The lone women’s fight on Saturday’s UFC 305 card came in the flyweight division, with Casey O’Neill taking on Luana Santos.
O’Neill, who had started her career a perfect 9-0, had been looked at as potentially on the fast track to a title shot when she first entered the promotion. After four wins under the UFC banner, however, she’d dropped back-to-back fights to Jennifer Maia and Ariane Lipski.
It was another Brazilian for O’Neill at UFC 305, with Luana Santos entering on a five-fight win streak.
Just about a minute into the fight, a caught kick found Santos taking control, driving O’Neill up against the fence. The takedown wasn’t there right away, but she stayed on the Scotland-born Australian, with the pair trading knees. They’d eventually break, move back to center, and exchange, with O’Neill getting her hands going and Santos answering with a kick. The right hand was hitting the mark for Casey O’Neill, and thus far, she’d managed to keep the fight standing. O’Neill did a solid job with her lateral movement, cutting off the cage when Santos would try to circle out. That allowed her to find a home for that right hand, setting it up with a left jab.
Santos, for her part, continued to counter with her own right hand, and kicks. Without being able to take the fight down, however, she was forced to fight outside of her element. That continued in round two, with O’Neill fighting off another Santos takedown attempt, a throw that came close before Casey pulled free. At range, she hit Santos’ lead leg low, adding another kick moments later. Santos fired back a kick to the body, but was being out-struck, and outmaneuvered.
O’Neill then changed things up a bit, going after a takedown of her own. That didn’t last long, and again they would head back to center, where O’Neill continued to cut off the cage, fire combos, and hold the edge in volume. When Santos tried to clinch up, O’Neill easily fought her off.
With O’Neill more than likely having won rounds one and two, Luana Santos needed to turn up the heat in the third frame. It was O’Neill, however, continuing her very successful game plan, and adding a little power behind her shots. Santos switched stances, but that didn’t seem to trip O’Neill up any. The left jab/right hand continued to be a key weapon, that 1-2 landing a multitude of times for “King” Casey O’Neill. Finally, with two minutes on the clock, Santos landed a headlock takedown, but O’Neill was able to take the back, getting a body lock on. That essentially took the wind out of Santos’ sails. She was warned for grabbing the gloves, and O’Neill applied a face crank and some heel kicks to the thighs, but the clock wound down with the winner never in doubt.
Official Result: Casey O’Neill def. Luana Santos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
