Tainara Lisboa Defends Coach Bruno Polengo After UFC Vegas 123 Backlash

Tainara Lisboa suffered a third-round TKO loss to Lucia Szabova at UFC Vegas 123 on Oct. 31 at the Metra APEX. Heading into the final frame down on the scorecards and facing her third consecutive defeat inside the Octagon, Lisboa was on the receiving end of intense instructions from head coach Bruno Polengo, who yelled at her in Portuguese that she was embarrassing herself and challenged her to perform in the remaining five minutes.

The corner approach drew immediate pushback from the broadcast team. UFC commentators Daniel Cormier and Laura Sanko criticized the exchange, stating Polengo should have provided technical adjustments rather than an emotional scolding. Cormier pushed back on the notion that Lisboa lacked heart, stating on air that she was fighting the best she could. Szabova ultimately secured a takedown in the third round and landed 31 strikes from a dominant position to force the stoppage.

Speaking to MMA Fighting three days after the event, the 35-year-old Lisboa expressed surprise over the online backlash and came to Polengo's defense. Lisboa explained that she struggles with psychological challenges that affect her inside the cage, stemming from depression, medication, and a grueling rehabilitation process following complex surgery after her second fight where she had to relearn how to walk. Lisboa noted that Polengo understands her personal battles and affirmed that her mental game remains her primary weak point.