MMA veteran Poliana Botelho is facing the toughest fight of her life after being diagnosed with breast cancer, undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, and is now looking forward to finishing her treatment and returning to the cage.
MMA veteran Poliana Botelho has faced many challenges throughout her career, but none so tough as her battle with breast cancer, which she was diagnosed with in January 2023. After completing radiotherapy sessions in Rio de Janeiro, Botelho reflected on the difficulty of the fight she is currently enduring. Despite the physical and emotional toll of her treatment, she remains optimistic and is looking forward to the end of her treatment.
Botelho credits her training as an MMA fighter for helping her discover the nodules in her body, as she occasionally felt pain during training. After receiving her diagnosis, Botelho underwent surgery, rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She is expected to start oral chemotherapy soon, with breast reconstruction surgery planned for mid-2024. The physical toll of the treatment has been difficult, but Botelho is feeling victorious as she sees the light at the end of the tunnel.
Botelho’s treatment has impacted her ability to train freely, but she remains hopeful that she will be able to resume training normally in the second half of 2024, after completing the oral chemotherapy. Despite her professional success in MMA, Botelho is currently focused on her health and the battle she is facing against cancer.
Botelho’s fighting future remains uncertain, and she acknowledges that her primary focus at the moment is on her health: “I’m battling another fight now, the most important of my life. I don’t even know if I’m going to be able to fight. I think I’ll just enter that cage and cry.” Despite the uncertainty, Botelho’s resilience and positive attitude shine through as she continues to navigate this challenging chapter in her life.