Megan Olivi is getting real about one of the most challenging chapters of her life and the agonizing road she and her husband, retired UFC fighter Joseph Benavidez, went through before eventually welcoming their son, Vito.
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The longtime UFC reporter revealed in a recent interview with AG Sports that she suffered multiple pregnancy losses while still showing up for broadcasts, smiling for the cameras. She did her job as if everything was fine, even though the 39-year-old was quietly dealing with some seriously painful heartbreak behind the scenes.
“We had a really hard time actually having Vito,” she said. “We had a lot of loss, a lot of struggles in terms of getting and staying pregnant.
“And so it was a really, really challenging few years, and lots of UFC broadcasts where there was, like, absolute heartbreak happening for me, and I’m still just, ‘Oh, I have to smile and be on camera.'”
Megan Olivi and Joseph Benavidez kept their baby plans a secret, with only the two of them knowing that his final fight would mean a whole lot more than simply stepping into the Octagon for the last time.
Then, in early July 2025, their long, emotional road to parenthood came to a happy ending. After years of trying to start a family, the couple finally welcomed their son, Vito Benavidez.
“That’s why I say, like, when we prayed and prayed for Vito, and we were blessed with him,” she continued in the interview. “And it was just the greatest thing ever because it was years of us wanting to be parents.”
But the road was especially difficult because the 39-year-old continued to work one of the most demanding jobs in sports broadcasting and deal with her own issues. Megan Olivi previously stated that she worked her final UFC event approximately ten days before giving birth to Vito.
Despite the physically taxing nature of fight-week scheduling, Olivi continued to work deep into her pregnancy with her doctor’s approval and the UFC’s backing. However, she noted that there were times when simply turning up for work needed a great deal of strength.
And during those years, the longtime reporter said one person in particular became an invaluable source of support: Evelyn Rodrigues, UFC Fight Pass Brazil’s international correspondent and reporter. In fact, she even got emotional while describing Rodrigues’ impact on her life.
“I don’t know how I would have survived without people like Evelyn (Rodrigues),” she added. “She held my hand through all the good and bad moments, and then every single thing I could ask her throughout pregnancy and motherhood, I have asked her, and she has answered within seconds. I honestly couldn’t do it without her.
“Like, I know people in Brazil know how great she is at her job, and I think she’s probably the best in the world. And I don’t want to cry, but she is probably one of the best human beings I’ve ever, ever known.”
The support meant so much to Olivi that she admits there were days she honestly doesn’t think she could’ve made it to work without Rodrigues right there by her side.
“Honestly, there would have been days I didn’t show up for work if it wasn’t for Evelyn,” she added.
Despite her personal struggles, Megan Olivi continued to appear on UFC broadcasts throughout her pregnancy, keeping the same professional appearance that fans had grown to expect.
Then, in 2025, Vito arrived, bringing Megan Olivi and Benavidez the moment they had been dreaming about for years. Olivi took a brief, planned break after giving birth, but it wasn’t long before she was back doing what she does best, returning to her UFC broadcasting and reporting duties.
