Ketlen Vieira was a top-ranked bantamweight in the UFC ever since she beat Sara McMann and Cat Zingano nearly a decade ago, and stayed among the elite until the UFC decided not to offer her a new deal following a win over Jacqueline Cavalcanti this past May. For Vieira, it’s still hard to wrap her head around that“unbelievable” call.
It didn’t take long for Vieira to find a new home, signing with PFL to face their featherweight champion Cris Cyborg in the main event of PFL Tampa on Aug. 22. Moments away from one of her ultimate dream fights, Vieira opened up on the “mix of feelings” of leaving the UFC after a decade in the promotion.
“I was already expecting it because usually we renew a contract before the final fight,” Vieira told MMA Fighting. “When ‘Dedé’ [Andre Pederneiras] told me they wanted me to have my last fight, I already found it a little strange and was kind of expecting it. But it was still a huge surprise to me because I’ve been a top athlete in the division for many years.”
“What I’m about to say isn’t me being arrogant or anything, and I even apologize for saying it,” she continued, “but I’m much better than many of the fighters who are there at bantamweight. It’s kind of unbelievable that they wouldn’t renew my contract when there are many other fighters there who aren’t on my level, you know? But I always put my life in God’s hands, and He’s the one who decides, and He guided me toward what I wanted, which was a title shot.”
Vieira won 10 of 15 fights in the UFC cage between 2016 and 2026, topping the likes of Holly Holm, Miesha Tate and suffering defeats only to the best of the bantamweight division, including future champions Kayla Harrison and Raquel Pennington.
“I can’t really understand [my release],” Vieira said, “because if we’re talking about fighting styles, there are women whose fighting styles don’t even compare to mine, and who are completely one-dimensional grapplers. I don’t know if it was an internal issue, I really don’t know. The only thing I know is that [Pederneiras] told me they weren’t going to renew my contract. Looking at me as an athlete, my career, my style, and some of the athletes who are there, I just can’t understand why.”
Yet, Vieira chooses to see the bright side of things and thank PFL for being so “valued” as an athlete, finally reaching a long-anticipated title bout after “maturing” for 10 years in the UFC.
“I left the UFC as a winner,” Vieira said. “I left as a top-5 fighter, as a future title challenger, especially because all the other girls were coming off losses. It doesn’t really make sense because I was the only one coming off a win to be fighting for the title. Anyway, I’m very grateful to the UFC for everything it provided in my life. They gave me a name. In the morning, I received the [release] news, and by nighttime, another major event was already interested in me, so I can’t be ungrateful to the UFC or to everyone there who gave me the opportunity to change my life, and they did change my life. But today I’m focused on this new chance, this new opportunity in the PFL.”
The Nova União veteran believes “some really good things are coming now” with PFL’s merger with MVP MMA and popular figure Jake Paul support the organization, “and that’s what matters” in the end. She can’t help but wonder, however, about what all of that means for the future of women’s MMA under the UFC umbrella.
“[Could be that] the UFC is no longer as interested in investing in it,” Vieira said of women’s divisions. “That could be a possibility too, but the truth is, I just can’t understand it. The only thing I’m doing now is thanking God because I’m at a new promotion, I have a job where I’m being very well valued, and I’m fulfilling a dream of fighting for a title.”
