Bia Mesquita picked up another first-round submission victory at UFC Vegas 119, extending her undefeated MMA record to 8-0.
Speaking during the press conference after the match, the Brazilian grappling standout reflected on overcoming early adversity and explained her callout of Ailin Perez.
Despite securing the finish in the opening round, Mesquita admitted the match didn’t go perfectly from the start. After getting rocked early, she pointed to a mistake of her own as the reason she found herself in danger.
🔥🇧🇷 “The Lady GOAT” does it again!
Bia Mesquita scored a first-round armbar submission just now at #UFCVegas119 to remain unbeaten. She improves to 3-0 in the UFC with all three wins coming by finish and moves to 8-0 overall as a professional.A serious contender to keep an eye… pic.twitter.com/i6s3cSKwVE
— Women’s MMA Rankings (@WMMARankings) June 20, 2026
“I knew she would only have success if I made a mistake, and unfortunately, I made a small mistake at the beginning of the match,” Mesquita said. “But that’s why I’m constantly improving and showing a new version of myself. I was ready for anything, so it didn’t really surprise me because it came from my own mistake. I was able to overcome it, show some of my ground game, and I’m really happy about that.”
Rather than dwelling on the difficult moment, Mesquita focused on how she responded.
“So getting the submission is all what matters and I did it in the first round,” she added.
Mesquita credited her preparation at American Top Team for giving her the confidence to stay composed after being hurt. According to the former multiple-time world jiu-jitsu champion, the challenges she faces in training often put her in worse situations than what she experiences on fight night.
“I trained with the best team in the world. I trained at American Top Team, and my teammates and coaches help prepare me for moments like this,” Mesquita said.
The experience gained during camp helped her trust the process when things became difficult inside the octagon.
“So when it happened, I have been in the worst places during my training camp and I knew it would be easy to overcome that and get the submission. So that’s what I did,” Mesquita explained.
She believes those experiences are essential for anyone who wants to reach the top of the sport.
“And to be the champion, you got to go through everything, get every experience and go over it. And that’s what I did today.”
Following the victory, Mesquita also used her post-match interview to call out top-ranked contender Ailin Perez. She made it clear that Perez is the opponent she wants next and didn’t hide her feelings about the Argentine fighter’s behavior inside the cage.
“I’m looking forward to competing against Ailin Perez. I think she’s number five right now. And I’m ready to chase that matchup,” Mesquita said. “I think she’s very disrespectful inside the cage. I don’t think there is a place to be shaking her a*s. So I’m ready to kick her a*s and show who is the lady GOAT.”
Mesquita continued her criticism, arguing that champions should carry themselves as role models for the next generation of athletes.
“I don’t like her attitude. I think it’s very disrespectful to the other athletes,” she said. “I think to be a true champion, you got to be somebody that is respectful and is a role model to others. And I don’t think she’s that person.”
Beyond the sporting implications, Mesquita believes a matchup with Perez would be fueled by the historic rivalry between their countries.
“More than that, I think Brazil and Argentina is a great rivalry and I think that’s going to be great for the fans to watch.”
[Editor’s Note: Quotes have been translated and edited for clarity and readability.]
