Tainara Lisboa Defends Husband After UFC Corner Outburst, Reveals Personal Struggles

While Lucia Szabova dismantled the Brazilian inside the Octagon, it was Lisboa’s corner that grabbed plenty of attention.

More specifically, it was her husband and head coach, Bruno Polengo, whose “explosive” explicit between rounds drew ire from commentators Daniel Cormier and Laura Sanko. Now, the “Thai Panther” has broken her silence on the backlash, defending her husband while opening up about the personal struggles that shaped that moment.

Why Tainara Lisboa Says Her Husband’s Explosive Cornering Works for Her

A finish was imperative for Lisboa going into the third. With both the first two rounds securely in Szabova’s hands, Lisboa was staring down a do-or-die situation. But before the 28-year-old could take Lisboa down and finish the fight with ground-and-pound in the third, her husband and coach, Polengo, delivered an expletive-laden speech in Portuguese during the break. 

He yelled, “You’re f**king embarrassing yourself. Is this what you trained for? What the f**k is this? This b*tch has nothing on the ground. Wake the f**k up. Wake up. You gotta grab her. No f**king slacking off. This b*tch is a three-time (Oktagon) champion, and that’s all she’s got? Tainara, I want you to kill this b*tch. You have five minutes.” 

The words did little to change the course of the fight. Szabova took Lisboa down and landed 31 unanswered ground strikes before the referee stepped in to stop the contest.

Polengo's cornering, meanwhile, drew criticism from Daniel Cormier, who felt Lisboa wasn't struggling with an emotional problem and was simply fighting to the best of her ability.

Tainara Lisboa Responds

Laura Sanko shared similar concerns. However, three days after the fight, Lisboa pushed back against the criticism, explaining that her husband’s approach was familiar to her and that he understood the struggles she was dealing with inside the Octagon.

She said, “We worked so hard to belong in that place; we went through a super complex surgery after my second fight. I had to learn how to walk again; I felt a lot of pain trying to rehabilitate myself, find myself again, and that caused me a lot of mental problems. I had to deal with depression. I took medication, so being there is really a chance for a future; it’s how we pay our bills.”

“We knew what we could deliver, and suddenly everything is lost in there. It’s not working, it’s not happening, and the coach knows the athlete he has and the problems I have,” she added. “Unfortunately. I don’t think it’s good, but the reality is that I have psychological problems. I’ve been in sports since I was 13, I went through a lot during my Muay Thai days, so unfortunately, my weak point is my mental game. And Bruno, ever since we met nine years ago, has helped me face things and seek treatment.”

She also explained that the pressure of competing in the UFC, worrying about her future, and trying to live up to her team's expectations can take a significant mental toll. 

She added that being pushed aggressively by her husband is part of how she responds best in the corner. Despite the criticism, Lisboa viewed his outburst as an attempt to pull her back into the fight, describing it as a “huge proof of love” for her and her dreams.

Lisboa admitted she entered the fight with a lot on her mind. The possibility of losing her UFC spot, the financial pressure, and the need to prove herself all weighed on her. She said she struggled to find her rhythm from the first round and even asked Polengo to push her harder. 

In the end, she couldn't turn things around, but insisted her husband had simply done what they had agreed on before the fight.

Polengo Explains His Explosive Cornering and Rejects Abuse Claims

Polengo has stood by Lisboa (7-5-0) through her battles with depression and the serious knee injury that forced her to learn how to walk again. He believes he knows when she needs a push, even if that means being more aggressive in her corner.

Against Szabova, he felt Lisboa wasn't herself and needed to be shaken out of it. He also pointed to the sacrifices they had made together over nine years to build a career in the UFC.

“I cursed at her because the way I have to wake Tainara up is by becoming explosive,” Polengo said. “Explosive is the word. Anyone who knows me knows that’s how I am. When I shake Tainara up, she wakes up. But I knew that wasn’t Tainara in there anymore.”

He added, “My relationship with Tainara isn’t just coach and athlete. We have a life together, and our life is very tough. We gave everything up over these nine years to be here. I know how much Tainara has done, how dedicated she is, and how much she has given up her entire life since she was 13 years old.”

While Polengo brushed off the hateful comments online, he took issue with being labelled abusive. He insisted his cornering came from knowing Lisboa and wanting to get the best out of her.

“When it comes to abuse, you have to be very careful. Very careful,” he said. “The motto at my gym is: don’t take me away from home if you’re not going to give your best. I never leave home to do something sh*tty in my professional life. I won’t accept any athlete taking me away from home just to do something sh*tty. Now, imagine how I felt watching everything go down the drain because my athlete and wife lost herself.”

He also stressed that their relationship goes beyond the gym, maintaining that his outburst should not be mistaken for mistreatment.

Polengo said watching Lisboa struggle was difficult because he knew how much she had put into reaching the UFC and what another loss could mean for them. He insisted that his reaction came from wanting to pull her out of that moment, not from any desire to hurt or belittle her.