Brazil’s ‘Problem Child’

Talita Alencar’s nickname—they call her “Crianca Problema” in Portuguese, which translates to “Problem Child” in English—suits her just fine.

“It comes from my strong and problematic personality,” she told Sherdog.com. “I’ve always been one to get into fights. I’m always a pit bull, fighting for what I believe in and voicing my opinions. That’s how I got it.”

Those traits are part of what brought Alencar to the highest level of mixed martial arts. The undefeated 33-year-old women’s strawweight hopeful will return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship stage when she rematches Stephanie Luciano as part of the UFC on ESPN 61 undercard this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Alencar made a successful Octagon debut in December, as she eked out a split decision over Rayanne dos Santos and started to establish a foothold at 115 pounds.

“Every week, I learn something new and make adjustments,” she said. “All my experiences in the sport have been great. I already have a win in the UFC, and I’m ready for my second one.”

Alencar finds a familiar face in her path. She battled Luciano to a draw on Week 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series in September. “Rondinha” was awarded a UFC contract in the immediate aftermath of their encounter, while Alencar was forced to wait for a traditional call-up to the roster.

“I’m sure everyone is making adjustments,” Alencar said. “She’s getting ready for my pressure. The difference is that now my striking is much better. Stephanie and I already know each other, and since the time we fought, I’ve been preparing for any opponent, not just for her. I see myself beating her by frustrating her, staying in her face and winning every angle in the fight. If she gets frustrated, she may want to grapple, which is where I’m more efficient; and I’m working on different techniques since we know she’ll be ready to sprawl or counter with knees.

“I have to be careful, but I don’t expect any surprises,” she added. “I believe I won two of the three rounds when we first fought. People thought my cardio failed me in the final round, but it was really nerves. I see myself being successful in every round of our rematch. I also envision myself overwhelming her with chain wrestling and ground-and-pound.”

Alencar’s vision for her career stretches far beyond her rematch with Luciano.

“I’ve [always] believed I’m a different kind of person,” she said. “Not everyone can do what we can. I have pride in saying that I can be successful in any sport when I put my mind to it. I don’t think eventually becoming a UFC champion is out of reach, considering all I’ve accomplished in my life up to now.”