Katharina Dalisda: By Any Means Necessary

Oktagon MMA women’s strawweight champion Katharina Dalisda will go on the hunt for her first successful title defense when she rematches Eva Dourthe in the Oktagon 53 main event this Saturday at Rudolf Weber-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. The 32-year-old champion has quickly morphed into the face of the European-based promotion. She stars in the only women’s bout of the 10-fight card, but she vows to deliver a show in front of her hometown fans.

“I’ve had perfect preparation throughout this camp, and I feel that my body and mind are both ready to fight,” Dalisda told Sherdog.com. “I’m more secure with my techniques, and where before I relied on my top game and tried to dominate, now I feel like I can do better submissions and end the fight early.”

Dalisda (10-3) has won five straight and finished her last two bouts early. At Oktagon 42, she stopped former Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight Isabela de Pauda with a flurry of elbows. Five months later, she submitted Australia’s Jacinta Austin in the third round to become Oktagon’s first strawweight empress. “Tigress” believes her stock has grown since she claimed the belt. Ranked No. 1 in Germany, she juggles the pressure of being the hometown hero and elects to train in Frankfurt. She took a trip to Malaga, Spain, over the holidays and found time to work on her grappling, but when it comes to training, she prefers to be a homebody.

“My coaches just know me. They know my game and how to get the best out of me,” she said. “We have many experienced fighters [at Team MMA Spirit] who can adapt and imitate my opponents. It’s like a family, more or less, because the trust is so high.”

Winning the title in Frankfurt was an unforgettable moment for Dalisda. Nicknamed “Tigress” after the “Kung-Fu Panda” movie character, she carries the same calm but confident demeanor. Her heart was racing, however, after she snatched a guillotine on Austin in front of thousands of screaming German fans. Recreating that moment in her first title defense is her number one priority.

“For me, it was a big step to win the first female strawweight title in a main event also in my hometown,” Dalisda said. “That was really exciting, and I’m happy that I get to be the main event again. Oberhausen is huge with many fans, and the atmosphere was super cool.”

Dalisda claims to be better than ever, but few opponents know her as well as France’s Dourthe. The two battled three years prior in another promotion, and Dalisda won a clear decision. Dourthe (8-5) has won three straight since and could pose a threat to the strap.

“[Dourthe’s] really flexible and she can fight with different game plans,” Dalisda said. “She can be offensive and defensive. She can wrestle and strike. She’s good at all levels. It was a clear win for me, but she challenged me a lot. I actually don’t know what game plan she’ll come in with, but I’m prepared for everything.”

Dourthe poses enough of a challenge, but Dalisda sees living up to the pressure of being a champ as her biggest obstacle. Winning the vacant belt was one thing, but defending it is another. No matter what strategy Dourthe brings forth, Dalisda plans to leave the cage with the belt by any means necessary.

“It was a big step to go in as a challenger, but I’m conscious that I’ve done this before and I’ll do it again,” Dalisda said. “The title is mine, and I will defend it with everything I have.”