The UFC Perth event kicked off early in the morning with a standout performance from a rising prospect.
Leading up to UFC 320, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to Western Australia for a thrilling Fight Night event. Despite several recent fight cancellations, the 12-bout card was headlined by a crucial light heavyweight title eliminator featuring top contenders Carlos Ulberg and Dominick Reyes. Australian fans witnessed the preliminary card begin at 7 AM local time, featuring bouts in the UFC`s lightest weight divisions.
Alexia Thainara Secures Dominant Decision Win Over Loma Lookboonmee
Alexia Thainara is expected to enter the rankings soon following her stellar performance. The Brazilian standout faced the #14-ranked women`s strawweight contender, Loma Lookboonmee, to open the event. This marked Thainara`s second UFC appearance; her debut earlier this year at UFC London saw her submit and retire Molly McCann.
Across all three rounds, Thainara effortlessly took down Lookboonmee, accumulating five takedowns and over ten minutes of control time. Her gritty display, featuring trips, ground and pound, 12-6 elbows, and even a can opener submission attempt in the first round, effectively snapped Lookboonmee`s impressive four-fight win streak.
Though Lookboonmee managed to survive to the final bell, all three judges awarded the fight decisively to Thainara. This victory extends Thainara`s professional winning streak to an impressive eleven fights.
UFC Champion Merab Dvalishvili Praises Alexia Thainara`s Performance
UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili expressed his admiration for Thainara`s showing. Despite this being Lookboonmee`s tenth UFC bout, Thainara, in only her second promotional fight, appeared to be operating on a completely different level.
“I am very impressed how @Alle_Thainara using her wrestling and fight IQ against [experienced] fighter Loma,” Dvalishvili wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
This commendation is significant, coming from Dvalishvili, who holds the #3 pound-for-pound ranking globally, highlighting the impact of Thainara`s dominant display.
