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The road certainly wasn't easy, but Victoria Souza is proud to say she's finally found her footing in the talent-laden ONE atomweight MMA division.
'Vick's first foray into the world's largest martial arts organization proved to be a humbling experience, as she tasted defeat at the hands of the late Victoria Lee back in 2021.
The Brazilian rebounded with a unanimous decision win against Linda Darrow but once again fell short against stiff competition in the form of Noelle Grandjean.
Instead of being disheartened by her 1-2 start, the resilient Souza used it as motivation to keep working on her flaws.
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Needless to say, her hard work behind closed doors paid off, as she looked like a more complete fighter in her last two outings.
The 27-year-old rising star told ONE in an exclusive interview:
“I’ve evolved a lot in ONE Championship. I’m more experienced and I’m always looking to evolve to put on a show for the fans.”
Victoria Souza turned a lot of heads when she pulled off a stunning first-round guillotine choke submission of Itsuki Hirata at ONE 167 last June.
The Ataque Duplo and Chute Boxe Floripa representative proved her big win was no fluke when she displayed the full package in her unanimous decision victory against Alyse Anderson at ONE 168: Denver at the Ball Arena last Sept. 6.
The full replay of ONE 168: Denver is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America.
Victoria Souza recalls how she survived tight triangle choke vs Alyse Anderson
While Victoria Souza pulled off another impressive win against a tough adversary, she didn't leave her match-up with 'Lil Savage' unscathed.
Anderson had the upper hand early when she caught 'Vick' with one of her signature triangle chokes.
The defiant Souza, though, refused to yield and found a way to alleviate the pressure. She told ONE:
"I escaped her triangle with a technique that my coach taught me and, from the armbar, I just spun to escape.
"But it was also a bit of heart there, because, oddly enough, I don't have much elasticity."
Rewatch highlights of that entertaining three-rounder here:
