For MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and UFC (Ultimate Fight Championship) enthusiasts, Roberta “Crush” Samad, better known in Brazil as Roberta Paim Rovel, needs no introduction. With four wins and one loss in her career since turning professional, Roberta is preparing to return to fighting after a three-year hiatus.
Born in Sapucaia in Rio Grande do Sul, Roberta owes her athleticism to a family lineage of natural athletes. Her grandfather played soccer. When the boys at school began to bully her because of her size, Roberta discovered she had a special ability to knock them out with her arm.
Due to constant complaints from school, her father decided to enroll her in a martial arts academy so she could learn to defend herself without hurting her oppressors on the schoolyard. That’s where her love for Jiu Jitsu was born, in which she was a three-time world champion in 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Following in the footsteps of pioneering Brazilian fighter Cris Ciborg, Roberta began to refine her fighting style by combining her black belt in Jiu Jitsu with Muay Thai, a Thai boxing style that also uses kicks against the opponent. After her four victories in Brazil, she was invited to participate in the famous Bellator International championship held in the USA, where she suffered her first loss to Canadian Julia Budd, the current champion. Since returning to train with her Drive MMA team in 
Harrison, Ohio, Roberta has been perfecting her technique and mentally preparing for her comeback.
Last year she participated in the TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) tryouts, a kind of Big Brother for UFC on television, where she passed the first round but ended up on standby. The PFL event features experienced fighters like American Olympic champion Kayla Harrison and UFC veteran Sarah Kaufman. In her first elimination fight, Roberta will face Larissa Pacheco, another Brazilian and UFC veteran, who participated in the event.
Roberta Samad has a record of 4-1 in MMA, with three wins by knockout and one by submission, earning her the nickname “Crush.” Samad stepped away from fighting after her only career loss and after becoming a mother and moving to the USA. She is eager to return with the PFL.