Polyana Viana, a mixed-martial arts fighter with a strong winning record who goes by the nickname “The Iron Lady,” beat a man who she says tried to rob her as she waited for an Uber.
She left the alleged thief with a bloody face and held him down until police arrived to arrest him. This happened Saturday, January 5, outside her apartment in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Viana Told ‘MMA Junkie’ The Would-Be Robber Threatened He Had a Gun
Man tries to rob UFC’s Polyana Viana in Rio de Janeiro, pays painful price t.co/ug8poqB656
Polyana Viana, 26, shared her story with the website MMAJunkie. She explained that she had been sitting in front of her apartment complex, not far from the entrance, when a man sat down beside her and asked her for the time.
But he didn’t leave after she told him. Instead, Viana said he put his hand over what he claimed was a gun and said, “Give me the phone. Don’t try to react, because I’m armed.”
But Viana realized he was not actually armed because the device appeared too soft. She told the website that she assumed it could have been a toy; it turned out to be a cardboard paper cutout of a gun.
Viana decided that even if the man was armed, he would not have time to retrieve a weapon because he was sitting too close to her. She punched him twice and kicked him, then held him in what she described as a “rear-naked choke.” Viana asked a passer-by to call police.
2. Viana Said the Man Required Medical Attention & Had Been Arrested Before
Polyana Viana shared with MMAJunkie that the alleged robber did not try to fight her back. She said the man “was scared I was going to beat him up more” and did not object to her calling the police.
Viana said the man received medical treatment before he was taken to the police station. She filed a police report and was told that the man had previously served time behind bars.
UFC President Dana White shared a picture to Instagram showing the damage done to the man’s face after Viana hit him. White included the caption: “On the left is @polyanaviana, one of our @UFC fighters and on the right is the guy who tried to rob her #badfuckingidea.”
The Robber Union in Rio de Janeiro is asking that the UFC please give a fight to Polyana soon! They are worried for their safety while she is lose out there and with nothing to do! @Mickmaynard2 @danawhite @PolyanaViana @NandaPrates_
Viana’s manager, Alex Davis, also took to social media to comment on the incident. He joked that criminals were eager for Viana to get back in the ring so that she could focus on something other than taking out alleged thieves. “The Robber Union in Rio de Janeiro is asking that the UFC please give a fight to Polyana soon! They are worried for their safety while she is loose out there and with nothing to do!”
3. Polyana Viana Has Won 10 of 12 Professional Fights & Goes By the Nickname ‘The Iron Lady’
Polyana Viana has been fighting professionally since 2013. She has won 10 out of 12 fights. Six of them were by submission and four were by technical knockout.
Her most recent fight was in August 2018. Viana lost to J.J. Aldrich via referee decision.
Her nickname is “Dama de Ferro” which translates to “The Iron Lady.”
Viana got her start in the sport by winning four of her first five matches. After signing with “Jungle Fight,” she earned the title of strawweight champion in 2015. She defeated Amanda Ribas in a first-round knockout. Viana defended that title in 2016 by beating Debora Dias Nascimento via submission.
4. Viana Grew Up in Para, Brazil & Briefly Worked at a Gas Station After Her Fighting Career Stalled
Polyana Viana was born June 14, 1992, in Sao Geraldo do Araguaia in Para, Brazil. She graduated high school in 2009, according to her Facebook page.
She was recruited for mixed martial arts after a jiu-jitsu coach spotted her at a soccer match. She told MMAFighting.com that she had never considered fighting before being approached, but decided to give it a try. As referenced above, Viana had a lot of success early in her career.
But after winning two championships, Viana’s career took a backward turn. She told MMAFighting that her sponsor, Jungle Fights, kept postponing events. She lost sponsorships and eventually moved back home. She worked at a gas station and thought her MMA career was over.
But a friend persuaded her to contact the man who would go on to become her manager, Alex Davis. He encouraged Viana to move to Rio de Janeiro and train at his gym. Viana told the website that a friend loaned her money for a flight to Rio and that her mother sent her cash until she could get a new sponsor.
5. Viana is a Mother & Said She Has Spent a Lot of Time Separated From Him In Order to Pursue Her Mixed-Martial Arts Career
Polyana Viana has an 8-year-old son named Deivid. She posted the above video of him to Instagram in May 2018. The caption, translated from Portuguese, reads, “Mama’s beautiful thing.” Viana is currently single, according to her Facebook page.
According to MMAJunkie, Viana’s son was a major factor in her decision to train in Rio de Janeiro. After reaching out to Alex Davis to get her career going again, he reportedly wanted to send her to train in the United States. But Viana said that was not possible because she would not be able to bring her son. Davis sent her instead to train under Tata Duarte in Rio.
Viana told MMAFighting.com that her decision to pursue her UFC career has meant sacrificing time with her son. “Since I started fighting, I’ve only been with him for one of his birthdays. I stayed away from him for a long time.” According to the site, her son lives with Viana’s mother in her hometown.