Athletes
Melissa Gatto Seeks An Adrenaline Rush
Flyweight Prospect Looks To Bounce Back From A Two-Fight Skid Against Viktoriia Dudakova During Saturday’s Prelims.
As the days dwindle down to her upcoming fight, Melissa Gatto exudes a sense of calm determination. After a brief hiatus, she's eager to return to the Octagon and showcase her skills once more, this time against Viktoriia Dudakova.
"I was away for a little bit of time but I'm back now and I feel really well, I'm very happy." Gatto said. “I missed fight week, and the fight itself, you know it's what I love to do. I love being here. I love the adrenaline, so I definitely missed being away from the UFC.”
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Gatto’s last time hitting the Octagon was at UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Magomedov last July, where she landed on the wrong side of a split decision against Ariane Lipski. Now having dropped her last two outings, Gatto acknowledges the silver lining within those losses.
“I learned a lot from my two defeats. I felt like I was going in there always looking for the knockout, always trying to finish the fight quickly. I learned to be able to take my time to be able to go in there without being in a rush.” Gatto said. “Ultimately, I think that we never want to lose, but those two defeats were good for me in the end and, right now, I feel really good mentally and physically.”
Six out of Gatto’s eight professional wins have come via finish, making it interesting to see if her newfound patience will help her get the job done in a similar manner this weekend at UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield vs Fiorot.
Dudakova poses a formidable threat and comes in to make her flyweight debut after scoring wins against Istela Nunes and Jinh Yu Frey.
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With an undefeated record and a recent move up in weight class, Dudakova brings her own set of skills to the table. Gatto, however, remains undeterred, confident in her ability to impose her grappling prowess in the matchup.
“I've been following her career since she was fighting as an amateur,” Gatto said. “She fought a friend of mine, a training partner, in the amateur World Championships. So I've been following her career all along in her fights in the UFC and everywhere else.”
The 27-year-old Gatto described the fight as one “between two grapplers.” She expects Dudakova to provide some threat on the feet, but considering her sambo background, Gatto believes most of the fight will feature grappling scrambles between them.
"She's gonna look for the grappling, and it's gonna be a grappling match," predicts Gatto.
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A victory isn't just about redemption for the Brazilian representative; it's about reclaiming her place in the flyweight division.
"Having my arm raised on Saturday is really going to clear the air and clear my soul of everything," she reflects.
It's a pivotal moment in her career, one that she's been tirelessly working towards since her last defeat.
In a sport where fortunes can change in an instant, Melissa Gatto stands ready to seize her moment of redemption and reaffirm her status as one of the flyweight division's most promising contenders.
UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield vs Fiorot took place live from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on March 30, 2024. See the final Prelims & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!