Cara Maria Sorbello was eliminated after the first challenge of her first season of The Challenge, Fresh Meat II back in 2010. Since then she has risen to the top of the ranks as one of the most prolific female winners of the franchise. She's seen six finals and won three times, including becoming the first overall winner of the show after Vendettas' free-for-fall final last season. The reality star walks into the show's latest incarnation, Final Reckoning, a back-to-back defending champ and while that should make her feel uber-confident, she's more than aware that the target painted on her is large and blinking in neon -- but that hasn't changed the goal. The Challenge Final Reckoning: Which Team Will Dominate? "If I didn't have a target on my back before, I certainly have one now, but it's a good target to have. It means you've got something that people want," Cara Maria told TV Guide ahead of the Reckoning premiere. "So, I'm coming into this season basically feeling like I do every season -- just ready to go in and to do whatever I have to do to get to the end. I was in the finals on Dirty 30, finals on Vendettas and I'd really like to seal the deal here and get there again on Reckoning." While the news has already broken that Cara Maria will end up in some relationship drama with rookie Paulie Califore, the champ actually points to her partner Marie as the biggest thing standing in her way to a three-peat victory. The Challenge: These Are the Nastiest Feuds to Look Out For "Opening the grave and seeing that it was Marie, it's like a stab in the gut," she said said. "All I've known about Marie is that she shows up to party. She treats The Challenge as a joke. Everybody goes on The Challenge differently, and it doesn't make anybody better than the other. Some people just go to party, they don't care about working out and that's fine. That's their thing, have fun... I have to learn how to work with someone who doesn't really care about being there. So, for me, you're only as good as the person that you're with. I'm gonna have to find a way to make us work, and that is my ultimate challenge." While Cara Maria claims that Marie is her biggest obstacle, it might actually be the reputation she's been unfairly pinned with. She's been tagged as an arrogant competitor by a large portion of the female cast and that's pushed many of the women to band together against her. As Cara Maria has stated many times, she's never actually said she was better than anyone else on the show, but that hasn't stopped the rumors or the hate. Despite the name calling, the champ is willing to let her track record speak for itself. The Challenge: Final Reckoning: Who Will Be Bananas' Partner? "People can walk around cocky and entitled all day. I'm not gonna invest my time on Twitter talking about it." she says. "I'm not cocky and entitled first of all. I'm the most insecure person f--king up there. I talk down about myself all the time. I downplay everything I've ever done. But, even if I was cocky and entitled, who the f--k cares? If a woman wants to feel confidant in herself, why does that bother you? That's your problem, anyways." The ball is in the haters' court, but do any of them have what it takes to take down Cara Maria at the peak of her Challenge career? Anything could happen when it comes to this show. The Challenge: Final Reckoning premieres Tuesday, July 10 at 9/8c on MTV.<doc-sep>Ahead of ‘The Challenge’ premiere, Cara Maria opens up about why being partnered with her nemesis, Marie, on ‘Final Reckoning’ frustrated her. Plus, she dishes on the pressure of coming in as a reigning champ and more! The contestants on The Challenge: Final Reckoning, which airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. on MTV, are forced to pair up with their biggest enemies in hopes of winning $1 million, and for Cara Maria Sorbello, that means being on a team with Marie Roda. “I feel like [Marie] forced that partnership to happen,” Cara admitted to HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “It was a very one-sided street. When she was going off [about me] obsessively on Vendettas in her confessionals or on social media, it was just trying to get my attention and tryig to use me to get further in the game or get a storyline or get people to talk about her. I felt used. That feels grimy to me.” Cara added that she first recognized Marie’s obsession with being noticed by others way back when they filmed Battle of the Seasons together in 2012. “That over pre-occupation about what everyone was saying about her was a turn off to me — I couldn’t vibe with that type of girl,” Cara explained. “Then, I felt like she used me to become my partner and it just made me angry and resentful.” The Challenge vet revealed that she and Marie “literally hated each other” when they were first paired together on the show, but teased that their relationship goes through a lot as the season continues. Weeks later, it definitely seems like their relationship is in a better place than it was…but Cara isn’t going to put her trust in Marie any time soon. “I feel like she’s someone I would party with — a thousand percent you want to party with Marie,” she said. “She makes me laugh. I would get Botox with her [laughs]! I would be cool with her, I would even defend her. I see her and I understand Marie now. Would I ever tell her a deep, dark personal secret? Would I ever trust her in a game if we were on another Challenge together? F*** no! She will throw anybody under the bus at anytime.” On what it was like coming onto ‘Final Reckoning’ after winning ‘Vendettas’: I’m really proud of what I’ve done, but I feel like I’m just constantly trying to do better. I know I have nothing else to prove, but I’m not just going to go home first and roll over and let anybody take something from me. I feel like I worked really hard for that win and I’m really proud of it and I’m going to fight to keep that title. I would rather come in with that win as a threat and have people try to get rid of me because they want to win and getting rid of me would be good for their gameplan. That’s flattering. On how long she plans to do ‘The Challenge’: I’m going to retire when they force me. I will be the Johnny Bananas. Me and Johnny will be with our white hair and walkers going across the skyscraper on a rope with our canes. It’s gonna happen. Nobody’s gonna pull me out of this. On why ‘The Challenge’ remains successful after 32 seasons: You have everything on this thing! It’s all the reality shows combined into one big, awesome meal. You have some people that they bring back over and over, then you’ve got new people — young and hot people so the young, hot people will watch. You just get such a good melting pot. Plus, there’s challenges, plus drama, plus money on the line and there’s always twists. You’re going to watch two people in an arena tear each other apart. I love The Challenge, it’s such a cool show. Check back on HollywoodLife after the episode, because we’ll be posting more scoop from Cara about her relationships with Kyle Shore and Paulie Calafiore!<doc-sep>After winning MTV’s The Challenge: Vendettas earlier this year, Cara Maria Sorbello is back in action for her 12th season, Final Reckoning. As she vies for the $1 million prize alongside rival and partner Marie Roda, she’s blogging about it exclusively on PEOPLE! Follow Cara Maria on Twitter at @CaraMariaMTV. The first episode of Final Reckoning comes in with a BANG. Enemies? Check. Destruction of old relationships? Check. Handicapping strong players with challenging partners? Check. New hookups? Check. Fights? You bet. Get push notifications with news, features and more. In light of recent Twitter drama and what happens in the premiere, let me clear up some unfinished and much asked about Vendettas business before we roll into Final Reckoning goodness. Once filming wrapped, Kyle asked me to come straight to the U.K. to meet his friends and family. But after a falling out at a bar in Prague, where I called him out on yet another lie, I changed my plane ticket and went straight back to the U.S. He was wildly apologetic and wanted to visit me at my home. Realistically, I assumed we would do our own thing when we were away from each other, and be with each other when we were together. When I communicated this to him, he told me that if I were with someone else, it would “break his heart” and that he wouldn’t want to come out after all. He did end up coming to join me in an appearance in Chicago, some promos in NYC, and of course spend time in my home in Boston. He ended up meeting my family (which he knew very well was part of the deal) and was treated like a king. I only visit Boston around Christmas, so when I am home I usually stay with my dad and use his extra truck to drive around. I got us a hotel in South Boston so we would have more time alone until the final two days of his visit when we had dinner at my mother’s and then my father’s house. Then he left for Thailand for two months and communication lessened. Fast forward to Final Reckoning. Kyle tells me he has a girlfriend. Joss confirms she’s a model named Lauren. I accept this. However, he acts like a d–k to me all the first night and ends up making out with another girl. And makes fun of me behind my back! The Kyle you all got to know in Vendettas is not the Kyle you will see here in Final Reckoning. Once a lovable underdog goofball, Kyle comes into FR as a heartless, lying, manipulative… pirate. But don’t let me steer your ship — keep watching and decide for yourself. The Challenge CR: MTV Credit: MTV Speaking of the past, we unbury it on the first banger episode of Final Reckoning. C.T., a notorious unstoppable force who regularly gets credit for “carrying partners to the finals on his back,” gets partnered with feisty Veronica. V has won the lottery here, but C.T. is noticeably less than thrilled. Can CT “carry” her to the end? This will be a team to watch! Monster player Zach unburies his partner first. Surprise! It’s the girl who publicly and ferociously dragged his beautiful and fan-beloved girlfriend, Jenna. Amanda not only spread lies about Jenna, she then spent numerous Instagram lives dedicated to trashing Jenna’s name. The hate is real with this team. In the end, two relationships are torn apart as Britni and Jenna could not complete the opening challenge and are sent away from their men, Brad and Zach. However, we see the return of REDEMPTION HOUSE, so there’s a chance one or both couples will be reunited. Tough break for Britni as she dug THREE graves trying to find her ex, Chuck. Brit and Chuck haven’t spoken since he walked out on her — the wounds are still fresh, so it will be interesting to see how time in the Redemption House heals or further destroys their partnership. The Challenge CR: MTV Credit: MTV One grave remains covered in dirt: Johnny Bananas, the Challenge King, the man with arguably THE MOST vendettas in Challenge history, is left without a partner. The backstory is that he was supposed to be partners with Devin, but Devin had a family emergency and had to leave as soon as he landed in South Africa. Not to worry, there is something in the works for the Banana man, so stay tuned to find out who is coming to fight for the crown with him. Back in the main house, the party is on. Kyle gets the first makeout of the night with Faith. Having felt a connection with Big Brother alum Paulie since the airport, I went to him for comfort and, yes, to make Kyle jealous. Paulie is in a relationship and plays off my drunken advances like a pro. He laughs at me as I tell him about the best game strategy. I know nothing is going to happen, but I feel safe and comfortable around him and he brings my mood up. (Editor’s Note: Cara Maria recently revealed that she and Paulie are now dating.) As the party rages on, the alcohol makes some people much more bold. Downstairs, Melissa is trying to have a “make peace” chat with Kailah. Kailah wants no part of it. As Melissa inches closer to her, Kailah gives her a hard shove. Melissa, not one to back down to anyone, comes back claws first. The two fall into an all-out brawl before being ripped apart. Well, everyone knows you keep your hands to yourself in the Challenge house, or you go home. There is ONE. MILLION. DOLLARS. on the line. These two girls let one million bucks slip through their hands in the heat of the moment! Now, as we leave off, their partners Kayleigh and Kam could suffer the consequences. Stay tuned, because this is the most explosive season of The Challenge I have ever been through.<doc-sep>We caught up with Cara Maria from ‘The Challenge: Final Reckoning’ for EXCLUSIVE scoop on her relationships with Paulie and Kyle. Plus, she told us why she’s now friends with Johnny Bananas after years of feuding! On the series premiere of The Challenge: Final Reckoning we saw Cara Maria Sorbello get flirty with Paulie Calafiore after she saw her ex from last season, Kyle Shore, making out with Faith Stowers. This was our first look into the Cara/Paulie relationship, which made major headlines after filming ended because it was reported that Paulie cheated on his girlfriend (The Bachelor’s Danielle Maltby) with The Challenge vet. At that time, Paulie admitted that he “messed up royally” on the show, and confirmed that he ended things with Danielle once he got home. Now, his relationship with Cara is going strong, and she opened up to us EXCLUSIVELY about what happened in much more detail. “When I met Paulie, it was this kind of innate, magnetic attraction that I had with him,” Cara told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “I knew I couldn’t do anything because he had a girlfriend. I know, I know… I was sitting there like, ‘You can go back to your boring relationship’ — I KNOW that’s not a good look. But when I was hitting on Paulie that first night, it was such a frustration thing because I was so mad at Kyle. I felt so hurt and rejected, and I didn’t understand what was happening and why he was treating me the way he was and lying to me. So, I was like…well…when I’m around Paulie, he makes me happy. He makes me not have to worry about Kyle. Paulie was my refuge and somebody that I was drawn to.” On her physical connection with Paulie & where their relationship stands now: The attraction we have with each other is on a different level and we’re just going with it. We’re still continuing to go with it. It was unexpected, for sure, but we are wild about each other, physically. He’s pretty cool. On how things developed with Paulie & when he finally told Danielle: Me and Paulie did not do anything for a very long time of spending two months together — up until our final days. When you’re finally done filming, whenever it is that you go home, you get your phone. He immediately called [Danielle]. He ideally wanted to wait [to hook up with me]. He knew he wanted to and his ideal situation was to call her, breakup with her and then be with me. But we did not wait. We just did not have that self-control, and then he still called and told her everything afterward. He’s had contact with her and has nothing but good things to say about her, like…she’s literally the perfect woman and someone you’d have kids with. On paper, she’s the best choice. On what happened with Kyle after ‘Vendettas’: Right after Vendettas, Kyle begged me to come out to the UK to see his family and friends and visit him. I was going to have my plane ticket go from Prague to be with him. And then we got into a fight and I found out he was lying about something else, and I’m like…I’m not into this. So I sent my plane ticket home [to the States]. He was devastated by it. Then we arranged that he’d come visit me in my hometown [Boston]. Now he’s spreading a lie — I don’t know if he’s joking or trying to be funny or whatever, but I have people coming at me on Twitter saying, ‘You surprised him by visiting your family.’ F*** no! I go home on Christmas once a year to visit my family. You think if I haven’t seen my family in a year I’m not going to go home? I told him this — all about my dad, all about my mom. He got more than his fair share of warning over and over again, but now he’s trying to lie and start crap on Twitter. Plus, I have receipts of all the messages I’ve ignored from him! On why things didn’t work with Kyle & how she feels about him now: I thought we had a deeper understanding of each other. He told me things he hasn’t told anyone before and I thought we had a deeper connection. I was the one to be like…we live in different countries, so you do your thing and I’ll do my thing, and when we’re together we’ll do each other. He wasn’t about that. He wants to do whatever he wants to do, but he doesn’t want ME to do hat I want to do. On this season, that’s exactly what happens. Kyle’s not the lovable goofball you knew on Vendettas. He comes into this season cocky, guns-blazing and treats me like less than a friend. Not even bro-skis. He’s a d*** and they don’t even show as much as he was a d*** to me all night. At that point, I snapped and did my thing with Paulie. I look like a loser, but…. [shrugs]. On her friendship with Johnny Bananas after years of feuding: When I first stated doing challenges, I saw Johnny as part of the popular group and dominant alliance, and I was anti-establishment. We definitely butted heads a lot, and a lot of things happened. But then, when it came down to Vendettas, we finally started to see ourselves in the same corner with the way people are with us. We see ourselves in the samae situation and I have a respect for him as a competitor and as a winner. Would I actually want to be his partner? If there ever comes a point where you’re going to split the money…Johnny’s going to keep the money. I’m pretty sure he’d keep it from his own mother, so he’d keep it from me. But we look out for each other. I have developed a love for him as a friend and competitor.<doc-sep>
Cara Maria Sorbello has a tough road ahead of her on The Challenge: Final Reckoning, and even though she may not have anything to prove, her competitive nature means she wants to make it to the final. She did so for the first two parts of the trilogy, 2017's Dirty XXX and Vendettas earlier this year. Sorbello, 32, has been on 12 seasons of The Challenge since she first joined the competition with Fresh Meat II in 2010. She is one of the fiercest competitors in the game, winning three times, and emerging the sole winner of the last challenge. In Season 32, which will premiere at 9 p.m. ET on MTV, she must work with Marie Roda, one of her "enemies," to win the $1 million prize. What makes that especially difficult for Cara Maria is that her teammate fabricated their rivalry. In her opinion, there were other people she could have been partnered with instead of Roda. Not only does she have that obstacle in her way, but she also knows that she has a target on her back going into the house because of her latest win. "There's a lot of not happy people, so it's basically walking into a lion's den because they're going to stop at nothing to get rid of me," she told Newsweek Monday. "It's flattering. It's a compliment. It means I did something good, but it just means that the road ahead is gonna be a lot harder." Sorbello spoke about her feuds, both this season and "biggest" overall, the teams' challenges and the "really complicated" situation with Kyle in an edited Q&A. As shown in the exclusive clip above, things get crazy. Can you talk about your vendetta and your first reaction to finding out Marie was your partner? Honestly, I'm frustrated because I have so many vendettas. I've got Tony. Me and CT got into it on Rivals I [in 2011]. Me and Johnny have been getting into it for every single season we've been on together, up until the very last one on Vendettas, when we were finally somewhat cool with each other because we were in the same corner. Even Kailah could've been an option. The thing that frustrated me with being Marie's partner was she made it happen. All I ever did was like a tweet that said, "Why does Marie keep coming back?" When I met her on Battle of the Seasons [in 2012], I was not a fan of her because all she wanted to talk about was followers, social media and what people were saying about her. Then I liked that tweet, which is the worst regret of my life. I feel like she's just using me for the attention. Her thing [on The Challenges] is partying. …She's just there to make some TV time and leave. Were there any reasons that you were glad Marie was your partner? No. None. Mostly just because I feel like she was using me and she was forcing the vendetta and forcing to be my partner because I did not acknowledge her. She talked all crap in confessionals. She talked crap on Twitter. She was nonstop. And I ignored her. I'm like, "If I don't give her any attention whatsoever on social media, if I don't acknowledge her at all, then there's no way they can make us partners because it's a one-way street." … If we can make it to a final together, then I think I deserve $1 million for that. ... I feel like a big thing with her is she has no confidence in herself and it's easier for her to say, "Oh, I lost because I didn't care or because I was joking or because I was being funny Marie," than for her to actually really try and give her heart and lose and have that on herself. I have no confidence in myself going into these Challenges, and I gotta pull that out of Marie and show her she can come through, that she can do it and she's not a joke. My job this season is to be a good partner. I hope I don't let my pride and my competitiveness get in the way of that, because I'm very competitive and I get angry when I lose. In the trailer, T.J. calls himself the "dirtiest player in the game." Do you agree or disagree? T.J. is absolutely the dirtiest player in the game.