Anyone who follows Polyana Viana on social media knows how much the strawweight standout loves to cosplay as some of her favorite anime characters.
On Saturday night, Viana will return to The APEX in Las Vegas for a showdown with Iasmin Lucindo. Ahead of her return, ‘Dama de Ferror’ spoke with members of the media during the UFC Vegas 78 pre-fight press event. During her appearance, the subject of her appreciation for anime and cosplaying came up.
Viana revealed that, despite her best efforts, the UFC has disallowed her from cosplaying during her walkouts.
“I’ve tried so many times. I’ve actually asked to come in with a bandana. They’ve never allowed it… I’ve even tried [asking] to wear a Naruto bandana, but I can’t,” Viana said. “Apparently, Naruto is a brand that does not allow it. I’ve tried so many times, but they never let me do it. If I could, I definitely would.”
Fans Call Out the UFC After Refusing to Allow Polyana Viana Cosplay Request
Fans were quick to come to Viana’s defense on social media, accusing the UFC of double standards after the promotion famously allowed Israel Adesanya to come out emulating WWE legend The Undertaker at UFC 276.
“So Izzy [Israel Adesanya] can be the Undertaker?” one fan questioned on social media.
“Why would they keep cosplay away from us?” another asked.
In reality, the UFC is likely levying their decision from a legal standpoint, but given the amount of clout that ‘The Last Stylebender’ has amassed throughout his mixed martial arts career, he likely has a lot more pull than someone on Polyana Viana’s level.
At UFC Vegas 78, ‘Dama de Ferro’ will look for her fourth victory in her last five fights. That includes impressive first-round finishes against Emily Whitmire, Mallory Martin, and Jinh Yu Frey.
Her opponent, Iasmin Lucindo, will make her third walk to the Octagon after splitting her first two appearances 1-1. That includes a loss to Yazmin Jauregui in her promotional debut followed by a unanimous decision win over Brogan Walker in her sophomore appearance.
