March’s UFC 260 has a strawweight addition, as Canada’s Randa Markos will face off with Brazilian Luana Pinherio.
The 115lb showdown will see Markos (10-10-1) looking to pull out of a tailspin against Pinherio (8-1), who will be making her promotional debut in the fight.
Cageside Press confirmed the booking Friday following an initial report by Brazil’s Combate.
The fight will see Markos looking to snap a three-fight skid, having dropped bouts to Amanda Ribas, Mackenzie Dern, and Kanako Murata in her last three outings. The Murata loss, her most recent, came at UFC Vegas 14 in November. The bout went the distance, with the Japanese fighter winning a unanimous decision.
Markos entered the UFC in 2014 as part of The Ultimate Fighter 20, which introduced the strawweight division. With just five professional fights upon entering the reality fighting show, she would go on a run of alternating wins and losses that lasted four years, until a draw against Marina Rodriguez in 2018. Since that fight, however, Markos has posted a 2-4 record.
Pinheiro, on the other hand, enters her UFC debut as a highly touted prospect. Already being called the “Next Ronda Rousey,” the Brazilian does have a background in judo — and stopped Stephanie Frausto on Dana White’s Contender Series back in November to earn her way into the UFC.
The Brazilian is a finisher, and has stoppages via submission, knockout, and TKO, leaving many with high expectations.
UFC 260 is set to take place March 23, 2021. While no official venue or location has been announced, Las Vegas remains a possibility. The promotion returns there next month, after their current stint on Fight Island ends. The UFC 260 card is expected to be headlined by Stipe Miocic defending his heavyweight title against Francis Ngannou (for the second time). Alexander Volkanovski will have his featherweight belt on the line against Brian Ortega in the co-main event of the evening.
