ONE ON ONE FT. VERONA JIMENEZ

[The broadcast begins from the recorded video where the designated section of the promotional area for UGP 63 has a smaller octagonal cage centered around the advertising of the pay-per-view that the Union Grand Prix will host for the first time in 2025. With markee posters of the championship fights between Benji Myers and Jordan Parker Kane along with the co-main event posters of the Victoria Marshall and MANDEM, the focus changes to a different view, switching to inside the cage for the setup of the one-on-one interview.

None other than UGP’s resident interview personnel, Kayla Chapman, is the first to enter through the narrow open cage door and accommodate herself by sitting down in her seat. She fixes herself up, crosses her legs and smiles at the other person scheduled for this session and it is Verona Jimenez of the featured preliminary fight against Ryo Mitsunari. Verona takes a seat, dressed fairly elegant and having her black hair down but leans back on the chair and clasps her hands together as Kayla receives the cue to begin the interview.]

KAYLA CHAPMAN: “Welcome ladies and gentlemen to another session of our one-on-one’s! We are just days away from the first Union Grand Prix’s first event of 2025, UGP 63: Meyers vs. Parker. However, we have a very special guest who is the featured preliminary bout of the event. She is the 9th ranked featherweight fighter of the world, Verona “Curtida” Jimenez.”

[The camera shifts to a different angle where Verona tilts her head to the side and does a little wave gesture with her hand into the camera. She focuses back on Kayla and smiles cheerfully and gratefully for the opportunity to speak.]

KAYLA CHAPMAN: “Verona. I’ve been interviewing you for some time now and every time we meet, you are getting better. We’re seeing your improvement right in front of us so what have you been doing that helps you get to where you are now?”

[Verona chuckles to herself and nods.]

VERONA JIMENEZ: “I’ve been training and working hard every day. I take things one day at a time and set small goals for myself here and there. You know, I appreciate the compliment and I’m happy that people are starting to recognize how much I put into my growth. It’s not easy but nothing worth ever comes easy. I think what helps me is to keep myself consistent and set a goal that I want to be at the top of the featherweight division plus learning new things here and there. I don’t want to be a one trick pony or one dimensional. I want to be strong in all aspects of fighting.”

KAYLA CHAPMAN: “That’s a great response and it actually leads me into my next question. You talk about growth and now you are the 9th ranked featherweight in a division that is new but rapidly growing. When they announced your place in the top ten, how did that affect you?’

[Verona crosses her legs and exhales.]

VERONA JIMENEZ: “Honestly, I don’t try to pay much attention to the rankings. I mean, it’s good to know I’m in the top ten but until you’re the champion, it doesn’t matter.”

[Kayla raises an eyebrow to that response and interjects.]

KAYLA CHAPMAN: “Very interesting because your training camp was quick to announce that.”

VERONA JIMENEZ: “They’re just happy to present the progress of our team. The Holmes MMA and Wrestling Academy is a new gym on the block but to see how quickly they are developing fighters is a testament to how seriously we take MMA. I mean, it’s good business for them. They’re showing what their work produces but I don’t focus on that, I focus on what’s in front of me or who is in front of me and knocking them out means more opportunities for me.”

[Kayla truly appreciates the humility shown by Verona and gets more firm with her questioning.]

KAYLA CHAPMAN: “Now speaking of who is in front of you, you’re the featured preliminary fight against the 8th ranked featherweight, Ryo Mitsunari, how have you prepared and what do we expect to see?”

[Now this was a question Verona was waiting for and when she answered, one can feel the confidence emulating from her.]

VERONA JIMENEZ: “I’m very thankful for my team and the fighters I have to work with. Our coaches do an amazing job of forming a game plan. Ryo is a striker with an underrated grappling and submission game so he’s good all around but I’m prepared for any outcomes.”

[Verona becomes pressured in her speech to deliver a stronger stance.]

VERONA JIMENEZ: “But I’m not taking him lightly. I’m not underestimating him because he’s dangerous still but we are the featured prelims. I think he wants to use this as a way to show everyone that he’s still someone in the division but like I said, I want to win and I want to win in the most spectacular fashion so that means I want to”