Las Vegas, NV — With a kick to the body setting up the finish, Brazilian flyweight Melissa Gatto secured a TKO finish over Sijara Eubanks at UFC Vegas 45 on Saturday.
She also secured a Performance of the Night bonus in her second UFC victory, improving her overall record to 8-0-2 in the process.
“We practised the kicks a lot. All my entire training camp, we did it so many times in the locker room, it truly was natural for me,” Gatto told the media when asked about the kick that set up the finish following the bout. “I waited for the right time, and I don’t even remember throwing it. When it landed, I started celebrating like crazy, because it really worked.”
Eubanks had missed weight for the fight, but in the end, “nothing really surprised me,” Gatto said of her opponent. “I knew she was a physically strong opponent. I knew she would come really hard and fast in the first round. I expected that, I expected her to get tired so I can get my work done in the second and third rounds.”
The end came less than a minute into the third and final round.
Looking ahead, Gatto said that she’d like to get back in the octagon in March. “Spend a little time with my family, but I want to get busy and have at least three or four fights next year.”
There’s no one in particular she has in mind for an opponent, however. Instead, she’s focusing on herself moving forward — especially after returning to MMA in 2021 after a multi-year absence from the sport. “I want to get my own rhythm, my own groove back. It’s been a long time. I took a hiatus for about two years, so I want to improve my skills, and whoever the UFC throws at me, I welcome.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 45 post-fight press appearance with Melissa Gatto above. More coverage from the event can be found below.
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Ricky Simon
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Derrick Lewis
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Dana White
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Amanda Lemos
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Cub Swanson
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Gerald Meerschaert
