UFC 258 will take place this Saturday inside the Apex in Las Vegas, but one of the first to throw down is Polyana Viana who takes on Mallory Martin in a pivotal strawweight bout. After Viana stopped a mugger in his tracks while living in Brazil, few are willing to mess with this imposing athlete. However, Martin will be up to the task as she looks to ascend up the UFC ladder.
Similarly, both athletes won their last bout but are looking to compound more than just a single victory. In order to climb up a busy division, a statement performance is important to both competitors.
Polyana Viana vs. Mallory Martin – A Closer Look
The 27-year old Martin brings good conditioning to her fights since she fights out of Elevation Fight Team. In addition, Martin is a proven nuisance on the ground, meaning–during transitions, she seems to find a way to the foe’s back quite easily. Demonstrated by her quick back-take against the tough Hannah Ciphers at a UFC event back in August, Martin is always dangerous on the ground. Winning her “Dana White Contender Series” debut, Martin has been on the radar of top strawweights for a while. Granted, the American has a tall order in front of her at UFC 258, if she can capitalize, a ranking could appear next to her name rather soon.
Polyana Viana – The Submission Threat
Conversely, Viana brings a type of fury to the cage that is difficult to replicate in training. While 2020 saw Viana’s MMA career less active, she eventually got the chance to face Emily Whitmire after the fight failed to materialize once before. Essentially, Viana proved what many believed all along… that the young Brazilian is a problem when grappling gets involved. In fact, in her eleven professional wins, seven come by way of submission. Overall, the tenacity she brings into grappling situations will inevitably propel her throughout her UFC career.
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