Women’s bantamweights Priscila Cachoeira and Klaudia Sygula kicked off UFC Vegas 113, the first-ever Fight Night card of the Paramount+ era.
The preliminary show opener fought Sygula coming off the first win of her UFC run, with the Polish fighter 1-1 in the promotion to date. Cachoeira, with over twice as many fights as a pro, was entering her 13th UFC contest.
The newly named “Meta Apex” played host to the card, with expanded seating to allow a small smattering of fans to witness the action in person.
The hard-hitting Cachoeira took some big swings early in the fight, with plenty of back-and-forth in the opening minute. Sygula was happy to answer back, mixing in the occasional kick. Punches in bunches as well as single strikes flowed from both women, with Cachoeira more often the fighter pushing forward. Near the midway mark, one solid overhand got Sygula retreating, but she quickly regrouped. Cachoeira, meanwhile, was wearing a bit of blood around her nose.
A couple of minutes into round two, with more back-and-forth, And Sygula was showing some of her own damage. Cachoeira, meanwhile, was even more bloodied, but she stopped Sygula in her tracks, momentarily, with a jab. Sygula fired a big, looping right hook that missed. The pair exchanged fire, Cachoeira’s own hook just landing. Cachoeira stumbled off a knee, briefly going down, though it didn’t seem to be an actual knockdown.
Round three opened with Cachoeira holding center, and Sygula working from the outside. The very real possibility loomed that it was still anybody’s fight, meaning it might just come down to who wanted it more. Cachoeira was still showing more damage to her face, but both women had been bloodied.
The tit-for-tat battle continued as the third round played out, with both Sygula and Cachoeira having their moments. The bloodied “Zombie Girl” Cachoeira, has she had throughout the fight, was more likely to be leading the attacks, but Sygula had overtaken her in terms of volume. At the end of the round, Cachoeira dumped her opponent off a caught kick, finishing the fight on top.
Between the damage on Cachoeira and the volume of Klaudia Sygula, it’s clear how the judges viewed this one.
Official Result: Klaudia Sygula def. Priscila Cachoeira by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
