Aldana Ready For The Next Step: ‘I Want To Take That Belt To Mexico’

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Irene Aldana is hoping to knock off former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm later this evening (Sat., Oct. 3, 2020) at UFC Fight Island 4 live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside Flash Forum on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., and claim her first ever UFC title shot. It will be the first time Aldana is headlining a UFC event so the pressure is at an all-time high.

Luckily, Aldana is brining the utmost confidence with her into this matchup with Holm on “Fight Island.” Not only is the Mexican fighter 5-1 in her last six trips to the Octagon but she is coming off a memorable knockout finish over Brazilian contender Ketlen Vieira (see it HERE). Aldana has improved each and every time she has stepped inside of the cage and is coming into this main event better than ever.

If she can put it all together and hand Holm her first non-title fight loss since 2016 then Aldana might actually lock down the next shot at current UFC women’s bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes.

“I know this fight can take me to the belt,” Aldana told UFC.com. “I’m just one step closer to the belt and this is why this is a very important fight and it will bring the very best out of me.”

“I should be fighting for the belt next because I feel that I have done enough in my fights to be the next in line,” she explained. “I beat Ketlen, at the time she was number two, Holly is number two, so I think this is going to be clear. There’s nothing more that we can prove. I want to take that belt to Mexico.”

Aldana, 32, takes pride in knowing that she can lean on her toughness as a Mexican fighter if need be. The bantamweight contender hasn’t run into much trouble inside of the Octagon since making her debut back in 2016, but Aldana is always ready to unleash her fighting spirit.

“I think every Mexican has it,” she said. “It’s in our blood, it’s in our DNA. I’m very proud of that and it’s something you can’t act. It’s something you just have.”

As far as her fight with Holm goes, Aldana understands this will be her toughest test to date. Her knockout win over Vieira was certainly a thing of beauty, but Holm has been one of the best female fighters in the world over the past five years. She will present different challenges for Aldana and force the rising contender to dig deep.

“Fighting a former champion, this is a great opportunity for me to prove myself,” Aldana said. “Beating somebody that already had the UFC belt is very significant for me, but I feel that this is one more fight and I’m just focusing on Holly as a fighter. I have fought for a title before, I have fought with great fighters and I’ve already fought with hard opponents. So I think this is just gonna be one more, and every time it’s gonna get tougher.”

At the end of the day, this is a massive fight for Aldana and a chance to prove she belongs in the division’s top five. Not too many people defeat Holm outside of a UFC title shot so Aldana will need all the support she can get entering UFC Fight Island 4.

“Every time I go into the Octagon, I feel like everybody is behind me,” she said. “Mexico is behind me. I feel the love, I feel the vibes, I feel the support of all my people and I’m walking to the Octagon feeling that. I know they are with me and I take all of them with me.”

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Island 4 fight card this weekend RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Fight Island 4 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the complete UFC Fight Island 4 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.