Belief in oneself matters, and Randa Markos has finally found her way to that realization.
The Windsor, Ont.-born Markos (10-11-1) aims to return to the win column when she meets up-and-comer Luana Pinheiro (8-1), a product of Dana White's Contender Series, at UFC on ESPN 23 on Saturday evening in Las Vegas, Nev.
At 35, Markos has called the UFC home since 2015, sharing the octagon with some of the division's elite strawweights — names like Mackenzie Dern, Amanda Ribas, Angela Hill, and Carla Esparza among them.
On both volume and caliber of opposition, Markos brings far more experience to this bout than rookie Pinheiro, and she believes she's figured out how to channel that veteran knowledge into genuine self-assurance as fight night approaches.
"It's certainly a confidence boost I haven't fully leaned on before, and I need to recognize that. Often I'm too critical of myself and ignore what I've accomplished. My record might not look stellar on paper, but examine who I've faced — it's genuinely impressive. I need to walk into this fight, and every fight, with that perspective," Markos told MMA Empire during a recent interview.
"I've never been handed a pushover opponent. Every single time I step into that cage, it's with top-tier competition, and I welcome that. I should view that as proof that I've only ever battled the elite in our division."
This contest places Markos in unfamiliar waters, marking her first three-fight losing streak in a lengthy professional career.
She admitted the mounting pressure to break the skid weighed heavily on her, prompting her to relocate to Travis Lutter's Texas gym for this camp instead of her typical home base at Final Round MMA and Fitness in Michigan.
"I know I'm better than this, better than three straight defeats — it's miserable. Something inside me flipped, telling me I refuse to go out like that. That's not who I am, walking away from this sport with three losses in a row," Markos said.
"I'm far superior to this situation. I need to demonstrate to myself that this isn't my place. I belong near the top. I've competed against all the best for a reason and spent nearly eight years inside the UFC. I need to exhaust every option available to showcase what I can do, not let last year define me."
Pinheiro was initially set to face Markos at UFC 260 in March, but Markos had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19.
Markos described the cancellation as agonizing, particularly since she showed no symptoms, yet acknowledged there were silver linings to the unexpected delay.
"It was incredibly frustrating because I had zero symptoms, which I'm grateful for, but I kept thinking: if I'm not sick, why am I locked in a room? Recovery meant ten days of isolation, and those ten days were brutal," Markos recalled.
"I felt prepared, and it was just another obstacle. But I reframed it positively — we got an extra month to train for this fight. If I wasn't ready before, I certainly will be now."
Even after falling to Kanako Murata by unanimous decision in her most recent outing, Markos etched her name in UFC history by tying Angela Hill's record of 16 UFC strawweight appearances. Hill has since pushed that mark to 17, but Markos will equal it once again on Saturday night.
According to Markos, chasing records was never a goal; she simply prefers staying busy and competing whenever possible.
"I thrive on staying active — I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't. Last year's conditions were rough, but I just enjoy competing. I'm not getting any younger, and I want to maximize what I still have," Markos explained.
"It proves how much I love fighting. This is literally my existence. Without fighting, what am I even doing? I'm just counting the days."
Markos' Shoutouts
"My gratitude goes to Final Round for everything they've given me. The move was tough but absolutely necessary. They've contributed enormously, but training partners just weren't there anymore, and this had to happen. Team Lutter has been incredible from the start — welcoming me in, supporting me, and doing whatever they can to position me for success in this fight." Follow Markos on social media: FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM
