Women dominated the early preliminary card at UFC 237 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — with both bantamweights and flyweights among the early fighters.
UFC 237 went down Saturday night in Rio, marking the first time the strawweight division had topped a card. That fight, between champ Rose Namajunas and Brazil’s own Jessica Andrade, joined legendary names like Anderson Silva, Little Nog, and B.J. Penn on the card.
Yet before the big names got to the octagon, the early prelims, airing on UFC Fight Pass, kicked off. Those bouts included Talita Bernardo, a 6-3 bantamweight returning to the cage for the first time since defeating Canada’s Sarah Moras at UFC Moncton last October.
Check back come fight time for full results and a recap of all the action from the UFC 237 early prelims! The action gets underway at 6:30 PM ET.
Talita Bernardo vs. Viviane Araujo
Talita Bernardo was set to welcome Viviane Araujo to the octagon on Saturday at UFC 237. Araujo was a short notice replacement, after Melissa Gatto was deemed unable to compete due to an infection.
Bernardo opened on the outside, but both women were throwing early, and both light on their feet. Araujo then landed a right that caused Bernardo to retreat; Bernardo landed a leg kick that nearly tripped up the newcomer shortly after. A body kick from Araujo landed as she backed her opponent up once again, and it looked, through the opening ninety seconds, that Bernardo vs. Araujo was going to be a competitive affair.
Araujo’s movement was a puzzle Bernardo struggled to solve during the first round, and it allowed her to land both her right hand, and a number of kicks. Near the final minute, Araujo caught a kick, dumped her opponent, and landed a kick to the thigh before Bernardo got back up. Bernardo shot in just prior to the final round, looking for a takedown but winding up with Araujo on top. Araujo had taken the back just before the bell to end the round, showing she was a threat there as well.
Round two saw Araujo land heavy early. She backed up Bernardo to the cage, landing a few more times and dumping her opponent on the mat briefly. Bernardo was returning fire recklessly, but her accuracy wasn’t there. Viviane’s was, and she was landing far more often. Bernardo would shoot for a takedown near the midway point of the second, but Araujo was able to stuff the attempt, showing excellent defense. However, with Araujo slowing a little toward the end of the frame, Bernardo came on strong, tagging her opponent several times.
The change in momentum would be short lived. Early in round three, Viviane Araujo came over the top with a right hand that landed clean on the jaw of Bernardo. Bernardo dropped like a sack of potatoes, and just like that, Araujo had won her UFC debut!
Viviane Araujo def. Talita Bernardo by knockout, Round 3, 0:48
Raoni Barcelos vs. Carlos Huachin
Raoni Barcelos of Brazil took on Carlos Huachin in a bantamweight clash in the second fight of the night Saturday in Rio. Huachin and Barcelos were fighting at range, for the most part standing toe-to-toe. Huachin was able to split the guard of Barcelos at times, landing straight down the middle. Through the midway point, there was no thought of a takedown from either man, but Barcelos was holding his own in the standup, going hard to the body with a leg kick.
With Huachin entering the fight as a short notice replacement for Said Nurmagomedov, there would no doubt be a concern over his stamina as the fight wore on. However, at least early in the second, he was still looking fresh. Barcelos changed levels for a takedown, but that was easily avoided by the newcomer. Barcelos would take control, however, after a right hand dropped Huachin! Barcelos would follow him to the ground, unleashing a volley of ground n’ pound while Huachin tried to defend. He held on, but was in a dicey position trapped against the cage with over half a round remaining. Barcelos moved to mount, then took the back. Huachin gutted it out, still surviving, as Barcelos attempted a guillotine. Still, Huachin held on, escaping the choke, only for Barcelos to move to mount again. Barcelos would drop an elbow, and a few more punches, but Huachin fought hands. With seconds ticking away, Barcelos began dropping more elbows and punches, until the ref finally waved it off.
Raoni Barcelos def. Carlos Huachin by TKO, Round 2, 4:49
Luana Carolina vs. Priscila Cachoeira
Another promising debut fighter, Luana Carolina, took on Priscila Cachoeira in flyweight action at UFC 237, in the featured preliminary fight. The pair went right to work, with Cachoeira throwing heavy early. Carolina tied things up, wary of that power. Carolina was in retreat mode often in the first, with Priscilla chasing, however, Carolina began turning up the heat, catching her opponent coming in with numerous strikes. That led Cachoeira to tie things up every so briefly. The story of the first round, power versus technique, with Carolina even landing a head kick.
Round two opened with Cachoeira again threatening with her power, but Carolina was able to land a kick upstairs, which Cachoeira ate. A third head kick, however, sent her crashing to the mat! Carolina followed her down, but couldn’t land much, and switched to an arm-bar attempt, which gave Cachoeira much-needed time to recover. An illegal knee by Carolina then halted the action. When the action resumed, the pair exchanged knees to the body, with Carolina getting the better of her opponent, adding an elbow to finish the exchange. Kicks and punches were landing for the newcomer, who then jumped guard for a choke attempt. While she couldn’t pull off the choke, Carolina was able to move to mount. That led to a reverse triangle, but Cachoeira slipped out the back.
Round three saw Carolina on her horse, using sideways movement to force Cachoeira to come to her. A spinning attack, jabs, and combinations came early in the round from the newcomer. Cachoeira went to the body, once, then again later in the round. Priscila was loading up on her shots, but she was looking tired. Carolina briefly trapped her in a guillotine, but was never really at threat. As time wound down, however, she was at risk of losing the fight. They’d scrap it out to the bell, with Carolina earning the decision win in her debut!
Luana Carolina def. Priscila Cachoeira by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-27)
UFC 237 Fight Pass Preliminary Results:
Luana Carolina def. Priscila Cachoeira by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-27)
Raoni Barcelos def. Carlos Huachin by TKO, Round 2, 4:49
Viviane Araujo def. Talita Bernardo by knockout, Round 3, 0:48
