UFC 289 fighter Maria Oliveira almost missed the PPV taking part in reality TV show behind Dana White's back

UFC 289 almost had a fight canceled after it was revealed that strawweight fighter Maria Oliveira had taken part in a Brazilian reality show without Dana White's permission.

Oliveira is set to step into the octagon this weekend to face Diana Belbita. 'Spider-Girl' has a 13-6 record as a professional and has competed in the UFC since 2021. Her record in the promotion so far is 1-2, but the Brazilian is aiming to get back in the win column in Vancouver this weekend.

Despite the desire to right her wrongs in the octagon, Maria Oliveira recently revealed she almost missed out on the opportunity to do so.

In an exclusive interview with Ag. Fight, the strawweight stated she signed on to the reality show 'A Grande Conquista' in her native Brazil without informing the UFC brass. Oliveira explained that her plan was to miss the fight if she made it to the finale but she was eliminated early, meaning she could compete.

Oliveira said (translated to English from Portuguese):

“Yes, the fight was scheduled before I entered reality. I was fully aware that if I didn't make it to the 'Mansão' [final stage of the reality show], I would fight. It had been tagged before. It was kind of tagged together, both the reality and the fight. So…[laughs]. I didn't negotiate with the UFC [release for the reality show]. I accepted fighting and also accepted reality. I took a big risk.” [H/t AgFight]

---

Maria Oliveira reveals she'd step away from fighting if she made it big on social media

Maria Oliveira is currently preparing for her UFC 289 bout against Diana Belbita. The pair are set to compete on the undercard of the pay-per-view and both are hoping a win can see them push for a spot in the strawweight rankings.

Despite her love of fighting and her current preparations for this weekend, Oliveira recently revealed that she would give up fighting if she became famous on social media.

Speaking exclusively once again to Ag. Fight, the 26-year-old explained she was noticed at a party in 2022, which kickstarted her decision to appear on 'A Grande Conquista'. 'Spider-Girl' added that whilst fighting is her passion, she'd trade competing in the cage for the "digital world."

Maria Oliveira explained (translated to English from Portuguese):

"I, Maria, love to fight. I would never stop training. But if I had a very high level of engagement, with many partnerships and managed to keep up with Instagram alone, which I can't do today, I would leave for this [digital] world." [H/t AgFight]