Luisa Valverde does not think about the UFC, she is focused on winning a medal in the fight in Paris 2024 | Other Sports | sports

Luisa Valverde (30 years old) does not want distractions. He is clear that the Olympic wrestling – 53 kilograms category – is his main strength and that in Paris 2024 there may be his chance to win an Olympic medal. The Riosense has been linked to the combat jiu jitsu modality because next December 10 she will compete in the IBI 4 tournament, in Guayaquil; This added to the fact that in 2020 he began to train in jiujitsu. But Valverde, since he recognizes that fighting is one of the foundations of mixed martial arts (MMA), explains that because she is “a decisive girl” at no time has she thought about becoming a fighter who aspires to reach to the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), a company where Marlon Vera from Manabi and Michael Morales from Orense have a contract.

Logic tells Babahoyo’s that she must remain focused on qualifying for Paris and winning the medal she needs. If you have any doubts, your WhatsApp status warns: “Paris 2024. I believe it, I can do it, I will achieve it.” The multiple national champion in various categories, Pan-American junior champion, senior Pan-American champion on several occasions, junior world medalist, champion in South American Games, medalist in Bolivarian Games, winner of a diploma in Tokyo 2020 and owner of an important fifth place in the World Cups of Fight of Oslo 2021, spoke with EL UNIVERSO and gave an advance of his 2022 calendar that is going to start with a preparation base in Ukraine.

A very successful 2021 course ends for you and the country in sports, what’s next in 2022?

I think it was an excellent year with the participation in the Olympics and the historic fifth place in the World Cup at the senior level. Now I am going to participate in the IBI (combat jiujitsu tournament) which is something very different from my sport, but I am also practicing jiujitsu. I’m at the Predator academy. As for my discipline in 2022, I plan to start with a preparation base in Ukraine with my coach, Joan Blanco (Cuban). That is with input from the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee (COE). At present I am fifth of ranking world and with that participation in the second ranking series of the year would continue in the ranks of the best in the world. All of this helps me prepare for the Pan American Games, which is a qualifier for the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023, that’s where the Bolivarian Games, South American Games come from … A supercharged year is coming.

Is IBI 4 going to be your first tournament other than wrestling?

Of course. (Although) I have already participated in jiujitsu competitions. But the IBI is going to be another transition from fighting to combat jiujitsu. I have not thought about MMA, many people have told me that it motivates me to practice (another sport of) combat, but I still do not think about it. I think my partner Lucía (Yépez) does have the character to do it. Not me yet, but I can think about it on the way; I think it would take fist bumps.

Combat jiujitsu is a combat modality that combines the rules of BJJ with open hand blows, in a nexus between ground play and mixed martial arts. Is the transition from the fight long?

I think I have a bit of benefit because the takedowns I do in the fight favor me a lot, so the strategy with the coach is that I take down and start hitting. I think I have adaptation, because we base the fight a lot on resistance, because we work very fast; on the other hand the jiu-jitsu it’s a bit more passive, but it generates force as well. In jiujitsu I have always performed a fighting technique and I immediately seek completion. At IBI 4 we want to put on a good show.

When it comes to Olympic wrestling, are you going to stay in the 53-kilogram division?

Yes; I want to arrive in Paris 2024 at 53 kg, we thought that after the World Cup in which our colleague Lucía Yépez participated, there would be a meeting of the United World Wrestling (the body that directs the fight at the international level) in which it was planned to establish this new cycle new pesos, but it did not happen. I have a great track record at 53 kg and I know what it takes if I gain weight. It is not convenient for me to go up to 57 kg.

Do you have the documents in order to travel to Europe?

I plan to leave on January 15 with my coach (Joan Blanco) as long as everything is correct in the visa process to first go to the United States and from there go to Ukraine. The camp in Ukraine begins on January 31 and ends on February 23, and on the 24th we would already be competing in the second ranking series of the year.

We know that the Combate Global league is looking to Ecuador for MMA fighters, so the US passport is a fundamental requirement.

Visa procedures correspond to the Ministry of Sports or the Olympic Committee. In this case, the COE is going to help me to go to Ukraine so that I can go to the US before arriving in Ukraine. I have an official athlete passport, but I need a stamp and we are waiting for the Ministry to carry out the corresponding procedure.

Several martial artists that represent the country in Mexico and the United States have their MMA base in the Olympic fight. Doesn’t that keep you as a fighter from getting to the UFC or another major league in the United States?

I do not think so. I have been a decisive girl. When they told me about the combat jiujitsu tournament, I said yes without knowing what it was and on the way I get soaked, and I would do it well. We have Michael Morales (welterweight), Christian Alquinga (lightweight), Emiliano Linares (featherweight), Marlon Chito Vera (bantamweight) also spent some time training with us at the Modelo stadium, the brothers Andrés and Adrián Luna Martinetti (featherweight) have trained in Durán. They all look for that base of struggle because it has been fundamental for them. (Me) Now having that base and learning boxing and with what I have in jiujitsu, I can now implement MMA; but step by step because I am focused on getting to Paris because I have my revenge of getting my Olympic medal that I need. If I have time I get into another sport.

Is it true that the support was pouring in for him, because after his performance in the Olympic Games even former public sports officials said that they were responsible for his performance in Tokyo?

Much was said after the participation of Richard (Carapaz) and that generated a lot of controversy because we could speak what we could say. It has been fantastic because that way we have claimed our rights, sometimes we hid and we kept quiet for fear of reprisals. But it depends on the sport, in this case to fight the COE supported us with a training base previously for Tokyo 2020, they paid us a preparation in Russia and we were able to arrive at the Games in excellent condition. At that time there was another minister of Sports, but long before my qualification for Tokyo 2020 I was already in contact with Sebastián Palacios (current minister), and from there until now I have had a good relationship with the ministry. They have said that our sport is prioritized. With the new president of the COE, Captain Jorge Delgado, we have also felt support.

Should athletes in addition to a representative on the COE board have more presence?

In this case, the president is a glory of our sport. For me it was excellent that the board was chosen by a former athlete. We also have two former athletes as representatives on the board and I think they will defend us.

Athletes always say “we need more support”, but what is more support according to them?

I think that it should not only depend on the money of the Ministry of Sports, there is also self-management to help the athlete. They get involved in the sport of the high performance plan and they always want to support only the high performance, but there are athletes who do not belong to the high performance project. I think that is where they should do the self-management so that the athletes go out, start to win their medals and belong to the plan. Sometimes the athlete is denied travel expenses, they say there are no (funds), they say that the Ministry has not given enough money, when we actually know how many resources are coming but they do not tell us how much is coming. The mistreatment of the athlete and the lack of support must end. (D)