Trips to Brazil have produced some of the most iconic moments in UFC history, from Edson Barboza’s spinning wheel-kick finish of Terry Etim to Jose Aldo’s brutal war against Chad Mendes at UFC 179.

In the cauldron of combat, titles have been won and lost, legacies built and broken to the soundtrack of Brazil’s uniquely passionate fans.

Such is the draw of the South American nation, it represents the UFC’s home from home: no other country outside of the US has played host to the promotion so frequently.

On Saturday night, the Octagon arrives in town once again, making its second visit to Brazil in 2019 following UFC Fortaleza: Assuncao v Moraes 2 in February, and the card has all the makings to become another classic.

More than 15,000 fans crammed into the Jeunesse Arena will be treated to world championship action in the main event as home favourite Jessica Andrade takes her second shot at UFC gold when she fights strawweight queen Rose Namajunas.

“Thug Rose” realised her potential in spectacular fashion in 2017 when she knocked out long-reigning champ Joanna Jędrzejczyk in the first round at UFC 217 before drawing a line under the rivalry with a five-round victory in the rematch six months later.

But speaking exclusively to BTSport.com this week, UFC mic man John Gooden claimed that even before she became a world titlist, Namajunas had been destined for greatness.

“I think back to the Ultimate Fighter house and I truly believe that she was the contestant who had the most well-rounded and well-connected MMA game,” Gooden explained.

“I always thought that it was just a question of her developing her skillset even further before she became a bonafide threat. She had a slip up against Karolina Kowalkiewicz [at UFC 201], it was a split decision loss but it was Fight of the Night.

“Some people gave it to Rose. It was a really, really close fight but apart from that, really and truly she has been emphatic, finishing people in the strawweight division. She holds the highest number of finishes in that division now.

“When you look at the lighter weight classes of female mixed martial arts, it’s even trickier to get finishes so she is a real standout star because of that. As a result, she’s very, very exciting to watch so I don’t necessarily prescribe to the notion that she was a star just because she beat Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

“I think that when you’ve beaten Paige VanZant in the way that she did, Tecia Torres – who is a real veteran, the close fight with Kowalkiewicz and then Michelle Waterson, who is right up there as a top contender, you’re a star.

“What she did to Jedrzejczyk was quite special in that she beat JJ in striking. She knocked out the striker. And then beat her again. It was just unbelievable.”

Namajunas’ wins were characterised by her calmness and maturity in the face of her Polish rival’s aggression, demonstrating an ability to stay cool under pressure that has taken time to develop.

“She has had questionable mental fortitude in the past - and that is a statement has come from her camp,” Gooden continued.

“They said everything was there with her physical attributes, it was just whether she could mentally get herself ready for fights. I think that was partly because of her youth in professional mixed martial arts and her youth in terms of her tenure with the UFC.

“She has proved now in the last four or five fights that she’s worked on the psychological aspect of performance and it is now not such a big issue for her.

“Having said that, this is the first time she’s fighting outside of the US. She has gone on the record to say that she’s not going to be going to Brazil ahead of a normal fight week. I think she’ll land on Tuesday? She’s not going out ahead to really acclimatise, to get settled.

“She believes if you’re ready, you’re ready and you shouldn’t make excuses for anything else. Most people, if they were defending their title in Brazil, which is a long way from home, with a weight cut and all that comes with it, would choose to go out there a little early.

“She is so confident nowadays that it is almost like nothing can unsettle her so we’ll see if actually there might be some challenges during fight week. A lot of analysts may believe she should have taken the opportunity to go out a little earlier but right now she’s steadfast in saying that is not going to trouble her.

“She’s actually well respected in Brazil but that will not stop the crowd chanting “uh vai morrer” which means 'you’re going to die'! That’s what they are famous for and even if the Brazilian fans love you, but they will shout that anyway because they get behind their own.

“Will it faze Rose Namajunas? Probably not now. A few years ago, quite possibly. But that is no longer the case. She is an established champion and we’ll see how she copes. But it’s going to be a big night and another new test for her.”

Looking to lay her hands on a UFC title for the first time in her career, 27-year-old Jessica Andrade has proven she can be more than a handful on her night having smashed Karolina Kowalkiewicz in show-stopping fashion last time out.

The 5ft 2ins fighter, nicknamed Bate Estaca or the Pile Driver, carries heavy artillery in both hands and continues to develop under the tutelage of long-time coach Gilliard Parana.

“She is quite young in the game when you compare her to some of the other people that she faced,” Gooden said of Andrade.

“She’s had more fights than Rose Namajunas but I don’t think she had the deep background in other martial arts like some of her counterparts in the UFC. She is a powerhouse though, and she’s aggressive. Something I have also recognised is how much she improves between fights, which is important as she often surprises her opponents with new elevated levels.

“She is someone who was throwing people around and bullying people at 135lb. She’s now dropped down to strawweight [115lb] and she’s taken all of that power and strength with her.

“There is no one that Rose Namajunas has faced before that has that kind of power – and probably that level of aggression and intensity - once the Octagon door shuts.”

Between them, the two have earned a combined six bonuses in their previous ten fights, teeing this title fight up to be a classic.

The bookmakers appear unable to split the duo too, with fluctuating odds favouring either athlete at different points leading in to Saturday’s showdown.

However, Gooden believes the champion carries the edge and revealed why her fluency should see her through a stern challenge against Andrade.

“I think that Rose has a better overall mixed martial arts game and when I say that I mean that she chains together her overall components of mixed martial arts a bit better than Andrade does,” the UFC man explained.

“Rose can finish the fight anywhere and because she has such a good understanding of mixed martial arts, she will earn a lot of credit on the scorecards. Throughout the minutes, she’s always looking to effectively strike, effectively grapple in order to get into prominent positions where she can finish the fight.

“However, Andrade is a bully and will be looking to take your head off from the get-go. Rose will have to show some fortitude but I would imagine she would be in probably better shape over five rounds just because of the way that she fights compared to the way that Andrade fights.

“Cardio is not a problem for Andrade I’m just saying I think Rose will be better there. Rose’s submission threat is very, very strong too. In my opinion, Andrade doesn’t have that same level of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

“If you give Rose a glance of your back, she will jump on it and she will choke you out. We’ve seen that inside the Octagon.

“Personally think that she has the advantage here. She is long, she’s a very wily kind of fighter with very good movement. I don’t think she’s going to be able to get Andrade out of there with striking. It will be a sequence where she goes through the striking range and then gets this down onto the canvas, takes the back and works a choke.”