She’s Next – WMMA Weekly Preview
Each week, I’ll highlight one women’s prospect on my radar and in action in the upcoming days
Gigi Canuto
Record: 6-1
Weight Class: Strawweight
Age: 23 years old
Training: 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Las Vegas
Combined opponents’ record: 17-12
Giovanna “Gigi” Canuto is a Brazilian-born professional MMA fighter, born on November 16, 2002. She represents a new generation of athletes who entered the professional ranks at a very young age and were exposed to the North American MMA ecosystem early on. Drawn to combat sports from childhood, Canuto ultimately committed to mixed martial arts as her primary career path, a decision that led her to leave Brazil and relocate to the United States, where she continues to base her career.
Canuto made her professional MMA debut in 2021, at just 18, under the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) banner. For informed MMA fans, LFA needs little introduction. The promotion has long served as one of the UFC’s most reliable talent pipelines. Competing there from the outset placed Canuto in a structured, competitive environment that demands consistency, professionalism, and long-term progression rather than quick exposure.
Over the next few years, she became a regular fixture on LFA cards in the strawweight division, steadily accumulating experience against increasingly established opposition. In 2023, she reached a major career milestone by competing in a title fight, which also resulted in her first professional loss. For a fighter still in her early twenties, that bout represented less a setback than a formative checkpoint, one that aligned with the typical developmental arc of prospects operating at a high regional level.
Outside of MMA, Canuto has also remained active in elite grappling competition. In 2024, she appeared at a UFC Fight Pass Invitational, further embedding herself within the UFC Fight Pass ecosystem. For fighters without a UFC contract, this type of platform exposure is significant, as it places them directly in front of a core audience familiar with prospect tracking and talent evaluation.
In interviews with MMA media, Canuto has repeatedly emphasized a measured approach to her career. Rather than chasing rapid UFC entry, she has spoken about the importance of patience, consistency, and long-term improvement. She has framed her career as a process, one built around living full-time as a professional athlete and allowing opportunities to materialize organically. At an age when many fighters are still transitioning out of the amateur scene, Gigi Canuto already operates within the rhythms and expectations of high-level professional MMA. Her career to date reflects a deliberate progression through one of the sport’s most respected developmental circuits, positioning her as a name familiar to observers who closely follow emerging talent.
Gigi Canuto returns to action at LFA 224, where she faces Janaína Silva in a strawweight matchup that quietly carries real stakes. It’s a classic LFA-style pairing between two fighters still building their résumé, with momentum and positioning inside the division very much on the line.
Canuto is a fighter whose game is built around intent, pressure, and constant engagement. One of her most defining qualities is how laser-focused she remains once the fight begins. She does not drift mentally, and that focus translates into solid cage control. She is comfortable pushing opponents backward, choosing when and where exchanges happen, and maintaining a forward-moving rhythm rather than reacting.
Her striking is often underrated. There is clear steam behind her punches, supported by her physical strength, and she is willing to commit offensively. While still a work in progress, her striking has shown steady improvement over time. She can take a punch without losing composure, which allows her to stay aggressive even when exchanges get messy. That toughness pairs well with her growing confidence on the feet, though defensive gaps remain.
Canuto’s opportunism is one of her biggest assets. She is quick to capitalize on mistakes, both with takedowns and submissions. Her blast double takedowns are effective when timed correctly, especially against opponents who overcommit or lose balance. Once the fight hits the mat, she is constantly active. Her sweeps are sharp and purposeful, often leading directly into improved position or immediate attacks rather than resets.
From the top position, she applies steady ground-and-pound while actively hunting submissions. She does not settle for control alone and consistently looks to create reactions that open finishing opportunities. Her submission mindset is voracious. She attacks early and often, and that mentality does not fade late in fights. Her willingness to attempt submissions in the fifth round of her title fight highlights both her composure and her heart. Even deep into a fight, she stays engaged and committed to her game.
There are, however, clear limitations that shape her current ceiling. Her clinch work remains fairly basic and lacks the layers needed to dominate strong opponents in close quarters. On the ground, while her sweeps are effective, her control during transitions is inconsistent. Between scrambles, she can lose position, get moved, or be reversed, especially against physically strong wrestlers.
Defensively, her takedown defense needs significant work. She can be controlled by opponents who prioritize wrestling, and reversals have been a recurring issue. On the feet, her striking defense is still developing. She is hittable, and her tendency to get overextended when punching can leave her off balance and vulnerable to counters or reactive takedowns. Cardio also remains somewhat unproven. While her late-fight submission attempts show mental toughness, there are moments where her pace and control suggest potential conditioning questions, particularly in wrestling-heavy exchanges.
Overall, Canuto is a pressure-driven, opportunistic fighter with clear strengths in aggression, composure, and finishing instincts. Her progression will depend on tightening defensive gaps, improving positional control, and better connecting her offense without sacrificing balance.
A submission win is the most likely scenario for Canuto when Friday comes.
