Valesca Machado, Brazil, 15-4
Pros:
-Lead job
-Power straight right
-Heavy hands
-Credible wrestling
-Good TDD
-Lateral movement
Cons:
-Low volume
-Fades later in the fights
-Gets stuck against the cage
It’s insane to me, and many others, that Machado hasn’t been in the UFC for years. She fought on the Contender Series in 2021 and lost to Piera Rodriguez, but we’ve seen plenty of fighters sign with the UFC despite a loss on the show.
After that, Machado went on a four-fight win streak and captured the Invicta FC title. She still wasn’t signed, and then dropped her next fight. Since then, Machado has won three straight, including a highlight-reel knockout in under a minute in February 2024. Crazy enough, she was still overlooked, had to fight two more times, and now finds herself on TUF.
At her best, Machado could be a top-15 fighter in the UFC. That said, I do think she’s slightly overrated. She has big power for the weight class, but she has just one knockout in the last five years despite facing eight opponents during that stretch.
Machado is a technically sound striker, but she doesn’t vary her game much. It’s usually a stiff jab and a straight right. She’s a good counter striker, but she waits around too long at times, which causes her volume to drop. When she does let her hands go, she throws good combinations, has real power, and can put opponents on the defensive.
Machado can wrestle and has enough grappling to win at a certain level, but I don’t think it’s good enough to consistently deal with some of the stronger BJJ fighters in the house. Still, she can hit trip takedowns, control positions, and win minutes on top.
Defensively, Machado is sound. She has good footwork, solid takedown defense, and generally doesn’t give opponents many easy openings. The biggest issue is that she tends to let opponents stick around longer than they should. Rather than pushing the pace and taking over fights, she’ll often allow them to stay competitive.
I do believe Machado is a legitimate contender to win the show. She has the power, striking, defense, and a capable enough ground game to make a deep run.
