Flyweight prospect Manon Fiorot returned to the octagon at UFC Vegas 40, after losing her spot on last month’s UFC 266 card due to COVID-19.
After beating the virus, Fiorot, a proven finisher out of France, was looking to continue her winning ways against Brazil’s Mayra Bueno Silva.
Her game plan Saturday appeared to involve turning up the volume. Fiorot absolutely overwhelmed her opponent in that category through the first half of the opening round. When she did reply, Silva was throwing out single strikes, mainly leg kicks. Fiorot, meanwhile, would planet her opponent on her backside with a punch with roughly two minutes remaining in the round. Late in the round, Fiorot would prove she’s well-rounded, landing a takedown with thirty seconds remaining to cap off a dominant frame, though Silva did look tricky off her back.
The power of the 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓽 😳
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— UFC (@ufc) October 16, 2021
Fiorot when straight after the takedown to open the second, despite the success she’d found on the feet in round one. Silva almost did Fiorot a favor fighting off the attempt. And while the Brazilian marched forward with determination, it was still one strike from Silva, three or four from Fiorot during each exchange. By the end of the round, Fiorot was well ahead on the scorecards.
Round three saw Silva dumped on her back about ninety seconds in. And while the ground might actually have been preferable to her, having Fiorot in half guard was not. Silva managed to get Fiorot back into her guard for a moment, but the French fighter then stepped over into side control. Trapping an arm, she began dropping some nasty looking ground n’ pound, then moved back to her feet. She did eat an upkick, which dislodged Fiorot’s mouthpiece, halting the action for a moment. When they got back underway, Fiorot began unloading again. Silva was game, almost goading Fiorot while walking her down, but she was outmatched on the feet.
Fiorot has now won eight straight, three inside the UFC octagon. She hasn’t lost since her pro debut, which came against current Bellator featherweight Leah McCourt.
Official Result: Manon Fiorot def. Mayra Bueno Silva by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
