A pair of rather alliterative female strawweights faced off on the UFC Vegas 86 preliminary card, with Thailand’s Loma Lookboonmee facing Bruna Brasil.
Lookboonmee, the first Thai native to compete in the UFC, was entering her eighth fight in the promotion- though she also had roughly 200 fights in Muay Thai.
It was a slow start in Lookboonmee versus Brasil, with Bruna slowly walking forward, firing a spinning back kick near the midway mark that forced her Thai opponent back. Brasil had the edge in size, but Lookboonmee was explosive when she charged forward with a combination punctuated with a body kick.
Moments later the pair would tie up along the fence, exchanging knees; Loma Lookboonmee, belying her striking background, looked to land a throw, but Brasil stayed upright and moved back to center. Lookboonmee closed out the round with a takedown in the final ten seconds.
Round two played out in similar fashion, the pair trading strike-for-strike, but without much of significance landing. More of a sparring match with a bit of clinching along the fence, which allowed Lookboonmee to show off her knees and elbows. Lookboonmee continued to favor her body kick, and Brasil fired a heavy right hand in the final minute before the pair clinched up again for a bit, then moved back to center after the break.
The third round of a close fight was a land of opportunity for someone to make a statement, but the fight remained evenly matched. Lookboonmee had the edge at range, and Brasil’s lack of offense certainly did her no favors. It was a bit of a stalemate against the fence, but the damage to the body of Brasil in particular seemed to favor Loma Lookboonmee after three rounds.
The judges agreed, and Loma Lookboonmee earned her third straight win, adding to victories over Denis Gomes and Elise Reed.
Official Result: Loma Lookboonmee def. Bruna Brasil by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
