Loma Lookboonmee picked up a big win at UFC Fight Island 4, defeating former Invicta FC champion Jinh Yu Frey via unanimous decision.
Thailand’s Loma Lookboonmee and former Invicta FC atomweight champion Jinh Yu Frey were paired up Saturday at UFC Fight Island 4. The preliminary card strawweight affair was a quirky little bit of matchmaking. Frey, at 35, had simply outgrown the atomweight division, leading to her move to 115lbs in her strawweight debut earlier this year.
Lookboonmee, meanwhile, was a decorated Muay Thai fighter who had split her first two UFC bouts. Loma was a former atomweight as well, perhaps evening the playing field.
Frey was the noticeably bigger fighter in the cage and Loma tried to offset that early by throwing a variety of low kicks and kicks to the body. Frey quickly got into the clinch and tried to get the fight to the mat. However, Loma threw her off and landed a big elbow on the break. Loma landed a hard left hand and then landed a hard chopping elbow that seemed to stun Frey. Loma landed some devastating elbows in the clinch before Frey separated, and then Loma began dominating from the distance. Frey shot in for a takedown but was stuffed, and Loma began landing some more devastating elbows and knees. An absolutely dominant first round for Loma Lookboonmee.
Clinch clinic by @LomaLookboonmee 🇹🇭
📺 #UFCFightIsland4 live on E+ pic.twitter.com/cSOnRcbaXf
— UFC (@ufc) October 4, 2020
The two got into the clinch early again in the second round, and Loma began landing knees to the midsection of Frey. Loma opened up the elbows with the knees and landed some brutal elbows before breaking away from the clinch after a hard left by Frey. Frey tried to drive in with a right hand, but Loma stepped into the clinch with a series of hard knees before quickly backtracking. Frey began to look shell-shocked. She was walking forward but was hesitant to actually throw any shots because she was being countered, or just absolutely dominated in the clinch. Heading into round three, Frey was down badly.
Frey got a huge takedown in the opening seconds of round three. Frey passed to side control quickly, but Loma was able to get back to her feet and Frey got her back. However, Loma shook her off, and Frey was right back where she started. After the brief scare, Loma went right back to work, landing hard shots to the legs and body of Frey. Frey’s corner kept screaming at her to go, but she couldn’t get the takedown. Loma engaged the clinch and landed a knee, and Frey had a great level change but couldn’t get the takedown. That was Frey’s last potential chance at victory, as she would go onto to lose via decision after the fight met the scorecards.
Loma Lookboonmee def. Jinh Yu Frey by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
