. The 23-year-old Brazilian was born when Angela Hill turned 17, and is baffled by the age discrepancy.
“That’s crazy,” Lucindo told MMA Fighting with a laugh. “I won’t lie to you, it’s very crazy. It’s something that makes me go like, ‘My God, she’s almost my mother’s age.’ My mother is 43,
“But I respect Angela a lot. Before I was in the UFC, before I was fighting, she was already fighting, she was already building her story. I’ve watched Angela fight many times before I was in the UFC, and I know the athlete she is and the story she has built. I’m very happy. Imagine watching someone and then you’re fighting her. That’s a great accomplishment.”
Despite the age gap, they have similar numbers in terms of MMA experience. Hill has more MMA fights overall, nine more than Lucindo’s 23 bouts, but the Brazilian started her career only three years after Hill’s debut, turning pro at age 14 after joining martial arts to protect her mother and aunts from domestic violence.
“Sometimes I try to understand myself a little bit because I’m 23 and I have 23 fights,” Lucindo laughed. “It really is insane. But I love what I do, man. I have loved all this since I was 14. I love the feeling I have when I do what I do.”
Hill went 3-2 in her past five matches, all against Brazilians. Lucindo was riding a four-fight winning streak in the UFC, including victories over veterans Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Marina Rodriguez, before losing a decision to Amanda Lemos in her most recent outing.
For this camp, more than training with one of the division’s best in Virna Jandiroba, Lucinda celebrates having an additional emotional support in the gym.
“I can’t help but feel happy going into this fight,” Lucindo said. “It’s such a wonderful moment in my life. I was able, for the first time, to connect to my mother in a camp. It’s the first time she went to the city I live in Bahia, traveling from another state to spend some time and be there with me in camp. She knows how much I dedicate and how important this energy is for me. You’ll all see a happy Iasmin there on Saturday.”
“This fight is very important for my career,” she continued. “Angela Hill is a renowned athlete, very experienced. She has fought all the girls in the ranking, but I like being challenged. I always show my best in such situations. I’m very happy with this fight.”
Lemos said she was dealing with a bacterial infection days prior to the Lemos bout, but decided to go on and fight her regardless. She was confident that it wouldn’t affect her performance, but left the cage with a decision loss.
This time around, she’s injury-free and confident.
“Angela is a great match-up for me,” Lucindo said. “I’m sure we’ll put on a show there and I’ll be able to show everything I’ve worked on in this camp. I’m always trained to go three rounds but I’ll impose my game. If the opportunity comes for a knockout, I’ll obviously go for the knockout. If the submission comes, I’m going for it. But I’m ready for a war. People usually underestimate Angela because of her age and history, but Angela is a very tough and durable athlete. I’ll impose my game. I won’t waste the opportunities that come, I’ll knock her out or submit her.”
