Ketlen Souza: ‘I’ll Win or Die Trying’

Ketlen Souza can see the way forward in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight division, even though obstacles are aplenty.

“Esquentadinha” will face fellow former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder Angela Hill in the featured UFC Fight Night 251 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. With wins in seven of her past eight bouts, Souza has no plans to hold back against one of the division’s elder stateswomen.

“I’ll put all my energy into play,” she said. “I’ll win or die trying.”

One of the most prolific female fighters in UFC history, Hill has compiled a 12-14 record across her 26 appearances inside the Octagon. Four of those losses resulted in split scorecards. Hill last competed at UFC on ESPN 62, where she wound up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against Tabatha Ricci on Aug. 24. She ranks first on the promotion’s all-time list at 115 pounds in total fight time (5:57:45), significant strikes landed (1,951) and total strikes landed (2,291).

“Angela has been in the UFC for quite some time,” Souza said. “She’s very experienced, although she has some shortcomings. Age matters. She’s 40. I’m 30. Her toughness isn’t what it used to be. She has a glass jaw. In some of her fights, she was knocked down repeatedly. She’s coming off a loss, but that doesn’t matter much. She deserves her position. I’m going to earn my spot in the rankings.”

Souza trains out of the Carioca Academy in Manaus, Brazil. She believes the efforts she undertook there will have her well-prepared for Hill.

“I have several partners who have been a great help,” Souza said. “Not many are women, but I worked with one girl who is an excellent grappler and another who’s an expert striker. I trained in all areas. I’m very ready, physically and mentally. We left no stone unturned in making sure I’ll be bringing another victory back home.”

Souza steps back into view on the strength of back-to-back wins over Marnic Mann and Yazmin Jauregui. She put Jauregui to sleep with a rear-naked choke a little more than three minutes into their UFC 306 pairing on Sept. 14, recording her first submission in more than six years. Souza once again has meaningful momentum on her side—the kind that feeds ambition.

“My plan is to win this fight,” she said. “In the future, I’d like to find myself among the Top 5. I plan to issue a challenge after my fight. I expect to get into the Top 5 in the near future and to be fighting for the belt no later than early next year.”