Tina Black seeks history, says TUF trophy could ‘soon’ lead to UFC title win

Strawweight Tina Black, real name Valesca Machado, aspires to join an exclusive group of nine UFC champions who previously competed on The Ultimate Fighter, saying she expects to claim gold "soon" after winning her TUF 34 finale. Black, handpicked as Daniel Cormier's first selection on the season, defeated Natalia Alves and Delphine Benouaich en route to the final, where she will face fellow Team Cormier member Melissa Amaya on September 26 at UFC Vegas 121.

The 30-year-old holds a 15-4 professional record with one no-contest and arrives with championship pedigree, having captured titles in Invicta FC and A1 Combat before her TUF appearance. Black credits her faith and strategic path-building for her trajectory. "God gave me Invicta, He gave me A1, and now He has given me TUF so I can win the title in the finale, and soon the UFC belt," she told MMA Fighting. "I want to be recognized like Amanda Nunes and Alex Pereira—making history."

Despite the compressed timeline of two fights in the TUF format, Black downplayed the difficulty, noting that winning a title at Invicta while fighting twice in a single night proved harder. Between her failed Contender Series attempt in 2021 and joining TUF this year, she won seven of eight fights.

Black acknowledged on-camera conflicts with other competitors, insisting her actions weren't manufactured television drama. "If people want to have beef with me, I'll do it too," she said. "Nothing I did there was because I was playing a character. I'm not going to take disrespect and just let it go."

Respecting Amaya's warrior mentality—particularly her refusal to tap under submission pressure in previous bouts—Black expressed confidence without detailing her specific gameplan. "I believe I'm going to leave as the champion, but I don't know how," Black stated. "The important thing is to put another little trophy up there at my sister's home and keep moving forward to get the UFC belt."