Iasmin Lucindo will finally return to competition on October 24, opening the UFC 333 show in Abu Dhabi against Nicolle Caliari after a 14-month absence that included a suspension and a long spell without a booked fight.
For Lucindo, the comeback matters as much for what it says about her resilience as for the matchup itself. She has been fighting professionally since she was 15, so spending one whole year without competing was a major break from the routine that has defined her career.
A long wait, but a clearer mindset
Lucindo said the past 14 months were difficult after a positive test from a tainted supplement led to a suspension. Her ban was lifted last June, but finding an opponent after that took time, which left her in an unfamiliar holding pattern.
"Yeah, it was tough," Lucindo said. "I've never spent a whole year without competing since I started fighting, so that's a very different experience."
That delay forced her to adjust her approach. She said the period away from the cage required mental discipline as much as physical work.
"It took a lot of mental preparation, finding new habits, getting the idea in my head that I'm not going to be fighting," she said. "Everybody else is training, everybody is improving, so I have to keep working. Even if I don't have a fight. That was the big thing: just staying focused on the fact that I have to keep up with everybody else for whenever I do get to come back."
Why Lucindo expects a different version of herself
Lucindo believes the layoff may actually sharpen her when she walks back into the cage. She has made it clear that she expects to show a more complete version of herself, and she says this has been the best uninterrupted run of work she has had in years.
"Something that I've always said: whenever you see me competing, you're going to see a different version of me, and this time, even more," she said. "I've never had a year to work on my game like this, and you're going to see a very different and improved version of Iasmin."
Lucindo also described Caliari as a strong test for her return. The opponent profile suggests exactly that, with Caliari coming in off a third-round arm triangle win over Shauna Bannon last May.
"She's a very explosive fighter, she's very well-rounded, a very good athlete, so I know that it's for sure going to be a great fight," Lucindo said. "No matter what happens, we're going to deliver a great fight for the fans."
The shape of the comeback
Lucindo’s confidence is built on more than time away. She says she is a complete fighter and believes the long pause has only strengthened that identity rather than disrupted it.
"The thing is, I believe that I am a complete fighter," she said. "I'm not afraid of grappling with anyone or striking with anyone."
That is the key point going into UFC 333. This is not just a return after a suspension and a difficult stretch; it is a chance for Lucindo to show that the interruption has not stalled her progress. On October 24 in Abu Dhabi, she gets the opportunity to prove that the long wait has made her better, not rusty.
