Strawweights Loma Lookboonmee and Alexia Thainara kicked off UFC Perth on Saturday, with emphasis on “kicked.”
With a Muay Thai background, Thailand’s Lookboonmee went to the body with her kicks early; in answer Thainara attempted to clinch up alongside the fence, thinking takedown. It wasn’t there for her, and at close range, Lookboonmee ripped off another kick, this one a front kick that just missed connecting with the Brazilian’s face. Soon, Thainara would look to close the distance again, though this time, she switched to a spinning kick to the body. Another grappling exchange against the fence followed, with Thainara finally landing a trip. In half-guard, she stayed heavy against Lookboonmee, and away from the fence, with two minutes on the clock, she had some time to work.
Still, by the one minute mark, Lookboonmee was back on her feet – but in a miscalculation, she charged forward, wound up clipped, and taken down. Thainara got on top, and started dropping some nasty elbows! If the round had been close before, it’s likely that sequence secured it for Thainara, who finished the frame with more nasty elbows.
Alexia Thainara had the fight back down just past 30 seconds into the second round. With Lookboonmee having been mauled to end the first, Thainara had all the momentum on her side. Still, the Thai strawweight was able to escape back to her feet, where the pair traded kicks. Another takedown for Thainara came before the first half of the round had passed. Again, the pair wouldn’t stay grounded, and this time, to wrap up the frame, the pair traded right to the horn.
Lookboonmee fired a kick to the body early in the third, but Thainara soon clinched up. The pair tumbled to the ground, but it was Lookboonmee on top, briefly, before they got back up. From there, Thainara continued to have the bigger moments, often finding herself in control, against the fence, and from the back. Lookboonmee simply couldn’t find any rhythm, and with time running out, it was increasingly unlikely that she would find a finish. Taken down in the final minute with Thainara taking the back, hooks in, all opportunity for Loma was gone. She made it back up, but with only 14 seconds on the clock, the bout was done. The winner in this one was never really in question.
Official Result: Alexia Thainara def. Loma Lookboonmee by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
