With just days to go before UFC Vegas 102, Ketlen Souza is brimming with confidence. Coming off one of 2024’s most brutal stoppages—where she dropped Yazmin Jauregui on the feet and then choked her unconscious—the rising Brazilian spoke with UFC Brazil about her upcoming fight against #13-ranked Angela Hill and made it clear—she’s coming for the finish.
Souza sees this fight as a major stepping stone toward her ultimate goal—the UFC strawweight title.
“I have only one focus: the belt. Whoever is in front of me, I’ll go over. That’s what matters. The belt is my only focus. If I have to step over her, I’ll do it.”
Facing a seasoned veteran in Hill, Souza believes she has all the tools to make a statement—especially with her power.
“Because she has several fights, I think we can study her very well. She has many specificities. If it is God’s will, I’ll win by knockout against Angela Hill. I’ll be the first athlete to knock her out and win the bonus.”
Hill, who turned 40 last month, has built a reputation as one of the most durable fighters in the division, having never been knocked out in her entire career. Souza, however, believes that will change on Saturday night.
“She is an athlete that moves a lot and scores a lot. She doesn’t like to grapple. But she is a 40-year-old woman. She doesn’t have a lot of stamina or resistance anymore. Her punching power is not so good, because if it was, she’d have several knockouts in her career.”
Souza’s striking has been her weapon of choice throughout her career, with eight of her fifteen professional wins coming by knockout. She believes her ability to finish fights will be the difference-maker in this matchup.
“I think my punch power is better than hers. I’ll try to knock her out, and if I have the opportunity to finish, I’ll do it.”
While she respects Hill’s experience, Souza predicts the biggest challenge she might face is grappling, but she doubts Hill will want to stand and trade.
“The main challenge she can present to me is the grappling. It’s not something she looks for, but I think in our fight, she’ll look for it. I think she’ll avoid striking with me, but let’s see how the fight goes.”
With a bold prediction of a knockout win, Souza is looking to make a statement and break into the strawweight rankings in devastating fashion. If she succeeds, she believes it will be just the beginning of her rise toward the title by the end of the year.
“I’m among the best in the rankings. If it is God’s will, by the end of this year, I’ll go after the belt.”
All eyes will be on UFC Vegas 102, airing this Saturday, February 15, live on ESPN+ from 4 PM ET, as Ketlen Souza steps into the biggest fight of her career against one of the most experienced strawweights in UFC history. Will she back up her words and become the first fighter to knock out Angela Hill? We’ll find out soon.