Salt Lake City, UT — Flyweight Miranda Maverick had some very well-documented eye issues in her last fight, and admitted following a win over Priscila Cachoeira that her vision was a concern heading into UFC 291.
Maverick (12-5) got back in the win column Saturday night with an arm-bar submission of Brazil’s Priscila Cachoeira. But “Fear the” Maverick (more on the nickname later), who has twice had retina surgery, had been taking eye drops ahead of the bout, and Cachoeira’s history was particularly troubling.
“There’s always concerns, especially with this opponent. My dad was like ‘I’m going to jump over the cage if she pokes you in the eye,'” Maverick told Cageside Press and other media outlets backstage at the Delta Center on Saturday. Presumably, he wasn’t actually serious. “The Gillian Robertson fight, it was very intentional, she tried to literally gouge her eyes out. So we were very cautious.”
Against Robertson, Cachoeira was highly criticized for trying to gouge her way out of a rear-naked choke. Knowing that, Maverick even asked the ref ahead of Saturday’s showdown to watch out for the potential of a foul from Cachoeira, given her history and Maverick having retina surgery in the past. “I don’t really want to go blind in this sport. although I love it and have given it my all every time, I don’t really want them to take my eyes from me on the process.”
“So I was being careful, and like I said that was part of the reason I waited for the arm-bar and everything else. Every time she would stick her arms up, tried to get them out of the way and pull some damage.”
After a loss to Jasmine Jasudavicius last month, Maverick took serious blow back from “fans,” up to and including death threats. Despite this, it hasn’t changed the way she interacts with the fanbase.
“No not at all. It’s been happening since the beginning,” explained Maverick. “Last fight was worse than it’s ever been because of the money people bet on it.”
“If somebody bets, it’s not my responsibility how much money you win or lose, it’s not like I’m getting a cut of it, or else maybe I’d take a little bit of empathy with it. But yeah there was a lot of hate last time and I’m sure there will be the same people turning around and saying they love me today,” she continued. “It’s an unforgiving sport, I’m prepared to have that every time I step in the cage, and it’s happened since the beginning as an amateur. If you’re going to be in any kind of professional aspect, the spotlight of any sort, you’re going to get that hate. I just always hope it doesn’t actually come to fruition, and keep myself protected at all times.”
Maverick rocked a pair of aviator sunglasses and walked out to the Top Gun theme at UFC 291, which is becoming a staple of her entrances. But there’s no plan to change her nickname to “Top Gun” at this point, though she has thought about it.
“There’s been thoughts. I have the thought of trademarks and all that that can come into play and question, so I don’t want to get in trouble with that aspect. But also I believe in the whole, somebody else gives you your nickname. Even though Top Gun is a cool nickname, I think Maverick alone is cool enough.”
Watch the full UFC 291 post-fight press conference with Miranda Maverick above.
