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How An Interest In Zumba Led Victoria Souza To MMA

Victoria “Vick” Souza was already trying to earn a living by working as a business administrator when she was only 16 years old. The Florianópolis native of Brazil wanted to start young and build her way up the corporate ladder but at times found it difficult to cope with work-related stress.

Inevitably, the stress got to her at times. But to mitigate the negative impact it could have on her life, Souza decided to search for ways to tame it. She initially wanted to get into Zumba, a fitness exercise that involves choreographed dance movements set to upbeat music.

“[Business Administration] was stressful work, I wanted something that could help me out and keep me calm and cool. So I went out and looked for a gym because I wanted to try Zumba dancing,” Souza said.

However, she was disappointed to learn that her gym didn’t offer Zumba lessons. That’s when her fellow gym mates suggested a much better fitness alternative.

“Some guys there suggested that I try training in Muay Thai, so I gave it a shot,” she said.

One class led to another, and before “Vick” knew, she was already eager to try out different martial arts disciplines.

She hinted to her team of coaches that she would love to give mixed martial arts (MMA) a shot, and later on, picked up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to balance her arsenal alongside and complement her striking prowess.

“After some time, the people at the gym told me that if I wanted to compete in MMA, I would also need to learn jiu-jitsu… So, six months after I learned Muay Thai, I started jiu-jitsu,” Souza recalled.

Coming from a family who trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, it was to no surprise that she ended up picking up “the gentle art.” Astonishingly enough, Souza gathered an impressive haul of medals in the sport.

That hunger to conquer adversity led her towards a professional MMA career last year, and come Friday, 24 September, Souza is ready for the biggest matchup of her career thus far — a showdown with unbeaten 17-year-old MMA prodigy, Victoria Lee, at ONE: REVOLUTION in Singapore.

Now a bonafide martial artist and an athlete competing in the world’s largest martial arts organization, Souza has moved on from her dancing obsession. Needless to say, she is never looking back.

“I tried Zumba one more time since, but I’m terrible at dancing. I’m much better at fighting,” Souza said.

“I have officially quit Zumba.”

ONE: REVOLUTION broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, 24 September.