Luana Carolina’s Gut Check

Heightened stakes stare right back at Luana Carolina when she looks in the mirror every day.

The 30-year-old Brazilian flyweight could be battling for her spot on the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster when she toes the line against undefeated promotional newcomer Ivana Siric Petrovic as part of the UFC on ESPN 48 undercard this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Carolina’s immediate concerns are clear.

“My goal is to win, renew my contract and fight on the Sao Paulo card in Brazil in November,” she told Sherdog.com. “With each camp, my main objective is to improve upon my previous performance, both physically and technically. It won’t be any different this time. As an MMA fighter, I train to be prepared for any situation that may arise in the Octagon.”

Recent history has not been kind to Carolina. She has suffered back-to-back setbacks, including a vicious spinning back elbow knockout defeat to onetime Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Molly McCann that shelved her for nearly 12 full months. “I had to spend a year away to make sure my health was in perfect condition before returning,” Carolina said. She returned to the cage at UFC 286, where she dropped a split decision to Syndicate MMA’s Joanne Wood on March 18. “It was an extremely close fight where the difference was in the details,” Carolina said. “However, I do see an evolution in my last fights, and I intend to show even more progress in the next one.” The loss to Wood left her at 3-3 through six appearances inside the Octagon, past wins over Lupita Godinez, Poliana Botelho and Priscila Cachoeira keeping her head above water.

Carolina now has her sights fixed on Petrovic, a 29-year-old former Ares Fighting Championship titleholder who has finished five of her six opponents as a pro. A native of Bosnia-Herzegovina, she operates out of Norway and looks like yet another promising prospect out of Europe.

“It will be a challenging fight,” Carolina said. “She certainly deserves to be in the UFC. She has a complete game and is skilled at grappling. Now that she’s in the UFC, she’s determined to prove her worth here and showcase her fighting style. I’m sure it will be an exciting clash between the two of us. We’ll fight hard. I’m prepared to face her wherever the fight goes, and I’m ready to do my best.”