Women’s strawweights Rayanne Amanda dos Santos and Alice Ardelean kicked off Saturday’s UFC Vegas 107, the last stop for the UFC prior to an extended road trip spanning the next seven or so weeks.
The pair had initially been scheduled to face off in October, only for dos Santos to drop out due to a broken arm. Both fighters entered the night looking to snap two-fight skids, making Saturday a must-win situation on both sides.
It was dos Santos showing more movement early, though Ardelean was walking her down and at times connecting. Brazil’s dos Santos stayed on the outside, and for most of the opening round, the pair circled, engaged, and stuck to boxing, with little in the way of grappling or even a kick coming into play.
Round two found Ardelean pressing early, occasionally switching stances, and backing dos Santos up against the fence. The exchanges were fast and furious and while Rayanne Amanda held her own, it was Ardelean getting the better of them for the most part. dos Santos was showing damage on her face, while Ardelean was absorbing just about everything her opponent threw with apparent ease.
Round three found dos Santos coming out a little hotter, and this time, she took the fight to Ardelean, cracking her with a left hook. Now it was Ardelean showing some damage, and backing up a fair bit more often than she had in the opening ten minutes. Ardelean, however, changed momentum with just over a minute remaining, landing a key takedown. While dos Santos scrambled free, the brief change in action did enough to shake any hope of a come from behind win, despite the pair trading until the final horn. Once there, they headed to the judges, where Alice Ardelean was all but assured the victory.
The fight was the first victory in the UFC for Ardelean, after losses against Shauna Bannon and Melissa Martinez.
Official Result: Alice Ardelean def. Rayanne Amanda dos Santos by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
