Julia Polastri is heading into her strawweight matchup with Xiong Jingnan in Shanghai determined to strip away the pressure she feels has followed her since reaching the UFC. The Brazilian, known as “Psycho,” told UFC.com that the version of herself she wants to bring back is the fighter who competed for enjoyment and personal pride rather than approval from people watching. For Polastri, the adjustment is not about changing who she is in the cage. It is about returning to the approach that helped carry her from the regional scene to a UFC contract.
Polastri said she felt pressure after arriving in the promotion and, at times, tried to impress everyone watching. She identified that mindset as a problem in her most recent fight, saying she did not perform as herself in the Octagon. Her stated answer is simple: let go of that baggage, have fun, fight freely and leave the cage proud of her own performance. That is the central theme of her preparations for Shanghai, where she will meet Xiong in a matchup Polastri expects to produce a stand-up battle. She described both fighters as strikers and said she prefers facing an opponent with similar skills.
Julia Polastri’s route back to confidence
Polastri’s current reset carries weight because her route to the UFC included significant success before she reached the sport’s biggest stage. The 28-year-old from the Duque de Caxias area of Rio de Janeiro won championships with Shooto Brasil and LFA. Those titles came on either side of a Contender Series defeat to Jasmine Jasudavicius at 125 pounds. After that setback, Polastri returned to her natural weight class and put together three victories. The run ended with an LFA title win over the previously undefeated Brenda Gottig and secured another opportunity on Contender Series. Polastri converted that second chance into a UFC contract by submitting Patricia Alujas in the second round. Her early UFC results then showed the challenge of the transition: she went 1-2 in her first three Octagon appearances. UFC.com also states that she has fought five times in the Octagon to date, alternating wins and losses. Rather than presenting that stretch as a finished judgment on her career, Polastri is using it as context for the change she wants to make. Her focus is on competing with the same clear mind she says defined her pre-UFC career.
A major confidence point for Polastri came against former strawweight title challenger and UFC veteran Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Polastri said she admired Kowalkiewicz’s toughness and resilience and had prepared to win by decision. Instead, she knocked out the Polish veteran, a result she called amazing and one that helped build confidence. Polastri also said she was unable to show that confidence in her last fight because of the other factors she had been carrying. In Shanghai, she says she will bring that confidence with her, but without allowing the need to impress to dictate how she fights. The distinction matters in her own account: confidence is something she wants to retain, while external pressure is what she wants to remove.
Julia Polastri sees a striking test in Shanghai
The Shanghai bout gives Polastri a chance to apply that approach against a fighter she openly respects. Xiong is identified by UFC.com as China’s former longtime ONE Championship champion, and Polastri noted that Xiong defended her title many times. Polastri expects an entertaining contest because both women are strikers, while also acknowledging that either fighter can surprise the other. Polastri’s stated prediction was a hard first round, potentially involving “a lot of blood,” before she looks for a knockout or submission in the second. That is her expectation, not a confirmed outcome, but it shows the kind of fight she intends to pursue. Beyond Shanghai, Polastri said she believes she can raise her level and wants opportunities against better and ranked opponents as she works toward the top 15. For now, however, her declared priority is more immediate: be herself in the Octagon and let the performance speak for itself.
- Polastri says she wants to fight for fun and personal pride, as she did before reaching the UFC.
- Polastri says she is carrying confidence from her knockout of Karolina Kowalkiewicz while leaving behind the urge to impress others.
| Career point | Verified detail |
|---|---|
| Regional rise | Polastri won Shooto Brasil and LFA championships, then earned a second Contender Series opportunity after three victories at her natural weight class. |
| UFC experience | Polastri has competed five times in the Octagon to date, alternating wins and losses; her first three UFC appearances produced a 1-2 record. |
Julia Polastri is not framing Shanghai as a chance to become someone new. Her message is that she wants to recover the freedom that powered her earlier success, then combine it with the confidence gained from a major UFC knockout. Against Xiong Jingnan, Polastri expects a striking contest and intends to pursue a finish. Whether that plan succeeds will be decided in the cage, but the change she has already defined is mental: fight like no one is watching, and perform as herself.
Sources: UFC.com
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