Iasmin Lucindo Returns at UFC 333 After 14 Months in Limbo

Iasmin Lucindo hasn't fought in 14 months, and the gap wasn't her choice. A tainted supplement triggered a positive test and a suspension that iced the Brazilian strawweight's career for over a year. Even after the ban lifted last June, a matchup didn't materialize until now. On October 24, she opens UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi against fellow Brazilian Nicolle Caliari.

That's a long time away for someone who started fighting professionally at 15. Lucindo is still only 24, yet she already caran 18-6 record across 24 pro bouts. She'd spent years as a fixture in the strawweight rankings, built on wins over names like Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, Polyana Viana and former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz. The layoff erased her spot on the ladder entirely.

A Year She Never Planned For

Lucindo says she'd never gone a full year without competing since she started, and the adjustment was brutal. She leaned on routine, watched teammates keep sharpening while she couldn't compete, and decided she had to keep pace anyway. Her framing is simple: everyone else is improving, so she can't afford to stand still, fight booked or not.

She's promising a better version of herself as a result. Lucindo argues she's never had an uninterrupted year to just work on her game, and she expects that to show. For a fighter whose most recent win came by unanimous decision over the 19-16 veteran Hill, the pitch is that the time off was development, not decay.

The Caliari Problem

Caliari is a live opponent. Her UFC run started rough, but she snapped out of it in May with a dramatic third-round arm-triangle finish of Shauna Bannon. Lucindo expects her to arrive confident and calls her explosive and well-rounded. She also expects a fight that pleases the crowd regardless of how it plays out.

Lucindo insists she's a complete fighter who won't shy from grappling or striking with anyone, and her stated goal is always the finish wherever the fight lands. As for rebuilding a ranking she lost? She's done it once and figures she can do it again as many times as it takes. The plan, in her words, is just to be Iasmin and let the rest follow.