UFC bantamweights scrapped at UFC Baku on Saturday as “Russian Ronda” Irina Alekseeva and Klaudia Sygula met in the octagon.
Aleskeeva (5-2) won her UFC debut in 2023 before dropping her next fight against Melissa Mullins in October. Now with a few months to train she returned to fight at Baku against Sygula.
Sygula (6-2) made her UFC debut against Melissa Mullins last November on short notice. Now with a full camp she faced Alekseeva in Azerbaijan.
Round 1 Sygula came out on a mission to land big shots and get a knockout. Alekseeva ate a bunch of shots early and then began firing back. Sygula would throw a big shot and Alekseeva would try to rush back and land herself.
Alekseeva seemed to just stomp forward throwing wild shots as Sygula would back up and land counters. Sygula kept landing overhand rights clean over and over again.
Clearly Sygula showed up with a chip on her shoulder and looking for a knockout.
Round 2 the ladies took no time to get to it with Alekseeva throwing a flurry and Sygula firing back one of her own. They both threw those combinations on repeat until Sygula landed a low shot forcing a time. out from the ref.
No point taken away from Sygula as it was the second low kick of the fight. Alekseeva stomped forward throwing heavy and sitting on her shots. Sygula’s movement didn’t allow for much landing clean.
Once again constant flurries from both women with Sygula seemingly getting the better of the exchanges. Alekseeva would try to pressure Sygula to the cage and then cutting off any escape to land her combos. Sygula did well to not throw too many single shots. Everything was a combination.
Alekseeva ended the round very aggressively in the last minute, but it was still a very close round.
Round 3 Sygula got a bit more aggressive with the pressure before she Alekseeva blitzed her with shots and then looked for a takedown. Instead ended up clinchign Sygula on the fence looking to land shots in close and find her takedown.
Sygula didn’t allow it circling around the fence and getting away.
A big shot dropped Alekseeva who went to the body clinch looking for a takedown, but Sygula instead was the one who got the fight down. Landing shots in close and Alekseeva seemed to not have much to offer off her back to get up.
Sygula got to full mount with 60 seconds left in the fight and Alekseeva’s last gasp was looking for reversal, but she had nothing left there.
The fight ended with Sygula landing damage on Alekseeva as the seconds ticked away.
Official Result: Klaudia Sygula def. Irina Alekseeva via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
