In a recent interview with UFC.com, Alice Ardelean had confessed, “I was really depressed, and I was super sad. I got some help from the UFC, I am talking with a psychologist, and since then, I’ve been working on my mental game.” The 33-year-old was coming into UFC Vegas 107 on a 2-fight skid. The first was a razor-close split decision against Shauna Bannon. The second? A heartbreaking, unanimous decision loss to Melissa Martinez.

So when she finally had her hand raised at UFC Vegas 107 against Rayanne dos Santos, it wasn’t just a win. It was a moment of redemption. But more importantly, it was proof that all the work she had put in towards the mental aspect of the game had finally paid off!

Alice Ardelean credits the “mental part” of training for her major UFC Vegas 107 victory

In her post-fight interview, shared on X by UFC News, Alice Ardelean began by stating, “Well, after two losses, it feels unreal, but I’ve been putting in a lot of work. And, also, the fight was, in my opinion, it was such a competitive fight. It was amazing. I hope we gave the fans what they really like, you know, the dog fight.”

The two strawweights had both entered the Octagon hungry, desperate to avoid another loss in a row. In round one, dos Santos bounced on her feet, staying light, trying to snipe from the outside. Ardelean didn’t care. She stalked forward and connected with her shots, despite the fire coming back her way. The second round shifted the energy. Alice Ardelean stepped harder, switched stances, and pressed her opponent into the fence. Her punches weren’t pretty, but they were punishing.

Dos Santos wore the war on her face by the end of the second. But credit to the Brazilian, she came out in the third round with renewed aggression. However, battered or not, Ardelean wasn’t about to let this slip away. With just over a minute left, she landed a takedown, one brief moment that likely sealed her fate in the eyes of the judges.

Then came the moment of truth. The result? A unanimous decision win for the Romanian with 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 scorecards. As such, in her post-fight interview, she confessed, “You wouldn’t say because, like, people don’t take it seriously mental, but at this level, I guess everybody puts in the work. Like, you cannot just show up unprepared physically. But then if you put also the mental part, which I did this, like, I’m that single thing that I changed, it was my mental part.”

It’s easy to talk about toughness when you’re winning. Much harder when the scoreboard says otherwise. But by focusing on an area of the game that many fighters ignore, Alice Ardelean was able to pull off a stunning victory and ended her 2-fight skid. She further revealed, “I moved to Orlando, the heat and the new gym, and all of that. But a big, big part is mental. So I don’t know. I’m just really thankful for that.”

So what comes next for Alice Ardelean? Surprisingly, she isn’t ready to let off the gas pedal just yet, even after securing a much-needed hard-fought victory!

Alice Ardelean is still focused on improving and fixing her game after snapping a 2-fight skid

Still catching her breath from the three-round war at UFC Vegas 107, Alice Ardelean didn’t bask in the glory for long. Her post-fight thoughts made one thing clear: she’s chasing something bigger. While she made a statement with her win over Rayanne Santos, she admitted there was one factor that helped her pull away in the fight.

She revealed, “I think cardio makes such a big difference because, like, in the second round, if you don’t have the cardio to push, then regardless of what technique you have. So I guess that, that was, like, just moving forward and volume. I guess, volume, volume really won for me.”

But even in victory, Ardelean saw the cracks and is determined to fix them before she steps into the Octagon in the future. According to her, “We can always do more, like, you know, in my technique. I should have kicked more. I don’t know. I just threw punches. I could’ve taken her down.”

Between the elation of her first UFC win and the weight of what comes next, she isn’t sugarcoating her flaws. Instead, she’s already turning the page. Referring to the message from her mental coach, Micah, Ardelean shared that, “…my mental coach said, take one minute at a time. I’m enjoying my win right now. And next week, two weeks from now on, I’ll reset back to normal and start again from there.”

In the end, her win over Rayanne Dos Santos wasn’t just a result, it was a release. Yet, even in triumph, she refuses to get comfortable. She’s already talking about what needs fixing, missed kicks, skipped takedowns, and tweaks to her cardio. That hunger? That may be the real victory. And now, with the pressure of the losing streak lifted, the real journey begins.

Will she rise through the strawweight ranks? Can she build on this breakthrough? What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!