Bethe Correia

Bethe Correia
Born (1983-06-22) June 22, 1983 (age 41)
Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil
NicknamePitbull
ResidenceNatal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[1]
Weight135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st)
DivisionBantamweight
Reach64 in (163 cm)[2][3]
StyleSanda, Kung Fu, Boxing, BJJ, Wrestling
Fighting out ofNatal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
TeamPitbull Brothers MMA
American Kickboxing Academy (AKA)
RankPurple sash in Kung Fu[1]
Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1]
Years active2012–2021
Mixed martial arts record
Total18
Wins11
By knockout2
By decision9
Losses6
By knockout2
By submission1
By decision3
Draws1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Bethe Correia (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈbɛtʃi koˈʁejɐ]; born June 22, 1983) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the women's bantamweight division. A professional mixed martial artist since 2012, Correia has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Early life

[edit]

Bethe Correia was born in Campina Grande, Paraiba. She graduated from college with a degree in accounting, but gradually found that she was "too hyperactive for office work".[4] While practicing Sanda, Correia concluded that fighting provided what had been "missing" in her life, and sought to compete in mixed martial arts (MMA).[1][4]

Mixed martial arts career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

Correia studied a number of techniques at the onset of her MMA career, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Sanda, and Amateur Wrestling.[1] She would eventually develop a preference for striking, particularly Boxing.[1][5]

She made her professional MMA debut in her native Brazil in May 2012, defeating Daniela Maria da Silva by unanimous decision at the First Fight: Revelations show. Training with the "Pitbull" brothers, Patrício and Patricky Freire, she won her first six fights within 13 months.[4]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

[edit]

In October 2013, Correia signed a multi-fight deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).[6] Correia noted, "Being in the UFC is having the chance to fight with the best in the world and accept big challenges. It's the dream of any fighter."[1]

Correia made her promotional debut the following December as she faced MMA veteran Julie Kedzie at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Bigfoot.[7] At the time, Correia had fought in six professional bouts, while Kedzie had competed in 28.[4] Correia won the fight via split decision.[8]

She then faced Jessamyn Duke on April 26, 2014, at UFC 172. Despite her reach disadvantage, Correia used quick striking to out-point Duke and closed the gap by backing Duke toward the cage.[5] She won the fight by unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, and 30–27).[8]

Correia faced Shayna Baszler on August 30, 2014, at UFC 177.[9] After escaping a submission attempt in the first round, Correia became more aggressive with her striking and won by TKO at 1:56 of round 2.[10]

Bantamweight title shot

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Following her third consecutive win in the UFC, Correia was challenged by former Strikeforce bantamweight champions Sarah Kaufman and Miesha Tate.[11][12] "A lot of girls from the UFC roster want a bout with me," Correia noted.[12] She initially expressed interest in fighting Kaufman, but later stated that she was focused on getting a title shot against then-UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. "I want to face the champion," she said.[12]

After her earlier victory over Duke, a member of Rousey's informal "Four Horsewomen" stable, Correia began campaigning for a title shot against Rousey, holding four fingers to the camera and symbolically putting one down. She did likewise after beating Horsewoman Baszler.[13] In March 2015, UFC officials confirmed that Correia would fight Rousey for the title on August 1, 2015, at UFC 190.[14]

Despite the fact that Rousey had finished all but one of her previous fights within a round, Correia displayed much confidence heading into the bout, stating that she planned to give Rousey the worst beating of her career.[15] Subsequently, Correia lost the fight by knockout in only 34 seconds of the first round.[16]

Post title shot

[edit]

Following UFC 190, Correia expressed interest in bouts with Miesha Tate and Jessica Eye, but claimed that both women had declined.[17][18] Eye denied the claim and offered to fight Correia in Spring 2016.[19] In April 2016, Correia fought Raquel Pennington at UFC on Fox: Teixeira vs. Evans, losing via split decision.[20]

Correia next faced Jessica Eye at UFC 203 on September 10, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio.[21] She won the fight via split decision.[22]

Correia then faced Marion Reneau on March 11, 2017, at UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum.[23] The back-and-forth fight saw strong moments from both women, ultimately ending in a majority draw (29–27 Reneau, 28–28, and 28–28).[24] After the fight, Reneau disagreed with the result and said “I believe she won the first round; maybe she might’ve edged me out a little bit. I think I definitely won the second – and for sure I won the third round."[25]

Correia faced Holly Holm at UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Correia on June 17, 2017, in Singapore.[26] She lost the fight via a head kick knockout in the third round.[27]

Correia was scheduled to face Irene Aldana on August 4, 2018, at UFC 227.[28] The bout was pulled from this event as Correia was forced to withdraw due to injury. The fight was not replaced.[29]

The bout with Aldana was rescheduled and is expected to take place on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237.[30] At the weigh-ins, Correia weighed in at 141 lbs, 5 pounds over the bantamweight limit of 136 lbs. She was fined 30% of her fight purse and the bout proceeded at catchweight.[31] She lost the fight via submission in round three.[32]

Correia faced Sijara Eubanks at UFC on ESPN+ 17.[33] She won the fight by unanimous decision.[34]

Correia was scheduled to face Pannie Kianzad on May 9, 2020, at UFC 250.[35] Due to the event being relocated to the United States, Correia being unable to compete due to visa issues:[36] However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed to a future date[37] The bout eventually took place on July 26, 2020, at UFC on ESPN 14.[38] She lost the fight via unanimous decision [39]

Correia was scheduled to face Wu Yanan on December 5, 2020, at UFC on ESPN 19[40] However, due to visa issues which restricted travel for both participants, the matchup was rescheduled to January 16, 2021, at UFC on ABC 1.[41] Subsequently, Correia was forced to pull out of the bout in early January after undergoing surgery to remove her appendix.[42] She was replaced by promotional newcomer Joselyne Edwards. [43]

Correia faced Karol Rosa on October 2, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 193.[44] At the weigh-ins, Correia weighed in at 138.5 pounds, two and a half pounds over the women's bantamweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Correia was fined 20% which went to her opponent Rosa.[45] She lost the fight via unanimous decision.[46] She announced her retirement from professional MMA competition after the fight.[47]

Fighting style

[edit]

Correia is a striker who largely uses boxing and grappling techniques. She is recognized for her punching combinations, counter strikes, spinning back fists, and aggressive right hands.[5][48] During her fight against Jessamyn Duke, she led by 100 strikes to Duke's 55.[5]

Correia is known for her use of dirty boxing and cutting off the cage. While clinching, she will usually move the fight toward the fence and attack with flurries.[49][50] At UFC 172, she used this technique to negate Jessamyn Duke's reach; she later used it to earn her stoppage against Shayna Baszler.[10]

Mixed martial arts record

[edit]
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

[51]

Pay-per-view bouts

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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[52]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Bethe Correia - Official UFC Fighter Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
  2. ^ "Bethe Correia | UFC". www.ufc.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  3. ^ "Fight Card - UFC 177 Dillashaw vs. Soto". UFC.com. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d Erickson, Matt (2013-12-06). "Bethe Correia playing numbers game, and hopes UFC debut win is in the cards". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  5. ^ a b c d Martin, Damon (2014-04-26). "UFC 172 Fight blog recap". FoxSports.com. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
  6. ^ "UFC signs Sergio Pettis and Bethe Correia". bloodyelbow.com. October 1, 2013.
  7. ^ "UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Bigfoot". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  8. ^ a b "Bethe 'Pitbull' Correia". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2015-07-24.
  9. ^ Matt Erickson (2014-07-08). "Shayna Baszler vs. Bethe Correia moves from UFC 176 to UFC 177 in Sacramento". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-07-08.
  10. ^ a b Thomas, Luke (2014-04-26). "UFC 172 undercard live blog: Benavidez vs. Elliott, more". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
  11. ^ Zidan, Karim (2015-01-10). "Bethe Correia excited by Sarah Kaufman callout: I will beat her or anyone else by first-round knockout". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  12. ^ a b c Arbex, Fernando (2015-02-05). "Bethe Correia not interested in Miesha Tate fight: 'She wants the spotlight again'". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  13. ^ ""Year in the making, Rousey to face Correia at UFC 190", by Dave Deibert, PostMedia News". Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-03-21.
  14. ^ Guilherme Cruz (2015-03-19). "Ronda Rousey vs. Bethe Correia targeted for UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
  15. ^ Cepeda, Elias (2015-06-03). "Bethe Correia: Ronda Rousey is a farce". FoxSports.com. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  16. ^ Damon Martin (2015-08-02). "UFC 190: Ronda Rousey face plants Bethe Correia with 34-second knockout". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
  17. ^ Cruz, Guilherme (2015-12-02). "Bethe Correia Wants To Retire Miesha Tate: 'I will make your wish come true, Miesha'". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  18. ^ Holland, Jesse (2015-12-17). "Bethe Correia: Jessica Eye Rejected UFC Pittsburgh Fight Because She Wants To Do Movies". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  19. ^ Guillen, Adam (2015-12-23). "Jessica Eye denies turning down UFC fight against 'alligator mouth' Bethe Correia". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
  20. ^ Fowlkes, Ben (16 April 2016). "UFC on FOX 19 results: Raquel Pennington takes close split decision from Bethe Correia". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  21. ^ Staff (2016-06-11). "Report: Cleveland-based Jessica Eye targeted for fight with Bethe Correia at UFC 203". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
  22. ^ Fowlkes, Ben (10 September 2016). "UFC 203 results: Bethe Correia takes split from Jessica Eye – then hears chorus of boos for the ages". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  23. ^ Sherdog.com. "Bethe Correia-Marion Reneau, Paulo Costa-Alex Nicholson Join UFC Fight Night 106 in Fortaleza". Sherdog. Retrieved 2017-06-16.
  24. ^ "UFC Fight Night 106 Results: Bethe Correia vs. Marion Reneau". | BJPenn.com. 2017-03-11. Retrieved 2017-06-16.
  25. ^ "Marion Reneau on Bethe Correia: 'I don't accept the draw' at UFC Fight Night 106". MMAjunkie. 2017-03-12. Retrieved 2017-06-16.
  26. ^ "Holly Holm returns to 135 pounds, meets Bethe Correia in UFC Fight Night 111 headliner". MMAjunkie. 2017-04-13. Retrieved 2017-06-16.
  27. ^ "UFC Fight Night 111 results: Holly Holm answers Bethe Correia's request, KOs her with head kick". MMAjunkie. 2017-06-17. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
  28. ^ DNA, MMA (17 May 2018). "Bethe Correia vs. Irene Aldana gaat alsnog gebeuren tijdens UFC 227 in Los Angeles". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  29. ^ "Bethe Correia pulled from UFC 227, Irene Aldana won't get replacement". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  30. ^ Ana Hissa and Raphael Marinho (2019-02-20). "Ultimate Bethe Correia brand against Irene Aldana at UFC 237, May 11, in Brazil" (in Portuguese). combate.com. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  31. ^ Carroll, Peter (2019-05-10). "Video: Bethe Correia badly misses weight for UFC 237 bout with Irene Aldana". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  32. ^ "UFC 237 results: Irene Aldana submits Bethe Correia in third round". MMA Junkie. 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  33. ^ Cruz, Guilherme (2019-07-20). "Sijara Eubanks returns against Bethe Correia at UFC Mexico City". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
  34. ^ "UFC on ESPN+ 17 results: Bethe Correia snaps skid, upsets Sijara Eubanks by decision". MMA Junkie. 2019-09-21. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  35. ^ DNA, MMA (7 February 2020). "Bethe Correia treft Pannie Kianzad tijdens UFC 250 in São Paulo". Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  36. ^ Staff (2020-04-09). "Jose Aldo among Brazilians out of UFC 250 and beyond because of visa issues during pandemic". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  37. ^ Brett Okamoto (2020-04-09). "Dana White says UFC 249 will not happen April 18". espn.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  38. ^ "Bethe Correia vs. Pannie Kianzad rebooked for UFC event on July 25th". FightBook MMA. 2020-05-23. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  39. ^ Vreeland, Daniel (2020-07-25). "UFC Fight Island 3 Results: Pannie Kianzad Beats Up Game Bethe Correira". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
  40. ^ DNA, MMA (2020-09-07). "Bethe Correia treft Wu Yanan tijdens UFC evenement op 5 december". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
  41. ^ Staff (2020-11-23). "UFC: Bethe Correia's retirement bout is postponed to January 16". espn.com.br. Retrieved 2020-11-29. (in Portuguese)
  42. ^ Cruz, Guilherme (2021-01-05). "Bethe Correia to undergo surgery, withdraws from UFC Fight Island 7". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  43. ^ Alexander K. Lee (2021-01-07). "Joselyne Edwards to face Wu Yanan at UFC Fight Island 7 with Bethe Correia out". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  44. ^ DNA, MMA (2021-06-22). "Bethe Correia treft Karol Rosa tijdens laatste UFC gevecht op 2 oktober". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  45. ^ "UFC Fight Night 193 weigh-in results: Three fighters miss, one bout canceled". MMA Junkie. 2021-10-01. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  46. ^ Anderson, Jay (2021-10-02). "UFC Vegas 38 Results: Karol Rosa Picks Up Decision, Sends Bethe Correia into Retirement". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
  47. ^ "Former UFC title challenger Bethe Correia retires from MMA". MMA Junkie. 2021-10-02. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  48. ^ "UFC Fight Night 33 Play-By-Play: Julie Kedzie Vs. Bethe Correia". mmaweekly.com. 2013-12-06. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
  49. ^ Winfree, Robert (2014-08-31). "411's UFC 177: Dillashaw vs. Soto Report 8.30.14". 411mania.com. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
  50. ^ Csonka, Larry (2014-04-27). "411's UFC 172: Jones vs. Teixeira Report 4.26.14". 411mania.com. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
  51. ^ Sherdog.com. "Bethe". Sherdog. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  52. ^ "UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia | MMA Event". Tapology.
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