Women’s flyweights Dione Barbosa and Melissa Gatto faced off in preliminary card action at UFC Vegas 115.
Gatto boasted three finishes among her three UFC wins, though she had dropped fights on the scorecards both times she’d gone the distance.
Barbosa looked fluid early in the bout, landing a spinning back kick and, more significantly, a left hand shortly after, all of 90 seconds in. Strong offense from Barbosa had Gatto thinking takedown, but that was fought off. A second takedown attempt a short while later saw Gatto reversed and pressed up against the fence.
The fight would go to the ground ahead of the final minute of round one, Barbosa working off her back. That said, she was able to land elbows from bottom and keep Gatto from improving her position.
Round two saw the pair hit the ground inside of a minute, only this time it was Barbosa on top. Moments later, with Barbosa back on her feet and Gatto still down, a soccer kick connected. PRIDE/RIZIN style, only with both hands and a knee on the canvas, it appeared to be an illegal blow. Gatto likewise appeared to be out cold, but for some reason, after extensive replays and Gatto coming around, the fight was allowed to continue after it was ruled that her knee had come up prior to the blow landing.
Whatever you thought about the ruling – downed opponent or not – allowing Melissa Gatto to continue after having her bell rung was a questionable decision. Barbosa has a point deducted, and Gatto did finish the round.
😬 Dione Barbosa kicked Melissa Gatto in the head while she was down and looked like she was knocked out.
The fight continued and Barbosa had one point taken away from her. pic.twitter.com/j6aRVbfasZ
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) April 4, 2026
Gatto found herself on her back early in the third round, with Barbosa in half-guard. Gatto attacked the left arm of Barbosa, but that allowed Barbosa to hammer away with elbows to the body using her right. Gatto would work for an arm-bar later in the round, didn’t have it, then chased a kimura off her back again. She was able to transition to top, hunt an arm-bar again, and finished the fight, at the very least, conscious, which is more than could be said for the second round.
With the point deduction, while one judge scored the bout a draw, two awarded it to Barbosa, giving her the majority decision win. The fight will be remembered, however, for the illegal kick, and the downright reckless decision by officials to allow it all to continue.
Official Result: Dione Barbosa def. Melissa Gatto by majority decision (28-28, 29-27, 29-27)
