Victoria Souza elated to overcome odds again at ONE 168 

Victoria Souza once again showed that no one should ever sleep on her.  

The Brazilian pulled off an upset when she claimed a hard-earned unanimous decision win over Alyse Anderson at ONE 168: Denver on September 6.  

There, she overcame adversity to defeat her American foe after three rough rounds in their atomweight MMA duel. 

Facing Anderson in front of a raucous Ball Arena crowd was no small challenge. But “Vick” had anticipated the battle and came prepared. 

“I expected a very tough fight. She has a much bigger wingspan than me and has some really good ground skills because of her long legs and elasticity,” Souza said. 

“I have some training partners with a similar physical build to hers, so I did a lot of specific training with them precisely because of this.” 

Throughout the matchup, Souza unleashed a barrage of rear-naked chokes and arm triangles. Each attempt brought her closer to finishing the fight. 

But she also had to fend off Anderson’s submission attempts, demonstrating her composure under pressure. 

One of Souza’s greatest strengths in this fight was her mental preparation. During her training camp, she meticulously visualized every possible scenario. 

This comprehensive mental rehearsal was crucial in helping her stay focused on the game plan. 

“I put myself in difficult situations mentally and always turned the tables or found a way out. And in the fight, it was like this,” she said.