Full name?

Eduarda Neves Santanna

Nickname?

Duda Cowboyzinha (Note: Duda is short for Eduarda, and “Cowboyzinha” means “Little Cowgirl”). It comes from the fact that Alex ‘Cowboy’ Oliveira used to train with at my academy, TFT. People thought I looked a bit like him, and we have a similar demeanor. He became a great friend. We were always together. So, we became ‘Cowboy’ and ‘Cowboyzinha.’ The nickname stuck.

Date of birth?

October 1, 1996. I’m 22 years old.

Height?

1.69 m (5’7″)

Weight for your next bout?

I fight at 61 kg (135 pounds).

City of birth?

I was born in and I live in Rio de Janeiro, in the City of God (Cidade de Deus) favela.

Team?

I train at TFT (Tatá Fight Team).

How’d you get into MMA?

I started out in boxing. I wasn’t considered a good person in society’s eyes, due to drugs and things like that. My friend Luis, along with my boxing coach Guilherme Tyson used to bother the hell out of me, to get me to train. So, I went into boxing and muay Thai. I had a few muay Thai bouts. During that time, I become pregnant. My daughter is three years old now. Due to the pregnancy, I put on a lot of weight. I decided to go back to training. Around 2017, my friend Thiago Rangel brought me to the TFT academy. I showed up on sparring day. After we got done sparring, I was invited to join the team by coach Phillip Lima.

What can you say about your short yet undefeated professional career thus far?

All my opponents were tough. They were all well-regarded in the MMA world. Then my coach got me a bout in Dana White’s Contender Series (against Luana Carolina). But I couldn’t make it, due to a visa problem. We couldn’t get it on time. I became extremely depressed and put on a lot of weight. Then I made up my mind to continue training. And here I am. I’m booked against Bea Malecki (in the UFC). I’ll put a beating on her.

After not making it to the Contender Series show, did you expect to get called up to fight on an actual UFC card?

I didn’t expect it. But I strongly believe in God. Maybe he felt I deserved it. Dana White saw my fights and called me up. Was I supposed to say no? I’m giving everything I have.

How do you see things playing out?

I believe that Dana White wants new talent and new faces in his organization. I’ve watched some of Bea’s fights. She comes from kickboxing and muay Thai too. She participated in The Ultimate Fighter. I think it’s a good fight for me. I’m confident I’ll beat her. Actually, regardless of who I’m facing, I’m always convinced I’ll be the winner. I don’t have much to say about my opponent. She’s an experienced fighter too. I’ll just show up and put on a show. That’s it. I enjoy the challenges that life brings. God will never give you a burden heavier than you can carry. I’m going to beat Bea on her turf. I have a lot of people depending on me. I don’t care if the fans are against me. I’ve always been the underdog. That’s nothing new. It doesn’t scare me. I’ll deliver a beating and her fans will become my fans.

Plans for the future?

My plan is to establish a foothold in the UFC. I want to get to 5-0 and convince Dana White to give me big fights based on my performances. I want to headline some Fight Night cards. And – who knows – maybe I can fight for the belt one day. Why not? I want to face the toughest possible opponents. I want to be thrown at the lions, among the biggest names in MMA. I also plan to avoid injuries and recover quickly from my bout, so I can be on the same card as my friend Thiago ‘Marreta’ Santos (UFC 239). He’s from my favela.

Final thoughts?

I want for people to enjoy my work and recognize me. I want people to look forward to every time that ‘Cowboyzinha’ fights. Dana White won’t regret calling me up. I’m going to beat Bea without any assistance. I have no sponsorships – just a little help. But knowing that things will soon change gives me extra motivation. My main goal now is to beat my opponent, win over her fans, and bring money home. In Brazil, athletes aren’t valued. We are on our own.

UFC on ESPN+ 11 takes place Saturday at Ericcson Globe in Stockholm. The event streams on ESPN+.

For more on UFC on ESPN+ 11, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.