Bethe Correia has already defeated one of the "Four Horsewomen" by outpointing Jessamyn Duke at UFC 172 earlier this year. Now, she looks to go two-for-two when she battles Shayna Baszler this weekend (Sat. Aug. 30, 2014) at UFC 177 in Sacramento, California.
Since Marina Shafir is still trying to earn a spot on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) roster (see her last fight here), Bethe wants to go right to the top and take on the leader of the pack, Ronda Rousey, should she prove victorious against "Queen of Spades."
After all, she would be 3-0 inside the Octagon and 8-0 overall, so she feels she's pretty deserving of a championship fight.
At least that's what she told MMA Fighting.
"I'm not in the UFC to be just another fighter. I will get to the title one way or the other. I will get there. I want a title shot and I will get there by talking or fighting, or both. I want the title and nobody can stop me. I think I deserve a title shot. I will be 3-0 in the UFC with another win. That's my dream and that's what I'm fighting for. Let them decide. If they think I deserve it, I will honor this chance and do a great show."
Throughout her career, Rousey has looked rather invincible, going through her opponents like a hot knife through butter on a scorching summer day. And while she's made it look easy, her opponents have been rather formidable, at least on paper.
What they lacked was confidence, according to Bethe, who says most of "Rowdy's" opponents didn't believe they could actually beat her. That's a problem Correia won't have should she get a shot at the former Olympian.
She explains:
"I think they lack of confidence. Ronda believes in herself, and the others get in there afraid of her. I'm not. I'm not afraid of her. It's not that she's better than the opponents she's fought, but they don't believe in themselves. Her look shows it. They don't feel they are better than Ronda. Ronda has this aura that she's unbeatable. She needs to face someone that looks into her eyes and says ‘you can't beat me.' Everything I do, I do with confidence. I'm not saying I'm better than anyone. She can be more technical than me, but it doesn't make me feel less confident in myself. I 100 percent believe in everything I do."
Of course, Bethe will have her hands plenty full when she challenges Baszler, an 11-year veteran of MMA who has competed against some of the best women in the world.
Still, Correia is more than confident in her chances against Shayna and Rousey, for that matter, and has made a pretty good case for a title fight against the UFC's women's bantamweight champion.
She just has to pick up a win in "Sac Town" and hope UFC doesn't land the services of Gina Carano.