Sabina Mazo is not ready to say goodbye to the flyweight division.
The former LFA women’s flyweight champion and current UFC prospect is not closing the chapter at 125 pounds despite having her bantamweight debut booked for early 2021. Mazo (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is set to compete against former UFC title challenger Alexis Davis at the UFC’s “Fight Night” card on Feb. 27.
“The Colombian Queen” has plans on returning to flyweight and assures fans she’s not leaving the division.
“I have plans of fighting at 125 pounds. It’s a decision that I feel good making when it comes to fight night,” Mazo said in Spanish on Monday’s episode of Hablemos MMA. “I can make the weight, so I’m not closing that door. I didn’t change weight classes to not come back to 125 pounds. It’s more for opening other opportunities.”
Mazo’s opponent, Davis, has a long history at 135 pounds. She fought then-UFC champion Ronda Rousey for the women’s bantamweight title in 2014. She also competed in Strikeforce and Invicta FC at bantamweight.
However, since late 2017, Davis has been fighting at flyweight, where she’s currently ranked 13th in the UFC’s official rankings.
The 23-year-old Mazo thinks she’s at a stage at which she needs more experience and different challenges for her young MMA career. Mazo, who’s on a three-fight winning streak, wants to get busy and keep gathering fight knowledge.
“I already had this in mind. I want to fight often, and I wanted to have that experience at 135 pounds,” Mazo explained. “The fight came together a few weeks back, and in interviews after my last fight I said I was open to opportunities at 135 pounds.
“However, if any other opportunity came at 125 pounds, that would work as well, because that’s the division I fight in. But this allows me to keep a better rhythm and have more fights.
“I’m at a moment where I need more experience and I need more ground in the octagon. By taking fights at 135 and 125, this allows me to get more experience and get different looks from opposition, so that’s what it is. That’s the main reason and motive in why I’m open to both divisions.”
Mazo is excited to be fighting a seasoned veteran and notable name in women’s MMA. The Kings MMA product is also enthusiastic about seeing how her body feels training and fighting 10 pounds north.
“It obviously causes a lot of curiosity,” Mazo said. “And even in training, how I prepare physically for 135 pounds, it’s going to be different for the body. So it should have different results on my body. It’s 10 more pounds that I wont be cutting.”