Melissa Mullins looked to make it two wins in a row, and improve to 3-1 overall under the UFC banner, when the English bantamweight took on Darya Zheleznyakova at UFC Baku on Saturday.
The pair had competed once before, outside the UFC, with Mullins coming out on top in that 2022 encounter under the ARES FC banner.
Saturday’s rematch started out scrappy, with Mullins and Zheleznyakova trading in the clinch. Zheleznyakova was getting the better of the Brit, and before long, Mullins had been rocked, bloodied, and appeared a bit wobbly. Zheleznyakova would methodically pile on the damage as the round progressed, landing left hooks and right crosses, jabs, and pretty much anything she wanted. Mullins would land a left or two in response, then an uppercut, backing Zheleznyakova up just past the midway mark. Mullins, if nothing else, was still in the fight.
A bloody fight it was through the opening round. Mullins and Zheleznyakova continued to go toe-to-toe into the final minute, with only a brief pause to retrieve a fallen mouth guard. In the final sixty seconds, Mullins got Zheleznyakova to the ground, and was able to get to mount, then lock onto an arm. Time wound down before Mullins could pull off the submission, but after a dismal start, she was back in the fight.
Round two continued the standup battle between Mullins and Zheleznyakova, both of whom were now bloodied. Mullins mixed in a low kick; Zheleznyakova was focusing on letting her hands go, but was throwing with a little less behind her punches as the round wore on. Volume was dropping as well, after the impressive pace of the opening five minutes. Zheleznyakova ripped off a combo that saw two or three punches land clean with about two minutes left; moments later, a shot to the body saw Mullins nearly fold in half. She managed to stay standing, but Zheleznyakova turned up the heat, leading to a desperation takedown attempt by Mullins. One that she landed, possibly staving off a finish! Mullins would finish the round on top once again, but this time, she was merely there to survive.
The final five minutes opened with either Zheleznyakova up 20-18, or the fight tied 19-19, which would be the best case scenario for Melissa Mullins. Still, she’d be wise not to bank on it and look for a finish – which she had found in the pair’s first encounter. Zheleznyakova continued to look strong on the feet, but Mullins was able to briefly land a takedown with about two minutes left in the fight. Zheleznyakova got up, and blatantly grabbed the fence to avoid being taken back down. Brutal, and right in front of the ref. No point deduction, not that it would have mattered – Darya Zheleznyakova took a unanimous decision win in the end, winning all three rounds on two scorecards.
Official Result: Darya Zheleznyakova def. Melissa Mullins by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
