Growing up in the MMA-crazy nation of Brazil, Heloisa Azevedo long dreamed of being a fighter, but it was Amanda Nunes who finally convinced her to chase her dream.

Well, it was actually Azevedo’s sister, but Nunes was the inspiration.

“I always wanted to be an MMA fighter, since I was a teenager,” Azevedo told MMA Junkie in her native Portuguese. “But back then, I didn’t have money to pay for classes, and the sport wasn’t well regarded for women. As time went by, I got busy with my regular job and started putting on weight.

“After watching an Amanda Nunes fight, my sister suggested I get into fighting, since I had always talked about it. I started boxing. It was my first martial art. I initially told myself it was only to lose weight, until I finally admitted that I wanted to be a fighter.”

The weight loss was a nice byproduct and a heck of a cover story, too. Azevedo admits her family wasn’t initially thrilled by her new pursuit but is now supportive of her efforts.

“My mother feels it’s too aggressive a sport, but she still supports me,” Azevedo said. “I shed about 39 kilograms (86 pounds) prior to my professional MMA debut. I love MMA. It’s what I always wanted.

“A lot of people in Brazil still have a hard time accepting MMA as an actual profession, but I’m willing to face all difficulties to make my dream come true. I know I’m on the right path.”

Her results to date indicate her chosen career path was indeed wise.

After losing her professional debut to Duda Santana – who debuts in the UFC next month – has since earned four consecutive victories, all of them coming by way of stoppage.

“My first bout was my only loss,” Azevedo said. “I hope I never lose again. I faced Eduarda ‘Duda’ Santana, who’s in the UFC now. We fought at 145 pounds. I had never done something like that before. We fought three hard rounds. I learned a lot from that. I was pretty inexperienced back then.

“All my other opponents were tough. In my next bout, my original opponent disappeared and was replaced on fight day. I was afraid to lose again, but I went ahead anyway. I’ve been undefeated since. I really enjoy striking, but my fights usually end up on the ground, where I get a submission.”

On Saturday, Azevedo (4-1) competes in the U.S. for the first time, taking on the undefeated Miranda Granger (5-0) in the main event of CFFC 75. The fighters compete for the promotion’s inaugural strawweight title in the headliner, which streams on UFC Fight Pass from Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, Calif.

“I found some fights on YouTube,” Azevedo said. “I imagine she found some of my videos, too. I’m training hard. Winning is very important to me, as I’m sure is also true of my opponent.

“I’m hoping to win by KO or submission. I know she’s taller. My team and I are training hard to bring this victory back to Brazil. My time is now.”

Azevedo’s head coach is the husband of current UFC bantamweight Talita Bernardo. Azevedo hopes to join her on the UFC roster very soon. It may have seemed nearly impossible to her not so long ago, but Azevedo now believes she’s built a momentum that simply will not be denied.

“Never give up on your dreams,” Azevedo said. “I was able to lose 86 pounds and make it this far. Some people thought I was too old to do it. Life is often difficult, but it’s those challenges that help us evolve. I hope to put on a great show.”

For more on CFFC 75, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.