The UFC will once again bring their band of warriors to Canada in what’s shaping up to be an explosive night in Vancouver for the UFC 289 card.
One athlete in particular will be looking to make a statement in Miranda Maverick. In her 1st outing of 2023, Miranda is primed and ready for whatever comes her way and is looking to make an impact in the Great White North.
I caught up with Miranda as she kicks off her fight camp for the violent festivities in June.
Miranda ‘The Fear’ Maverick is an American professional Mixed Martial Artist currently competing in the Flyweight division, representing Elevation Fight Team. Miranda has competed for Invicta Fighting Championship and the UFC.
I’d like to kick things off by thanking you for taking the time to speak with me today Miranda, and also to congratulate you on your upcoming inclusion to the UFC 289 card.
“Thank you very much, I’m excited about it. It will actually be my 1st numbered card where I’ll get to be in front of a full crowd, without Covid being on the way.”
Yeah, that, I can imagine, was a difficult time for you as an athlete, it must have been different without the crowd.
“Since I never really got the chance to be in front of one, I guess it wasn’t bad you know. You got to hear your coaches, which is a plus, like when you’re at the Apex with no crowd. But I do miss the fans, and getting to interact with everybody.”
I completely get that.
I hope preparations have been going well in the build-up to your highly anticipated return to the Octagon?
“Oh yeah for sure, we actually just started techniqle fight camp this week. I stayed in shape up until I got fight news, and then I took about 2 weeks off from sparring and live training so I could rest and recover, since I’ve been staying lean and ready for any short notices to come about. When I heard about the fight with Jasmine and got that confirmed I was like, time to take a break and really get at it from 8 weeks out. So this will be one of the longest fight camps I’ve ever had, and I’m gonna show up prepared like it has been.”
Image by @uppercut_athletics
Great to hear, and with a longer fight camp, more chance to show a different version of yourself on fight night.
“Exactly.”
You have given the UFC fans some of the most explosive performances since joining the roster back in 2020, and have positioned yourself as one of the most exciting women on the roster, With only 2 losses under your UFC inclusions.
With your upcoming inclusion in Canada being your 1st walk this year, no doubt you have set yourself some goals to give them even more?
“Yeah absolutely, I’m actually hoping to be able to show more of my striking. My 1st couple of outings with the UFC showed off my striking, but then I went back to more of my grappling days. So I plan on really putting it together this time around, showing off some of my new combinations, showing off just a very well rounded set up. From striking to takedowns and might even see some ground and pound this time, if it goes to the ground like I anticipate. Because Jasmine’s a big grappler, I am too, sometimes that leads to a bout being a lot of grappling, and others to a stand up battle sp we will see.”
You’re a very talented individual out there, and very unpredictable as well as resilient, your bouts under the UFC banner have proved that. Even your 2 losses as I mentioned before, was left to the judges.
“Thank you very much. I have 2 losses, but I wouldn’t consider my bout against Maycee Barber a loss necessary. I hope to get that back eventually, but It doesn’t look like it’s gonna happen anytime soon.”
Out of the 6 bouts under the UFC banner thus far, is there a certain moment in particular that will forever hold a special place for you?
“My UFC debut was 1 of the biggest days of my entire life. Getting in there and winning the 1st round TKO, having a doctor stoppage was just so exciting, so exhilarating and really kind of stamped myself in the UFC and showed that I belonged there. It was a big day for me, a big moment for me, and the moment it hit me that this can make me a living.”
One of yours I’ll always remember will be your war with Gillian Robertson at UFC 260, that was an incredible display from you both.
“Well thank you very much. She had good grappling, so I was able to show my good defence there. I was able to come back and really push myself through the hard rounds, that was just an all out want and I loved that bout.”
The Flyweight division, including yourself, holds many exceptional warriors. Kick-starting your new year with a bang will send ripples throughout the division, are there any athletes in particular that you hope these ripples reach and potentially set up a future bout with?
“I really was hoping for Maycee Barber, but saw that she just got matched up with Amanda Ribas. It may not be my next fight, but hopefully the one after that. Aside from that, my coaches and managers and I will be sitting down and kinda looking at the next person to call out. Start making way up that top 15 later and figure it out, I think there’s a lot of people in there that I couldn’t knock out of the top 15 no problem and I look forward to selecting that person. I’ve called out a lot of them in the past and many of them I feel I have a great skill-set to go against, to make exciting fights.”
I completely agree.
And after 5 years, Valentina Shevchenko was dethroned by Alexa Grasso back at UFC 285 in the division. What did you make of the bout and what do you see the outcome being if it’s run back?
“I honestly think Valentina will win it, if it gets ran back. I think she was winning the fight as a whole and Grasso just stayed very calm, very composed and did a good job at catching her at a bad moment, you know. She tried that spinning Kick, Alexa Grasso caught her and took her back, which she had trained to do. I think Valentina will be hungrier when she comes back to regain the title, it almost gets to where you get complacent I think. Underestimate others and just have pure supreme confidence. But you make mistakes in the fight game, and unfortunately sometimes that happens the night you actually fight in the cage. I believe Valentina will be able to win the next time that they face each other, but I think Alexa Grasso has shown so much improvement throughout her career. She’s done a great job, especially for being one of the smaller framed girls in the Flyweight division. she’s done an amazing job with her matchups so far, and now she’s the rightful champion.”
agreed, 1 mistake can cause some repercussions, it only takes one opening.
‘Absolutely.”
Looking forward, you are set to face off against Canada’s own Jasmine Jasudavicius. What do you make of Jasmine as you prepare to collide in Vancouver?
“I think she’s a decent grappler, I think she has good wall work, but I don’t really think she has enough to bring to the table that’s gonna get too much in my way. She has this so-called wrestling pedigree, but it wasn’t anything past high-school to really speak of. I have a great wrestling background, I have a great Jiu-jitsu background and none of that is doing anything but improving every single day that I’m training. I’m out here in Denver right by the Olympic training centre with a bunch of great grapplers, both women and men. I’m training hard each and every day not just for this fight, but a potential title fight down the road, I’m never just training for the opponent ahead of me, I’m training for everyone ahead of me. And I think Jasmine’s gonna find to stand across from me, she’s used to being a bully in a lot of her fights and when she fought Gabriella showed her she can’t always be that bully. Especially when she’s out-powered, Gabriella had better striking with power and speed with it, she’ll find out I have the exact same thing with better ground game too.”
A great fight put in place by the organisation no doubt.
“I think it’s gonna be a great fight, I’m happy to go into her home territory and beat her there.”
A perfect response for my next question. Are you relishing the thought of bringing the smoke to the fans of your opponent?
“Absolutely, as long as they don’t throw anything at me like the Brazilian crowd does hahahaha, I’ll be happy. I’m ready to go to Canada, it will be my second time out of the US, and I’m excited to do it in front of a UFC crowd. Being in her home ground or not, I know I’ll have some fans there also, as well as UFC fans in general and I plan on making a mark out there.”
Not many have been confirmed as of yet, but are there any confirmed matchups or fighters in particular that you’re looking forward to witnessing on the card?
“There’s Nunes vs Peña. It will probably be the Main-Event, as it’s their trilogy fight, I’ll be looking forward to that. I think Nunes will be able to take it home, I was surprised to see that their past 2 leading up to their 3rd one has been against each other. I think it’s just based con contract stuff and who they have as options, Peña was very vocal that she didn’t want anybody but Nunes and the title shot. She’s promotable, so I’m sure they just kinda went with that.”
An absolutely incredible Main-Event, no doubt.
“Exactly.”
It’s been an absolute pleasure speaking with you today Miranda, I wish you all the best for your preparations for June and I look forward to witnessing you out there once again.
“Thank you very much, I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me.”
My pleasure Miranda.
Last but not least, do you have a message for the fans that will be in attendance and anybody you’d like to give a shout-out to?
“The message to the fans that will be in attendance is be ready for a night of fireworks. I plan to go out there and making it my best performance to date, as well as in front of a crowd where I can show out, especially in front of my opponents home fans. I hope you’re rooting for me but if you’re not, you will be after that night. As far as shout-outs, I always have my website if you guys wanna support. Especially help with getting my family out there for the opportunity to watch me out there live, I have several of them coming out there for their 1st time, I’ll have gear to be selling and all proceeds will be going to that. I have seminars that are available if anyone’s interested, I’m hoping to set up a meet and greet in Canada also, possibly the Thursday before the night.”
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