Bethe Correia
Bethe "Pitbull" Correia (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈbɛtʃi koˈʁejɐ]; born June 22, 1983) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's women's bantamweight division. As September 23, 2019, she is #13 in the UFC women's bantamweight rankings.[4]
Bethe Correia | |
---|---|
Born | Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil | June 22, 1983
Nickname(s) | Pitbull |
Residence | Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil |
Nationality | Brazilian |
Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[1] |
Weight | 135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st) |
Division | Bantamweight |
Reach | 64 in (163 cm)[2][3] |
Style | Sanda, Kung Fu, Boxing, BJJ, Wrestling |
Fighting out of | Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil |
Team | Pitbull Brothers MMA American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) |
Rank | Purple sash in Kung Fu[1] Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1] |
Years active | 2012–present |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 16 |
Wins | 11 |
By knockout | 2 |
By decision | 9 |
Losses | 4 |
By knockout | 2 |
By submission | 1 |
By decision | 1 |
Draws | 1 |
Other information | |
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog |
Early life
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".[5] 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][5]
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Correia studied a number of techniques at the onset of her MMA career, including jiu-jitsu, Sanda, and amateur wrestling.[1] She would eventually develop a preference for striking, particularly boxing.[1][6]
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.[5]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
In October 2013, Correia signed a multi-fight deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).[7] 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.[8] At the time, Correia had fought in six professional bouts, while Kedzie had competed in 28.[5] Correia won the fight via split decision.[9]
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.[6] She won the fight by unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, and 30–27).[9]
Correia faced Shayna Baszler on August 30, 2014 at UFC 177.[10] 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.[11]
Bantamweight title shot
Following her third consecutive win in the UFC, Correia was challenged by former Strikeforce bantamweight champions Sarah Kaufman and Miesha Tate.[12][13] "A lot of girls from the UFC roster want a bout with me," Correia noted.[13] 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.[13]
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.[14] In March 2015, UFC officials confirmed that Correia would fight Rousey for the title on August 1, 2015, at UFC 190.[15]
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.[16] Subsequently, Correia lost the fight by knockout in only 34 seconds of the first round.[17]
Post title shot
Following UFC 190, Correia expressed interest in bouts with Miesha Tate and Jessica Eye, but claimed that both women had declined.[18][19] Eye denied the claim and offered to fight Correia in Spring 2016.[20] In April 2016, Correia fought Raquel Pennington at UFC on Fox: Teixeira vs. Evans, losing via split decision.
Correia next faced Jessica Eye at UFC 203 on September 10, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio.[21] She won the fight via split decision.
Correia then faced Marion Reneau on March 11, 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum.[22] 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).[23] 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."[24]
Correia faced Holly Holm at UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Correia on June 17, 2017 in Singapore.[25] She lost the fight via a head kick knockout in the third round.[26]
Correia was scheduled to face Irene Aldana on August 4, 2018 at UFC 227.[27] The bout was pulled from this event as Correia was forced to withdraw due to injury. The fight was not replaced.[28]
The bout with Aldana was rescheduled and is expected to take place on May 11, 2019 at UFC 237.[29] 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.[30] She lost the fight via submission in round three.[31]
Correia faced Sijara Eubanks at UFC on ESPN+ 17.[32] She won the fight by unanimous decision.[33]
Correia was scheduled to face Pannie Kianzad on May 9, 2020 at UFC 250.[34] Due to the event being relocated to the United States, Correia being unable to compete due to visa issues:[35] However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed to a future date[36] The bout was inventually scheduled on July 25, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 174.[37]
Fighting style
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.[6][38] During her fight against Jessamyn Duke, she led by 100 strikes to Duke's 55.[6]
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.[39][40] At UFC 172, she used this technique to negate Jessamyn Duke's reach; she later used it to earn her stoppage against Shayna Baszler.[11]
Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown | ||
16 matches | 11 wins | 4 losses |
By knockout | 2 | 2 |
By submission | 0 | 1 |
By decision | 9 | 1 |
Draws | 1 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 lbs) 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 | TKO (punches) | WCC – W-Combat 17 | June 1, 2013 | 2 | N/A | Macapá, Brazil | |
Win | 4–0 | Anne Karoline | Decision (unanimous) | Bokum Fight Championship | April 12, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | 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 |
References
- "Bethe Correia - Official UFC Fighter Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
- "Bethe Correia | UFC". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
- "Fight Card - UFC 177 Dillashaw vs. Soto". UFC.com. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
- "Rankings | UFC". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- 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.
- Martin, Damon (2014-04-26). "UFC 172 Fight blog recap". FoxSports.com. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
- "UFC signs Sergio Pettis and Bethe Correia". bloodyelbow.com. October 1, 2013.
- "UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Bigfoot". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
- "Bethe 'Pitbull' Correia". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2015-07-24.
- 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.
- Thomas, Luke (2014-04-26). "UFC 172 undercard live blog: Benavidez vs. Elliott, more". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
- 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.
- Arbex, Fernando (2015-02-05). "Bethe Correia not interested in Miesha Tate fight: 'She wants the spotlight again'". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
- ""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.
- Guilherme Cruz (2015-03-19). "Ronda Rousey vs. Bethe Correia targeted for UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
- Cepeda, Elias (2015-06-03). "Bethe Correia: Ronda Rousey is a farce". FoxSports.com. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
- Damon Martin (2015-08-02). "UFC 190: Ronda Rousey face plants Bethe Correia with 34-second knockout". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
- 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.
- 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.
- Guillen, Adam (2015-12-23). "Jessica Eye denies turning down UFC fight against 'alligator mouth' Bethe Correia". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
- Staff (2016-06-11). "Report: Cleveland-based Jessica Eye targeted for fight with Bethe Correia at UFC 203". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
- Sherdog.com. "Bethe Correia-Marion Reneau, Paulo Costa-Alex Nicholson Join UFC Fight Night 106 in Fortaleza". Sherdog. Retrieved 2017-06-16.
- "UFC Fight Night 106 Results: Bethe Correia vs. Marion Reneau". | BJPenn.com. 2017-03-11. Retrieved 2017-06-16.
- "Marion Reneau on Bethe Correia: 'I don't accept the draw' at UFC Fight Night 106". MMAjunkie. 2017-03-12. Retrieved 2017-06-16.
- "Holly Holm returns to 135 pounds, meets Bethe Correia in UFC Fight Night 111 headliner". MMAjunkie. 2017-04-13. Retrieved 2017-06-16.
- "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.
- DNA, MMA. "Bethe Correia vs. Irene Aldana gaat alsnog gebeuren tijdens UFC 227 in Los Angeles". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
- "Bethe Correia pulled from UFC 227, Irene Aldana won't get replacement". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
- 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.
- Carroll, Peter (2019-05-10). "Video: Bethe Correia badly misses weight for UFC 237 bout with Irene Aldana". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- "UFC 237 results: Irene Aldana submits Bethe Correia in third round". MMA Junkie. 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- Cruz, Guilherme (2019-07-20). "Sijara Eubanks returns against Bethe Correia at UFC Mexico City". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
- "UFC on ESPN+ 17 results: Bethe Correia snaps skid, upsets Sijara Eubanks by decision". MMA Junkie. 2019-09-21. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
- DNA, MMA. "Bethe Correia treft Pannie Kianzad tijdens UFC 250 in São Paulo". Retrieved 2020-02-07.
- 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.
- Brett Okamoto (2020-04-09). "Dana White says UFC 249 will not happen April 18". espn.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- "Bethe Correia vs. Pannie Kianzad rebooked for UFC event on July 25th". FightBook MMA. 2020-05-23. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
- "UFC Fight Night 33 Play-By-Play: Julie Kedzie Vs. Bethe Correia". mmaweekly.com. 2013-12-06. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sherdog.com. "Bethe". Sherdog. Retrieved 2019-09-21.