A Results-Oriented Gabriella Fernandes

Not much went according to plan for Gabriella Fernandes in her Ultimate Fighting Championship debut. Perhaps the second act can prove more fruitful.

The 29-year-old Brazilian will attempt to bounce back from a unanimous decision defeat to Jasmine Jasudavicius when she meets Tereza Bleda as part of the UFC on ESPN 47 undercard this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The loss to Jasudavicius remains a sore spot for Fernandes, who filled in as a short-notice replacement for Cortney Casey and saw her career-best seven-fight winning streak grind to a halt at UFC Fight Night 220 on Feb. 25. The circumstances were less than ideal.

“My UFC debut was unfortunately too rushed,” Fernandes told Sherdog.com. “I had to take care of my documents in a hurry, as well as my medicals. I didn’t have sufficient time to put together a good strategy against Jasmine. It was her night. That’s that.”

The setback against Jasudavicius leaves the former interim Legacy Fighting Alliance champion in a tenuous position—a reality Fernandes seems to have embraced.

“In the UFC, they want to see results,” she said. “I had high expectations for my debut. I lost. Now, I’m very sure I must win. At the very least, I need to have a beautiful fight since public opinion matters.”

UFC matchmakers offered her no easy landing, as Bleda, 21, has proven to be an impressive physical specimen thus far. The once-beaten Czech won her first five professional bouts, captured the Oktagon MMA women’s flyweight championship and then punched her ticket to the UFC on Dana White’s Contender Series. Bleda took her first Octagon assignment at UFC Fight Night 215, where she succumbed to a spinning back kick and follow-up punches from Natalia Silva on Nov. 19.

“I’m 90% sure she’ll want grapple and take me down, or she might use her reach to keep me at bay,” Fernandes said. “I think she’ll avoid most striking. She’ll try to press against me, tire me out and go for a submission.”

The 5-foot-6 Fernandes operates out of the highly regarded MMA Masters outfit in Miami, where she sharpens her skills under the direction of Daniel Valverde and Cesar Carneiro. Access to top-shelf training partners like Ailin Perez and Priscila Cachoeira only boosts her confidence.

“I’m trying to further perfect my game through defense, so I can also catch my opponents by surprise,” Fernandes said. “Since this is MMA, anything can happen. I have lots of styles to pick from [with teammates]: striking, grappling, even a Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion.”

As she approaches her next obstacle inside the Octagon, Fernandes understands actions and outcomes speak louder than words.

“My plan is to win all remaining fights on my contract so I can stay in the UFC,” she said. “That’s my focus; and one day I’d like a shot at the belt, no matter who holds it.”