UFC News & FeaturesUFC Fight Night 229 Prelims: Resurgent Karolina Kowalkiewicz Outpaces Diana Belbita
Someone forgot to tell Karolina
Kowalkiewicz she was supposed to just walk off into the
sunset.
The American Top Team standout penned the latest chapter in her late-career renaissance and stayed relevant in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight division, as she laid claim to a unanimous decision over Diana Belbita in their featured UFC Fight Night 229 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three cageside judges saw it 30-27 for Kowalkiewicz (16-7, 9-7 UFC).
Belbita (15-8, 2-4 UFC) bridged out of full mount and connected
with a jarring right hand in the first round but failed to build
any kind of meaningful momentum. Kowalkiewicz took charge across
the final 10 minutes, where she utilized a punishing jab and sneaky
right uppercuts. Her comfort level grew down the stretch, enough so
that she cut loose with a few spinning attacks to keep Belbita
off-balance.
Kowalkiewicz, 37, will carry a four-fight winning streak into her next assignment.
Mendonca (10-2, 0-2 UFC) rolled into ill-advised leglock attempts, leaving his head exposed with low-percentage attacks. Maness stayed composed, moved to an advantageous position and let his hands fly. He eventually escaped to his feet, stunned Mendonca with standing-to-ground blows and finished it with a sustained burst of ground-and-pound.
Operating out of the Diego Lima-led Chute Boxe affiliate, Mendonca has suffered back-to-back defeats since he joined the UFC roster as an undefeated prospect.
Further down the undercard, former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Vanessa Demopoulos took a contentious unanimous decision from Kanako Murata in a three-round women’s strawweight affair. Demopoulos (10-5, 4-2 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28 nods from all three members of the cageside judiciary.
In her first appearance in 840 days, Murata (12-3, 1-2 UFC) executed takedowns in all three rounds and chipped away with increasingly intense ground-and-pound. Demopoulos answered with an active bottom game, firing elbows and short punches at the onetime Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder while moving on submission attempts—the armbar was her method of choice—whenever the opportunity arose. It was enough to bring the judges to her side of the table.
Demopoulos has rattled off four wins in five outings.
Elsewhere, Fight Ready rep Qileng Aori rebounded from a June 10 knockout loss to Aiemann Zahabi with a unanimous decision over former King of the Cage champion Johnny Munoz Jr. in their three-round bantamweight tilt. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Aori (25-10, 3-3 UFC).
Munoz (12-4, 2-4 UFC) was outgunned on the feet and struggled to close the gap through other means. He advanced to back in the first round and threatened with a tight armbar but otherwise proved to be ineffective. Aori slammed home sharp one-twos in the standup exchanges and assumed top position on multiple occasions, consolidating it with heavy ground-and-pound. Munoz, perhaps sensing his hopes were on their last leg, made one final pass at a calf slicer late in the third round, only to be met with repeated hammerfists from the ex-Wu Lin Feng titleholder in response.
The 30-year-old Munoz has lost four of his past six bouts.
Finally, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 23 quarterfinalist J.J. Aldrich outstruck Montana De La Rosa to a unanimous decision in their three-round women’s flyweight pairing. A short-notice replacement for Stephanie Egger, Aldrich (13-6, 8-5 UFC) swept the scorecards with matching 30-27 marks from the cageside judges.
De La Rosa (12-9-1, 5-5-1 UFC) was aggressive but inefficient. Aldrich called upon stinging jabs, clean one-twos and the occasional body kick, as she routinely beat the Elevation Fight Team rep to the punch. Her efforts left physical evidence behind. The damage slowly but surely piled up, and by the time it was over, De La Rosa with bleeding from the nose and mouth.
Aldrich, 31, has posted back-to-back victories.
The American Top Team standout penned the latest chapter in her late-career renaissance and stayed relevant in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight division, as she laid claim to a unanimous decision over Diana Belbita in their featured UFC Fight Night 229 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three cageside judges saw it 30-27 for Kowalkiewicz (16-7, 9-7 UFC).
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Kowalkiewicz, 37, will carry a four-fight winning streak into her next assignment.
Meanwhile, ex-TKO Major League MMA titleholder Nathan
Maness put away Dana White’s Contender Series alum Mateus
Mendonca with punches in the first round of their flyweight
clash. Maness (15-3, 4-2 UFC) drew the curtain 4:40 into Round 1
and closed the book on his two-fight losing streak.
Mendonca (10-2, 0-2 UFC) rolled into ill-advised leglock attempts, leaving his head exposed with low-percentage attacks. Maness stayed composed, moved to an advantageous position and let his hands fly. He eventually escaped to his feet, stunned Mendonca with standing-to-ground blows and finished it with a sustained burst of ground-and-pound.
Operating out of the Diego Lima-led Chute Boxe affiliate, Mendonca has suffered back-to-back defeats since he joined the UFC roster as an undefeated prospect.
Further down the undercard, former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Vanessa Demopoulos took a contentious unanimous decision from Kanako Murata in a three-round women’s strawweight affair. Demopoulos (10-5, 4-2 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28 nods from all three members of the cageside judiciary.
Related » UFC Vegas 80 Round-by-Round Scoring
In her first appearance in 840 days, Murata (12-3, 1-2 UFC) executed takedowns in all three rounds and chipped away with increasingly intense ground-and-pound. Demopoulos answered with an active bottom game, firing elbows and short punches at the onetime Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder while moving on submission attempts—the armbar was her method of choice—whenever the opportunity arose. It was enough to bring the judges to her side of the table.
Demopoulos has rattled off four wins in five outings.
Elsewhere, Fight Ready rep Qileng Aori rebounded from a June 10 knockout loss to Aiemann Zahabi with a unanimous decision over former King of the Cage champion Johnny Munoz Jr. in their three-round bantamweight tilt. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Aori (25-10, 3-3 UFC).
Munoz (12-4, 2-4 UFC) was outgunned on the feet and struggled to close the gap through other means. He advanced to back in the first round and threatened with a tight armbar but otherwise proved to be ineffective. Aori slammed home sharp one-twos in the standup exchanges and assumed top position on multiple occasions, consolidating it with heavy ground-and-pound. Munoz, perhaps sensing his hopes were on their last leg, made one final pass at a calf slicer late in the third round, only to be met with repeated hammerfists from the ex-Wu Lin Feng titleholder in response.
The 30-year-old Munoz has lost four of his past six bouts.
Finally, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 23 quarterfinalist J.J. Aldrich outstruck Montana De La Rosa to a unanimous decision in their three-round women’s flyweight pairing. A short-notice replacement for Stephanie Egger, Aldrich (13-6, 8-5 UFC) swept the scorecards with matching 30-27 marks from the cageside judges.
De La Rosa (12-9-1, 5-5-1 UFC) was aggressive but inefficient. Aldrich called upon stinging jabs, clean one-twos and the occasional body kick, as she routinely beat the Elevation Fight Team rep to the punch. Her efforts left physical evidence behind. The damage slowly but surely piled up, and by the time it was over, De La Rosa with bleeding from the nose and mouth.
Aldrich, 31, has posted back-to-back victories.
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