Europe
Exclusive interview with Ivana Petrovic: “I was 100 percent sure I was going to win this time”
Ivana Petrovic. Photo via YouTube and Instagram
Norwegian MMA fighter Ivana Petrovic recently got her first win in the UFC as she submitted Na Liang at the Apex in Las Vegas.
The win marked her seventh professional MMA victory, and was a real statement for the 29-year-old former Ares FC champion.
“I wanted to show my striking at first, but in the clinch I felt I was stronger. After we took to the ground I saw that my grappling was better as well,” Petrovic tells Frontkick in an exclusive interview.
“I changed my gameplan after five minutes. She threw hard overhands and caught me in the first round. She was fighting for her life, you know, and needed to show the UFC that she deserved to be there. It’s dangerous to strike with someone who tries to knock you out with every punch.”
“I was 100 percent sure I was going to win”
In her UFC debut, back in July 2023, Petrovic was struggling with the pressure of winning in front of her fans. This time she felt better, but admits her nervousness is still something she needs to work on.
“In the past, I was not so known in my country. Either in Norway and Croatia. After losing my last fight, the Norwegians were chill and positive, like ‘You will come back stronger’. The Crotian crowd was more like ‘What the hell’,” Petrovic says with a laugh. “Well, I’m used to it. People from Balkan are like that. But I was 100 percent sure I was going to win this time.”
Ivana Petrovic wants to fight in Paris
The 29-year-old MMA fighter is looking to get back in the octagon as soon as possible to build a winning streak and climb the rankings. Hopefully at the next UFC event in Paris this upcoming September. As a former Ares FC champion, Petrovic is quite a known fighter in France, and she hope to be on the card.
“I really want to fight in Paris. I was fighting there-four times in one year. It is a special city for me,” Petrovic says.
Flyweight is arguably the best UFC division for women at the moment, and Petrovic is excited to be a part of it. Right now, she doesn’t have anyone in mind for her next fight, but surely wants to test herself against the biggest names in the division in time.
“I want to fight Rose Namajunas, she’s skilled and experienced. Manon Fiorot and Alexa Grasso too, and I’ve always been a big fan of Valentina Shevchenko. I hope to fight them all one day.”
“It is a stacked division and I’m happy about that. Compare it to bantamweight, I mean, since Amanda Nunes retired it doesn’t look too good. I can’t imagine that it’s fun to compete at bantamweight. The top of the bantamweight division are not top UFC fighters.”
Ivana Petrovic. Photo: Stefan Romare
Training camp in her own gym
Ivana Petrovic spent her training camp in her own gym, the Orion MMA Academy, that opened it in 2022. In previous fight camps she’s been at the Frontline Muay Thai in Oslo, as well as the Allstars Training Center in Stockholm.
“It was a great experience having the training camp in my gym. The last three weeks we travelled to Vegas to spar with girls at Syndicate MMA and Xtreme Couture,” Petrovic explains.
After mostly training with men at the MMA Academy, it was a good experience to test herself against women who are ranked in the UFC.
“I wanted to show the girls that I could go hard. I was nervous at first, but then we started, no one dominated me. I was really on their level and that t gave me a lot of confidence. Boys have been beating my ass here in Norway for a long time, but when I spar with the girls I feel so good. Everything works. It is good to be humble, but it’s also good to spar with other girls.”
Read more: What’s next for legandary UFC fighter Jose Aldo?
