Valesca Machado, better known as “Tina Black,” will join Dana White’s Contender Series this season, when she takes on Piera Rodriguez.
Sources confirmed the booking to Cageside Press, speaking on condition of anonymity as the fight has not yet been announced. The fight is expected for October 19.
Machado fights out of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She has also competed in boxing and kickboxing outside of MMA, and held titles in all three sports. The Brazilian is 8-2 in MMA and has won her last six fights. Her two losses came consecutively in 2017 and she hasn’t lost since.
Machado has fought for Future FC and Shooto Brasil which are two major promotions out of Brazil. She’s fought at strawweight quite a few times but is naturally an atomweight. With no atomweight division in the UFC Machado has strawweight on her mind to get into the UFC.
“Tina Black” will share the cage with Piera “La Fiera” Rodriguez Giunta this October on the Contender Series. Rodriguez, born in Venezuela and living in Spain, has recently been in California training out of Black House MMA. She’s 6-0 with five finishes all by KO/TKO, and her fight that went the distance was a dominating performance.
Rodriguez made her U.S. and LFA debut just last April. She fought a top prospect in Svetlana Gotsyk. Gotsyk was her biggest test to date and Rodriguez won by stoppage in the fifth and final round. Rodriguez won the LFA strawweight title to cap off that night.
