Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya remains one of the greatest rivalries fans have ever witnessed in the UFC. As most of us are familiar with the tale, ‘Poatan’ chased his eternal rival to claim the middleweight crown, only for ‘The Last Stylebender’ to take revenge spectacularly. But after the Brazilian moved to the light heavyweight division, that kind of rivalry has been missing from the promotion. However, at the UFC Rio Fight Night event, glimpses of that epic rivalry started brewing once again. 

Former ADCC World Champion Bia Mesquita made her UFC debut against Irina Alekseeva in the prelims of UFC Rio. From the very first round, the Brazilian showcased her elite jiu-jitsu skills to dominate her opponent. In the second round, Mesquita took full control, recording 4:53 of control time before submitting the ‘Russian Ronda’ with a rear-naked choke. Earning a $50k bonus for her performance. However, right after her impressive win, fans began drawing parallels between her and ‘Poatan’s journey. Envisioning her future challenge against former opponent Mackenzie Dern, just as Alex Pereira did against Adesanya. 

Bia Mesquita follows Alex Pereira’s path to fight Mackenzie Dern after UFC Rio win  

After Mesquita made quick work of her opponent, a popular social media account immediately drew the comparison, writing on X, “Bia Mesquita feels like the WMMA version of Pereira seeing Izzy succeed and signing with the UFC.” For the unversed, the 34-year-old previously fought Mackenzie Dern in the 2015 ADCC Championship, securing a victory, and later at the IBJJF Rio Fall Open, where Mesquita submitted her in just 64 seconds. 

This trajectory mirrors how Pereira defeated Israel Adesanya in kickboxing before transitioning into MMA. However, the journey becomes even more similar, as Bia also competed in LFA before entering the UFC, just like ‘Poatan’ did in Jungle Fight. Taking the coincidence further, both won their UFC debuts in the second round, which is nothing short of remarkable. But despite the parallels, one fact could hinder a potential rivalry.

The former ADCC champion debuted in the bantamweight division, two divisions above the strawweight, where Mackenzie Dern is currently scheduled to face Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321. So, for a matchup, either Dern would need to move up two weight classes, or Mesquita would have to cut down to 115 lbs. In both scenarios, the chances look slim. Still, that doesn’t mean the Brazilian has any less ambition.  

Mesquita reveals ‘Lady GOAT’ mentality

Bia Mesquita has taken her first and important steps into the UFC. She secured a crucial victory dominantly and also received massive cheers from her home audience. Moreover, Mesquita also has a fan-friendly personality, which the promotion loves in their fighters. As the Brazilian embarks on a long journey ahead, she has her teammates by her side enough, an hasd also showcased the GOAT mentality, proving she’s ready to compete at the highest level.

At the UFC Rio Octagon interview, Mesquita said, “It couldn’t be better to be here, to get my debut in Brazil. I train in the best gym in the world, American Top Team, and I have the best coach by my side. So, I know it could not be different than that to come here and show what I’m ready for. Why I’m the lady GOAT.. mentality, that — I came to be one of the best in the division, and I proved that tonight.” 

So, what does she mean by GOAT mentality? While it might sound self-centered, it actually gives a fighter a mental edge, boosting confidence to overcome opponents. Almost every dominant champion — names like Jon Jones, Islam Makhachev, or Alex Pereira — also practices this mentality in their own way. To put her belief into action, the UFC debutant already wants a quick comeback.

She said, “I’m healthy, and I didn’t get hurt. So, I just wanna stay active as much as possible. Get me back here as soon as possible. This is the lady GOAT mentality. I’m here to stay. Let’s set fire on this.”

After that, the UFC will be eager to see what Bia Mesquita can pull off in her next fights. That said, who do you think should be her next opponent after UFC Rio where her fellow Brazilian Charles Oliveira also ended up winning the main event? Let us know in the comments below.