After nearly two years away from the fight game, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s Bantamweight title contender, Bethe Correia, will make her return to action this Saturday night (May 11, 2019) when she takes on Irene Aldana at UFC 237 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Bethe was forced to the sidelines after sustaining an eye injury which sent her into emergency surgery, bouncing her from her previously scheduled fight against Aldana. The time away, though not under the best circumstances, was sorely needed.
”I’ve never been so long away from a fight in my life, but I try to look the bright side of everything,” Correia said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “I had a war with Marion (Reneau) in Fortaleza and went straight into a short camp for a five-round with Holly (Holm) in Asia. It was really intense. I realized I needed some time for myself after that, a moment to reflect on my career and what I had to improve.”
Correia has had a rough stretch as of late after starting her career at 9-0, going 1-3-1 over her last five outings. But now that she is healthy and ready to go, she says she is prepared to give the 135-pound division a much-needed shot of adrenaline.
”The division needs me. Coming back to fight, coming back to the wins,” Correia said. “Things were way cooler when I was more active. I think the division needs Bethe Correia coming back and winning this fight. I will always be a strong name to fight for the belt. People are begging for me to come back.”
Getting back on the right track against Aldana, however, will be a tough mountain to climb as the Mexican-born fighter has won her last two bouts and is hungry to score her first three-fight winning streak since the early days of her combat sports career.
To see who else is fighting at UFC 237: “Namajunas vs Andrade” click here.