Julia Polastri just delivered the biggest highlight of her career, a brutal head-kick knockout at UFC Shanghai, and that’s why her name is spiking in searches today. This page covers her real age, her UFC record, and exactly what happened in her latest fight, plus the unlikely backstory of how she funded her early training.
Background
Julia Polastri is a Brazilian strawweight fighter competing in the UFC, known for hard-hitting striking and the nickname ‘Psycho.’ People are searching for her right now because she just scored one of the most talked-about knockouts of the week on a UFC card in China, a result that also happens to be a big bounce-back after a rough patch in her Octagon run. Casual sports fans who don’t normally follow MMA closely are also discovering her for the first time through highlight clips of the finish, which is a common way fighters outside the sport’s biggest stars suddenly see a spike in name recognition.
Latest Update
As of August 30, 2026, here is what’s currently known: Polastri fought Xiong Jingnan, a former ONE Championship flyweight titleholder, on the preliminary card of UFC Shanghai on August 29, 2026, at the SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center. She knocked Xiong out cold in the first round with a right hand into a head kick, one of the most replayed finishes of the card, improving her overall professional record to 15-6 and her UFC record to 3-3. Both fighters missed weight before the bout, which kept Polastri from collecting a possible post-fight bonus despite the highlight finish. This win comes right after a rough stretch, she had lost a decision to Talita Alencar just four months earlier in April 2026, so this fight is being covered as a genuine turnaround moment rather than a random result.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Julia Polastri was born on March 5, 1998, in Duque de Caxias, a city in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area of Brazil. Before she could afford full-time training, she spent about five years selling chocolate truffles to commuters on Rio’s Saracuruna train line, using that income to cover chicken breast, supplements, and gym rent rather than telling most passengers what the money was actually funding.
Career Path
Polastri started training at 17, initially just as a hobby, and moved into competitive Muay Thai about a year and a half later before shifting fully into MMA at 19. On the Brazilian regional scene, she won titles with both Shooto Brasil and LFA, and she trains out of the CWB Fighter team. Her path to the UFC included a Dana White’s Contender Series loss at flyweight to Jasmine Jasudavicius, after which she moved back down to her natural strawweight division, won three straight fights including the LFA title over previously undefeated Brenda Gottig, and earned a second Contender Series opportunity. She made that chance count in September 2023 with a second-round submission win over Patricia Alujas, securing her UFC contract. Inside the Octagon, her run has included a decision loss to Josefine Knutsson, a split-decision win over Cory McKenna, a decision loss to Loopy Godinez, and the best win of her career to that point, an October 2025 third-round head-kick TKO of former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz in front of a home crowd in Rio. After an April 2026 decision loss to Talita Alencar, she rebounded with a first-round knockout of Xiong Jingnan at UFC Shanghai on August 29, 2026. Across her fifteen career wins, five have come by knockout, three by submission, and six by decision, a fairly balanced finishing profile for a strawweight, while notably, none of her six career losses have come by stoppage, all have gone to the judges’ scorecards, which fight trackers point to as a sign of real durability against high-level competition.
Age
Polastri was born March 5, 1998, making her 28 years old as of August 2026.
Religion
There’s no publicly documented information about Polastri’s religious beliefs or practice, so this detail is unconfirmed.
Spouse/Partner
Polastri’s relationship status isn’t part of any verified public reporting, so it’s treated here as unconfirmed rather than assumed.
Net Worth
There’s no official or independently verified net worth figure for Polastri. UFC fighter pay is generally undisclosed per bout unless a fighter or promotion shares specific numbers, so any total floating around online should be treated as an unconfirmed estimate rather than fact.
Parents
Detailed, verified information about Polastri’s parents, including their names or occupations, is not available in the public sources checked for this article.
Height
Polastri is most consistently listed at 5 feet 2 inches tall (157 cm) with a 63-inch reach, based on her UFC and fight-tracking profiles.
Education
There’s no publicly documented information about Polastri’s formal education beyond her combat sports training background, so this detail is unconfirmed.
Hometown/State of Origin
Polastri was born in Duque de Caxias, in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area of Brazil, and continues to train and compete out of that region.
Official Social Media Link
Julia Polastri’s Official Instagram
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| March 5, 1998 | Born in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Age 17 | Begins training, initially as a hobby |
| Age 19 | Shifts fully into MMA after competing in Muay Thai |
| September 2023 | Wins UFC contract via Contender Series submission over Patricia Alujas |
| October 11, 2025 | Scores a career-best head-kick TKO of Karolina Kowalkiewicz in Rio |
| April 25, 2026 | Loses a unanimous decision to Talita Alencar in Las Vegas |
| August 29, 2026 | Knocks out Xiong Jingnan in the first round at UFC Shanghai |
Quick Facts Table
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Julia Polastri |
| Nickname | Psycho |
| Born | March 5, 1998 (age 28) |
| Hometown | Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Division | Strawweight |
| Height / Reach | 5’2″ / 63″ |
| Team | CWB Fighter |
| Pro Record | 15-6 (as of Aug 29, 2026) |
| UFC Record | 3-3 |
| Last Fight | def. Xiong Jingnan by KO, Round 1, Aug 29, 2026 |
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Who did Julia Polastri fight at UFC Shanghai?
She fought Xiong Jingnan, a former ONE Championship flyweight titleholder, on the preliminary card of UFC Shanghai on August 29, 2026, and won by first-round knockout.
How old is Julia Polastri?
She was born on March 5, 1998, making her 28 years old as of August 2026.
What is Julia Polastri’s UFC record?
She’s 3-3 inside the UFC as of her August 29, 2026, win over Xiong Jingnan, with an overall professional record of 15-6.
Why is Julia Polastri nicknamed Psycho?
The nickname reflects the more aggressive, intense persona she leans into once a fight starts, a common practice among MMA fighters who adopt a ring name distinct from their everyday personality.
How did Julia Polastri fund her early MMA training?
She spent about five years selling chocolate truffles to commuters on a Rio de Janeiro train line, using the money to pay for food, supplements, and gym membership before she could support herself through fighting.
What was Julia Polastri’s best win before UFC Shanghai?
Many consider her October 2025 third-round head-kick TKO of former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz, achieved in front of a home crowd in Rio de Janeiro, the best win of her career up to that point.
Did Julia Polastri lose any recent fights before this win?
Yes, she lost a unanimous decision to Talita Alencar in April 2026, just four months before her knockout win over Xiong Jingnan.
What weight class does Julia Polastri compete in?
She competes in the UFC’s women’s strawweight division, fighting at 115 pounds.
Wrap-Up
Julia Polastri’s story is a genuine underdog arc: a woman who spent years selling chocolate truffles on a commuter train just to afford gym time now has one of the most replayed knockouts in recent UFC events. That kind of turnaround is part of why her name is trending well beyond hardcore MMA circles this week.
Her career inside the Octagon has been a real up-and-down run, wins over solid competition mixed with tough decision losses, which makes a finish like the one she just landed on Xiong Jingnan feel especially significant. It’s the kind of win that can shift how a fighter is booked and discussed going forward.
For anyone using this page as a quick reference, here’s the short version: she’s 28, from Duque de Caxias, Brazil, currently 3-3 in the UFC and 15-6 overall, and coming off a first-round knockout that’s likely to be replayed for a while. For the most current fight scheduling and any future bookings, her official UFC athlete page and verified social media are the best places to check.
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