Luana Pinheiro, a Brazilian UFC fighter, has sparked controversy by denouncing the improper strikes delivered by her opponent Gillian Robertson during the UFC Vegas 100 Fight Night on November 9th. The MMA fighter criticized her rival for repeatedly using elbow strikes to the anal area, a move known in the MMA world as the “12-6,” which was once banned but recently allowed again as of November.
Weeks after her unanimous decision loss, the 31-year-old Pinheiro expressed her frustration, highlighting that the elbow strikes to her anus left her in such pain that she had to resort to medication for treatment.
“Excuse my language, but she elbowed me in the anus. To me, that’s a lack of respect. I would never do that to another athlete,” Pinheiro stated in an interview with AG Fight. “It wasn’t the heat of the moment; she knew where she was striking […] She’s a woman fighting, I’m there just like her, we’re chasing the same dream, so it’s only fair to respect my opponent.”
Malicious Intent
Luana firmly believes that these strikes were not aimed at knocking her out but rather causing deliberate harm and were unsportsmanlike.
“I think it was very disrespectful on her part. It’s not a move to finish me or knock me out, it’s not like that,” she stated. “In my opinion, she did it with malicious intent, not just during the fight, but even after the time was up, she did it again. It wasn’t the adrenaline of the moment; she knew where she was hitting.”
The Brazilian fighter noted that post-fight, she was unable to sit for several days and has been using cushions to alleviate the pain. Moreover, she’s been taking strong medication to deal with the aftermath of the elbow strikes.
“I’m taking strong medication, today is the last day I’ll take it. I can’t sit without a cushion or arch my back. I can’t use much force because I feel it there. At first, I couldn’t walk, cough, or laugh properly, and sneezing was agony. I felt like I was dying,” she concluded.
