Winner of The Ultimate Fighter 30, Miller still had under ten fights of pro experience, and entered off a win over Ivana Petrović. Judice was 2-1 under the UFC banner to start the night, in a match-up that was very much grappler versus striker.

Miller quickly went for the leg in the card’s opening fight, and while she could not convert that takedown immediately, she took Judice to the fence, got ahold of her back, and dragged her down. Seated like a backpack, Miller got her hooks in, though couldn’t quite lock up a body triangle initially. She would, however, get it eventually, all the while sliding an arm under the neck.

Judice was able to turn in and nearly reversed, but in a scramble it was Miller retaking the back. This time, Judice stood up, carrying the TUF champ’s full weight.

Moments later, Judice would free herself, and the back half of the round was much more her style. Stand-up attacks, with Miller trying to counter with takedowns and failing. Judice certainly had some moments though it may not have been enough to win back the round.

The second round was all Judice, all on the feet. She was cutting angles, moving in and out, and landing more often than not. A sizeable gap was forming in terms of significant strikes, with Judice landing effective body kicks and uppercuts. Miller spent most of the round retreating, and her takedown attempts had become labored. Judice landed a knee to the body late, earning an easy 10-9 in the second frame.

Ahead of round three, her Juliana Miller’s corner suggested she needed a finish, giving Judice credit for the first round. Whether that was true or not, it certainly motivated “Killer” Miller who, as she had in round one, came out and got the takedown early. In a scramble, they went to the fence, Judice carrying Miller’s weight. Miller was able to keep Judice down, ride the back, and get hooks in again. A face crank, or just a choke against the jaw, followed. Judice would tough it out, and at the midway point of the round, managed to free herself and return to the feet.

That put the feet back in Judice’s wheelhouse, though Miller did manage to land a left, and overall pressed forward more than she had in round two. They’d finish trading, but the stand-up heavily favored Carli Judice.

Two judges did give Miller a round, but it was Carli Judice coming away with the victory in the end.

Official Result: Carli Judice def. Juliana Miller by unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27)

The post Carli Judice Kicks Off UFC Houston Prelims With Win Over Julianna Miller appeared first on Cageside Press.

“That’s crazy to think, especially where I came from and losing my first two fights, Contender Series and debut. It’s crazy to come back the way that I did,” Judice said. “I’m proud of myself for it because I know how much work it took – to be to do that and mental, work too, to be able to go in the cage and stay calm under all the pressure and everything.”

Of course, with collecting three straight bonuses comes some decisions. While pocketing an extra 150k in those fights, on top of her show and win payments, Judice had some financial freedom not many have that early in their career. She started by taking care of something that she always dreamed of.

“I’m 26 years old and it’s always been, growing up, I always played house and family and stuff with my sisters. So one of my dreams was to have my own house. So we recently just purchased a house,” she said. “So yeah, that’s one of my first big purchases with those few bonuses I got.”

However, it wasn’t all practical and savings for the Lousiana-born fighter. She also has been digging into her passions outside of the cage – passions that satisfy her sweet tooth.

“I’ve been buying a lot of sweets and stuff to bake because I’m a baker. So big purchases is a house and little purchases is just little things to feed my hobbies,” Judice said. “I’m on a sourdough kick. I’m baking sourdough right now. My weight’s really good so I can still eat some sourdough bread three weeks out. So that’s great.”

Now, with a chance to add on to her historic run of bonuses, Judice heads to UFC Houston and a date with Ultimate Fighter winner Juliana Miller. Her prediction? Same as before.

“Man, I say first round knockout every time because why would I say anything else? This is sounds like the only right answer, but I’m definitely trying to find a finish in the first round,” she said. “But I’m definitely also going to be patient. So whatever comes, I’m going to look for it, but it’s about being patient. That’s when I really find it, but I’m just excited to go in there and have fun.”

You can catch her fight with Juliana Miller as part of the UFC Houston prelims. That fight card begins this Saturday at 5pm EST on Paramount+.

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Kicking off this UFC Houston edition of TTP is our interview with UFC welterweight, Ramiz Brahimaj. Brahimaj talks about his choice to get out of his confort zone and change training camps. Now up at Valle Flow Academy in Chicago, he’s riding a three-fight win streak with multiple performance bonuses. While the results speak for themselves, he shares some of the positives and the negatives of his new training situation. Plus, he breaks down his upcoming fight against Punahele Soriano.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC Houston (17:08)

The UFC is back after a week away and with a fun, live card in Texas. UFC Houston is headlined by a pair of middleweights looking to make their claim at a shot for the belt – Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez. Plus, in the co-main event, Geoff Neal faces off with Uros Medic with a spot in the rankings on the line. We’ll break down those fights as well as some of our other favorite fights on the main card. Plus, as always, we’re hitting you with an underdog and a plus-money parlay that we think will make your wallet fat this weekend. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Carli Judice Interview (23:41)

Next up on this UFC Houston edition of TTP is our interview with UFC flyweight, Carli Judice. Judice talks about getting a bonus in each of her first three fights int he UFC. While the money is nice, the back-to-back knockout wins are far more important to her. Now with a chance to pick up another again Ultimate Fighter winner Julianna Miller, she’s locked in.

Yehia Riles Interview (33:17)

Closing out this UFC Houston edition of TTP is our interview with Fury FC lightweight, Yehia Riles. After a rocky start to his professional career, Riles has found his winning ways. His reward is a shot at the belt this Friday against Hector Saenz. He breaks down that fight and gives us his goals for 2026.

The post TTP Ep. 519: Ramiz Brahimaj, Carli Judice, Yehia Riles and UFC Houston appeared first on Cageside Press.

Perhaps even more remarkably given her lack of experience in MMA, Judice (5-2) has a 100% bonus-winning rate across her three UFC fights. After a Fight of the Night in her debut, a loss to Gabriella Fernandes, Judice has earned two consecutive Performance of the Night bonuses, for a head kick finish of Yuneisy Duben, and now a knee strike stoppage of Nicolle Caliari.

“I think my career is going just how it’s supposed to be, just how it was destined to be,” she stated during her UFC 318 post-fight media session, asked about her progress in comparison to her relative lack of experience. “I came off of two losses after having all wins and mostly knockouts, so I felt unstoppable as an amateur and an early pro.”

“Then I got stopped, and I realized all the holes that I had to fix, and I’m still fixing them but I think it’s coming along nicely so I’m going to fix all the holes that I have. Find holes, fix them, and hopefully be in the rankings one day,” she continued, adding “but I’m not rushing it, I’m taking my time. I know I have a long career, so I’m going to do whatever it takes to get to where I want to be.”

What’s next? Another fight, against whoever is willing. “I’d like to fight again this year, but no one specific,” stated Judice. “Whatever opportunities come next, I’m going to be ready for.”

Fighting at home in Louisiana, “I cherished every moment of it, and I’m glad I executed the way I did,” she later celebrated. And to celebrate? Donuts. “Glazed probably, I like glazed donuts. Keep it simple. Make sure it’s warm though.”

Watch the full UFC 318 post-fight press conference with Carli Judice above.

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The first six fights on the preliminary card ended in finishes, and some thrilling battles transpired later in the evening, including a pair of barnburners on the main card that both saw multiple knockdowns: Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez, and the main event between Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier.

While both of those fights presented a strong case for Fight of the Night, the UFC instead awarded the preliminary card grudge match between Brendan Allen and Marvin Vettori with the honor. Allen came away from the fight with the decision win, leaving Vettori bloodied after three rounds.

Allen’s status as a fighter with strong ties to Louisiana (his parents are from there, and Allen attended Southeastern Louisiana University) might have sealed the deal, as a local star, despite being born in South Carolina and training in Florida.

Ateba Gautier, Islam Dulatov and Carli Judice earned Performance of the Night bonuses on Saturday. Judice kicked off the event by flooring Nicole Caliari with a knee, while Dulatov flatlined Adam Fugitt with a punch. As for Ateba Gautier, he simply steamrolled Robert Valentin, an Ultimate Fighter alum, en route to a TKO finish.

All five fighters pick up an extra $50,000 for their efforts at UFC 318.

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Judice looked to land to the body with a front kick, with the pair circling one another at center, both women staying busy. Judice again landed up the middle to the body, forcing Caliari to shoot in on a takedown, which she briefly landed but couldn’t fully secure. Judice was right back up, though Caliari remained on her, first from the back, then driving her into the fence with underhooks before they finally broke.

The pair finished the opening five minutes trading on the feet, Carliari landing a right hand but Judice doing as well if not better ahead of one final clinch.

Round two saw a competitive back-and-forth on the feet early. Judice had success with her body kicks, when she threw them, and her left hand. Caliari proved tough, eating some solid shots, and though she was soon showing damage, including a trickle of blood from the nose, she stayed in the fight. Judice, however, began really picking her shots in the final minute, splitting the guard and snapping Caliari’s head back.

The fight, entertaining for two rounds, was over in a heartbeat in the third. Judice backed up Caliari with a combo, then stepped in with a knee clean to the midsection. Caliari folded like a bedsheet, crumping to the ground.

Judice, once of the least experienced fighters in MMA on the UFC roster, improved to 5-2 with the win, and has won her last two bouts inside the octagon. She’s now 2-1 in the company overall.

Official Result: Carli Judice def. Nicolle Caliari by TKO (knee to the body), Round 3, 1:30

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“I didn’t like losing. Obviously, no one does, but especially two in a row in the biggest stage,” Judice said. “In the UFC and [Dana White’s] Contender Series, it sucked. And it makes you wonder if I’m meant to be in the UFC.”

After having those back-to-back negative results, Judice was booked againt on a UFC Apex card back in March against Yuneisy Duben. The result was exactly what she had been looking for, a head kick KO, and everything came back to her in a rush.

“Dude, it was amazing. It was amazing to get my first UFC win. It was amazing to get another knockout because most of my amateur wins and then my first three pro wins were knockouts,” she recalled. “And to come back and win like that, it’s just very nostalgic – it felt very familiar.”

Now she looks to build on that feeling. Having shown she could do the thing, and do it emphatically, she’s found that mental edge she had before the UFC. Plus, she has a slew of people to remind her just how nasty she is anytime those doubts creep back in.

“I’m coming off that win with even more confidence because I know I belong in the UFC, and I’m going to  continue to put in the work to make sure that I continue to belong in the UFC,” Judice explained. ” Anytime I doubt myself publicly, someone’s like, Carli, you got two bonuses back to back. And it’s like, okay, all right. I can’t doubt myself too much because the work is showing even with the losses. It does show with the bonuses show that I’m an interesting fighter that I go out to give fight of the night performances every time.”

The added bonus of that success, more than just the confidence, was getting in the good graces of the bosses. With rumors that the UFC was coming to New Orleans, which is just 30 minutes from where Carli Judice grew up, she knew that the head kick KO was her ticket in.

“When I landed that head kick, I was like, ‘oh, Nola sound good right now,” she said. “I figured it would  be awesome, you know, and here we are and it’s awesome.”

Her fight at UFC 318 will be against Nicolle Caliari. That fight takes place on the ESPN+ prelims, which start at 6pm EST.

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Kicking off this UFC 318 edition of TTP is our interview with UFC flyweight, Carli Judice. Judice talks about getting the opportunity to fight in front of her hometown crowd. She also intends on getting her customary doughnuts after the fight and is looking for a spot to grab them (shoutout some suggestions in the comments). In addition to all of that, she is also breaking down the fight as well. She fights Nicolle Caliari as part of the prelim portion of the card.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC 318 (12:20)

UFC stays in the south this week. After an exciting, underdog filled UFC Nashville, the UFC is heading to New Orleans. It’ll be the goodbye fight for Dustin Poirier and he settled the trilogy with Max Holloway. We’ll also get an exciting middleweight fight between Roman Kopylov and Paulo Costa. We’ll break down those fights as well as some of our other favorite fights on the main card. Plus, as always, we’re hitting you with an underdog and a plus-money parlay that we think will make your wallet fat this weekend. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Robert Valentin Interview (21:22)

Closing out this UFC 318 edition of TTP is our interview with UFC middleweight, Robert Valentin. Valentin talks about his good friend and ‘little brother’, Daniil Donchenko. With Donchenko on the current season of The Ultimate Fighter, Valentin reflects on his time on the show. He also discusses the advice that he gave to his friend and roommate before he headed into the house. He also gives his thoughts on his recent fight with Torrez Finney and what he took away from that fight mentally. With that in the rear view mirror, he turns his attention to UFC 318. He fights a striker in Ateba Gauthier as part of the prelim card.

The post TTP Ep. 489: Carli Judice, Robert Valentin, and UFC 318 appeared first on Cageside Press.

That included back-to-back knockouts on the women’s side to start the night, and back-to-back kimura submissions later in the evening.

With so many finishes there was little surprise at the UFC forgoing a Fight of the Night and instead awarded four Performance of the Night bonuses following the event. Among them, Carli Judice picked up a bonus for her finish to start the night. That saw her set up the end of Yuneisy Duben’s night with a head kick, followed by a few follow-up blows. Duben had been making her promotional debut, while Judice earned her first win under the UFC banner.

Also picking up a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus at UFC Vegas 104 was Priscila Cachoeira, who stopped Josiane Nunes with a well-timed uppercut. Cachoeira was returning to action for the first time since a loss to Jasmine Jasudavicius in January of 2024.

The two remaining Performance bonus winners on Saturday were Andre Lima, for his rear-naked choke submission of Daniel Barez, and Carlos Vera, who used the same technique to put away newcomer Josias Musasa.

Notably, all four bonus-winners competed on the UFC Vegas 104 preliminary card.

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Judice had dropped a split decision to Gabriella Fernandes in her own UFC debut, then saw a February date with Juliana Miller fall through. Duben, like Judice, was a Contender Series graduate.

The fight started with both girls throwing a lot of kicks. Judice backed up Duben with a beautiful question mark kick. Not with much impact and Duben was back coming forward. Duben was known for her power and Judice wasn’t afraid to trade putting her back against the cage with a power jab. Soon after Judice landed a head kick putting Duben down and some extra shots sent the ref in. A dominant performance from Carli Judice setting back Duben in a big way.

“Coming off two losses, we really made sure we fixed the holes that we had, the holes that I had in the last two fights,” said Judice following the bout. The flyweight had actually lost on the Contender Series last year, but was signed anyway.

As for the question mark kick that finished the bout, “We’ve been working all camp. I haven’t thrown it since I was an amateur pretty much, so we thought to bring it back,” she stated.

Official Result: Carli Judice def. Yuneisy Duben by TKO (head kick), Round 1, 1:40

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