Matheus Nicolau is gearing up for UFC Vegas 84 with unwavering support from his girlfriend, Luana Pinheiro. Both athletes have long and successful careers in the mixed martial arts (MMA) arena. Pinheiro is a well-known competitor in the UFC women’s strawweight division. The couple has been together since the start of their MMA journeys, and they first met in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Though they have been dating for quite some time, they are not engaged and have no children together.
Interestingly, the couple’s recent performances in the UFC have been strikingly similar, as both experienced lengthy win streaks before suddenly being handed knockout losses. Nicolau, a 31-year-old flyweight, was knocked out within two minutes of round one by recent title challenger Brandon Royval. On the other hand, Pinheiro, 30, was TKO’d in round three by fellow Brazilian Amanda Ribas.
Nicolau is set to co-headline UFC Vegas 84, when he faces off against surging flyweight Manel Kape in a rematch of their 2021 encounter. The Brazilian fighter is keen to bounce back from his recent knockout loss to Royval. Kape, in contrast, aims to avenge his previous loss to Nicolau. The Angolan-Portuguese star enters the bout on a four-fight win streak, having recently defeated another Brazilian, Felipe dos Santos, at UFC 293 in an exciting battle. Saturday’s matchup carries significant implications for both fighters’ standings in the divisional rankings, as Nicolau is eager to protect his No.5 ranking, while Kape is looking to break into the top five with a victory.
Matheus Nicolau has earned a reputation as an outstanding talent in the UFC flyweight division, accumulating numerous victories throughout his promotional career. After signing with the UFC, he went on a three-fight win streak before suffering a sudden knockout loss to Dustin Ortiz. Despite this setback, Nicolau quickly rebounded, winning six consecutive fights against notable opponents such as Manel Kape and David Dvořák, the latter of whom was on a 16-fight win streak at the time. Sadly, Nicolau’s own win streak was ultimately brought to an end when he lost by knockout to Brandon Royval.
