Hitting the scales on Friday morning local time, Carolina, expected to face Melissa Mullins on the card, came in at 144lbs. That would have been fine for a featherweight fight, not so much for a bantamweight scrap.

Commission officials then pulled the bout from the card, despite Mullins agreeing to still take the fight.

Mullins issued a statement shortly after the match-up was cancelled.

“Although I made weight and it was most definitely a harder cut than I expected!” Mullins exclaimed, writing on social media, “My opponent missed weight by 8lbs officially, and although we agreed to take the fight, the commission used by the UFC are not happy, have pulled the fight from the card!!”

“All my hard work wasted and the opportunity to fight on my home turf stolen from me! To preform on the very best platform taken in moments!!”

“Guys make some noise please and help me get back out fighting on a card asap!”

While Mullins will get a fight at some point, hopefully soon, Luana Carolina is now in limbo. 3-1 in her last four bouts, she’s coming off a loss to Michelle Montague. She missed weight in March 2025, forcing a fight with Montana de la Rosa to be cancelled, and on two other occasions in her UFC tenure came in heavy, although fights with Poliana Botelho and Julija Stoliarenko moved forward as planned.

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Montague had plied her trade in Bellator MMA and the PFL previously, where she competed as a featherweight. Undefeated at 6-0, she was making the move down to 135lbs to face Carolina in Perth, not far from Montague’s native New Zealand.

Of note, Michelle Montague became the first female fighter from New Zealand to compete in the UFC as of the Perth card.

Montague opened the fight with heavy forward pressure, but Carolina used her length and teeps to keep her at bay. Montague slowed her pace, looking for openings, while Carolina found success landing her left hand as Montague pressed forward. Eventually, Montague cut off the cage, changed levels, and lifted Carolina for a takedown. From top position, she stayed busy with ground-and-pound despite being cut by an elbow from the bottom. Carolina threatened with an armbar, but Montague adjusted well and closed the round on top.

In round two, Carolina buckled Montague’s legs with a clean shot, but Montague quickly dropped levels for an easy takedown. While grounded, Carolina landed an illegal upkick to Montague’s face, costing her a point and resetting the action on the feet. Montague worked back into the clinch but couldn’t finish the takedown, only to later dive on an ankle pick and secure top position again. From north-south, she chased a kimura but nearly allowed Carolina to scramble. Regaining control, Montague advanced to mount and hammered home elbows to end the round strong.

With Carolina in desperate need of a finish in round three, she opened with a clean combination that snapped Montague’s head back. Montague immediately countered with a takedown, secured side control, and punished her with more heavy elbows. Though Carolina repeatedly worked to her hip, she couldn’t escape. Montague transitioned through guard, lifted, and slammed her back to the mat, moving straight into mount. Giving up the position to chase a triangle, Montague still maintained top pressure and damage. In the final seconds, she took Carolina’s back and threatened a rear-naked choke. Carolina survived to become the first fighter to take Montague to the scorecards, but it was Montague’s hand raised in the end.

Official Result: Michelle Montague def. Luana Carolina by unanimous decision (29-26, 30-25, 30-26)

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Montana De La Rosa vs. Luana Carolina had been scheduled to open up the preliminary portion of the event. However, promotion officials confirmed the fight was nixed due to weight management issues on the part of Carolina, following an initial report by Ag.Fight.

In a brief statement provided via their official website, promotion reps stated that “Due to weight management issues, Luana Carolina has been removed from her flyweight bout with Montana De La Rosa. As a result, this bout has been cancelled from this weekend’s event.”

Luana Carolina has missed weight twice during her UFC tenure, first in 2021 ahead of a fight with Poliana Botelho, then again last year, prior to her bout against Julija Stoliarenko. In both cases, the fights moved forward, with Carolina, a.k.a. “Dread,” earning victories in both.

She won’t get that chance this time. Luana Carolina had won her last three fights, while Montana De La Rosa was coming off a win over Andrea “KGB” Lee.

Saturday, March 1’s UFC Vegas 103 card takes place at the Apex in Las Vegas, with flyweights Manel Kape and Asu Almabayev headlining.

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Carolina came into the fight on the best run of her UFC career, having won two fights convincingly in a row, one by finish. With a 5-3 promotional record in tow, she faced the Czech Republic’s Pudilova. Lucie is 1-2 in this, her second stint with the UFC, but most agree she deserved the decision two fights ago against Joselyne Edwards. Either way, she knew coming in that if she lost to her Brazilian opponent she would be in danger of losing her job, but that did not matter to Carolina.

When the fight began Carolina initially danced around the outside as Pudilova stalked her, but more and more Luana began to sit down on her punches as the round went on. Halfway through the round Lucie’s face was red. She tried to clinch up and perhaps wrestle but Carolina defended and sliced open her foe’s eye on the break with an elbow. Luana then clinched up herself but was unable to get the takedown, but she still hurt Pudilova with dirty boxing and another elbow, although the Czech fighter landed a takedown in the final five seconds to end the round on top.

Carolina picked up where she left off when round two started, controlling the distance with kicks and damaging Pudilova with punches. Lucie landed a good left of her own one minute in, however, and Luana clinched up, then landed yet another slicing elbow on the break. For the rest of the round Carolina won the striking and attacked with her Muay Thai clinch skills whenever in the clinch. Pudilova shot a late takedown which was stuffed but did allow her to land a hard elbow of her own. In the end, it would be Pudilova’s best round.

Round three was largely more of the same. Carolina outstruck Pudilova for the entire round, relying even more on kicks this round, which her opponent had no answer for. Pudilova was game until the end, aggressively going forward and trying to find answers in both the wrestling and striking, but she had none. Even her takedown with one minute left was not enough, as she could not do much damage on top, whereas Luana had been doing damage for the preceding four minutes.

When the judges’ scorecards were read there were no surprises, as all three judges scored the bout for Carolina, one of them giving her all three rounds.

Official Result: Luana Carolina def. Lucie Pudilova by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

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Whether the flub at the scales would have any bearing on the fight itself was a question heading into Saturday’s Fight Night card in Las Vegas.

Right out of the gate, Luana “Dread” Carolina had to endure an early onslaught from Stoliarenko, as the Lithuanian got out to a fast start, touching her opponent with her hands then driving Carolina into the fence. Carolina, aided by not having to cut an extra three pounds or not, was able to stay upright and reverse, stuffing the takedown attempt. Off the break, Carolina landed a left flush on the cheek of Stoliarenko.

At range, Carolina fired a head kick and circled, while Stoliarenko looked to close the distance for another clinch attempt. That failed, leading to more circling, but Brazil’s Carolina then fired off a wild spinning back fist attempt that backfired, as Stoliarenko landed a key takedown. She could not keep Carolina down, however. Along the fence, back on the feet, it was Julija Stoliarenko with a spinning back elbow that missed.

In the final minute, Luana Carolina managed to get the fight down, only for Stoliarenko to latch on with an arm-bar from bottom. Time ran out before she could finish the submission attempt however.

Carolina landed a well-timed knee to the body about a minute into round two, arguably the most significant strike in the fight to that point. If Carolina’s energy had been sapped from her weight cut, it wasn’t showing. Stoliarenko was still in the fight, but she was being beaten to the punch. And her takedown game had proved ineffective through the first half of the three-round affair. Another clinch underscored that, and when they finally went to the ground it was Carolina on top again.

Round three opened with an early clinch from Stoliarenko, but Carolina reversed, only for Stoliarenko to reverse again. Carolina fired a knee to the body in the clinch while Stoliarenko held onto a high crotch looking for a takedown that wasn’t there. Again, Carolina reversed, firing knees. Once again, when they finally went down it was Lauana Carolina on top, dropping some heavy shots and forcing Stoliarenko into survival mode. That resulted in a triangle attempt, and suddenly Carolina was in a bad spot. Stroliarenko moved to an arm-bar, but couldn’t wrench the limb free.

Just as things were looking bad for Carolina, she found the space to back off, return to her feet, and then rocked Stoliarenko with a right hand! A head kick followed and Stoliarenko was in real danger! They went back to the ground in the dying seconds of the fight with Carolina on top, landing ground n’ pound and scoring the TKO win just ahead of the final horn!

The finish was Luana Carolina’s first as a UFC fighter.

Official Result: Luana Carolina def. Julija Stoliarenko by TKO, Round 3, 4:52

The post Luana Carolina Overweight But On Point, Stops Julija Stoliarenko Late in Third Round at UFC Vegas 85 appeared first on Cageside Press.

After taking back-to-back losses in London against Molly McCann and Joanne Wood, Carolina was badly in need of a win — and no doubt happy she was fighting somewhere other than the U.K.

The fight started off with both women trading a lot of kicks. Although both were throwing, nothing significant was landing. They traded control time against the cage in the clinch. Petrovic was able to trap the knee behind the leg getting the fight down. Carolina used the momentum to secure the top position. Both ladies were doing a good job staying busy. Petrovic would roll for a leg creating the scramble to get the top position with a minute left in the round. The round ended with Petrovic going for a leglock that was never close.

In the second round, a lot of movement came from both women early on. It wasn’t the cleanest striking on display but it wasn’t long until they clinched back up. It was clear Petrovic was the stronger fighter in the clinch as she had more control time. Carolina was the one more active though landing those soft knees to the body. With almost two minutes left they finally separated. Petrovic landed a big left hand that backed up Carolina, who got back into the clinch. It was the hardest strike of the fight thus far that had actually landed. The round ended with Petrovic scoring the inside trip takedown.

In the final round the fight seemed like it was very well still up for grabs. Carolina was more aggressive coming out in the final round pressing a good pace. She landed a few good shots forcing Petrovic to clinch. Petrovic attempted a trip takedown but Carolina won the position and landed on top. Petrovic worked her way back to her feet but did take a few strikes on the way up. Still against the cage, Petrovic rolled for a leg dropping down to the mat. Carolina was defending well until she made the mistake of trying to take the back and slipped off. Petrovic again rolled for a leg going for the toe hold and heel hook. The round ended on the feet with Carolina getting the best out of the 10-second exchange.

Come the scorecards, it was Luana Carolina winning a unanimous decision.

Official Result: Luana Carolina def. Ivana Petrovic by unanimous decision (29-28 , 29-28, 29-28)

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 Ivana Petrović
Standing at five-foot-eight
Fighting at 125 lbs (flyweight)
29-years-old
Fighting out of Tonsberg, Norway
Training out of Orion MMA Academy
A pro record of 6-0
3 KO/TKOs, 2 Submissions

How will Petrović fare in the UFC:

Petrović is a fine signing considering what she’s done the last year and a half. Last September she won the vacant Ares FC women’s flyweight title. This past April she defended that title and now is in the UFC.

Her resume looks better on paper compared to how her performances have looked, however. In her fight against Marta Waliczek, I thought she lost but was gifted a decision. She was losing to Alexandra Tekenah until she found the finish. Her win against Ewelina Wozniak is fine but Wozniak is a natural strawweight.

Petrović is most comfortable on the mat even if that’s off her back. Going to her back is where she usually starts. Her takedown defense is lackluster but she is completely fine with that, even pulling guard to get the fight there. Off your back is never where you want to be but Petrović does a good job there. She’s constantly moving throwing up her legs working submissions. She’s good on her back and good at transitions in general. Petrović isn’t a dominant grappler but she’s definitely an opportunist.

Petrović has a few glaring holes. Her takedown defense is terrible. Although she’s good off her back it’s not at a higher level. On the feet the only thing she can work off of is the straight punches she throws. Other than that she throws single strikes putting out low output. Her hands get repetitive and lack any kind of setups. Her defense is a bit shaky as she’s been touched up and dropped a few times in her career.

How she matches up with Carolina:

Carolina is in need of a win given she’s dropped her last two and is 3-3 in the UFC. Carolina is a Muay Thai fighter so Petrović is going to want to ground this fight. Carolina has decent takedown defense. It’s not great but she did stop Lupita Godinez thirteen times, who’s a better wrestler than Petrović. I don’t see the wrestling of Petrović being good enough and she isn’t active enough on the feet. I’m picking Carolina to win by decision.

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While Wood was looking to snap a three-fight skid and extend her run in the UFC, Luana “Dread” was returning to the scene of her most stunning defeat, as Molly McMann had sent her to the shadow realm, as Paddy Pimblett later exclaimed, with a spinning back elbow at UFC London last year.

With the time off potentially cancelling out, it was anybody’s ballgame between Wood and Carolina. The pair wound up fighting a fairly active first round, working along the fence early. Wood seemed to be finding her range, landing strikes at distance. The right hand was there for the Scottish fighter throughout the round. She also hit home with several elbows and knees in the clinch, living up to her “Dr. Kneevil” nickname. Later in the frame the pair traded knees, after which Carolina fired a low kick. In the final seconds, Wood caught a kick, and later tried a spinning attack, perhaps in a nod to McCann.

Wood likely had the edge when all was said and done after the first five minutes. Round two opened with Wood flashing a kick and feinting. Carolina fired a combo with seemingly every strike missing; Wood then initiated a clinch up against the fence, though Carolina was able to reverse. Scotland’s Wood continued to work in knees into her attacks, and landed an elbow in the clinch; Carolina reversed and fired some knees of her own. With about 90 seconds to go, Wood connected with a front kick to the face, which Carolina took well enough. In the final minute, Wood was able to sweep Carolina off her feet, and just missed on what would have been an illegal knee.

Between rounds, Wood’s husband and coach John Wood suggested she had lost round one but won the second frame, though Wood appeared to have a stronger claim to round one. Round two, much closer, had the potential to be the deciding factor depending on how the third played out.

Carolina fired a body kick early in the third. Wood continued to walk forward, but she had clearly slowed, and the Brazilian was able to catch “Jojo” coming in. Wood fanned on a front kick, and followed that with a right hand. In the clinch, Wood fired a knee. They traded elbows, and Wood fanned on a spinning back fist attempt. Another clinch, and Wood got busy with punches and elbows. A moment later, it was Carolina trying a spinning back fist of her own. In the final minute Wood flashed a front kick, and Carolina answered with some looping punches; Wood knocked Carolina off-balance, and she went down in a heap. Wood let her opponent back up, but finished strong, battering Carolina in the final seconds.

The scorecards were all over the place, but Wood came away in the end with the split decision win, which felt like the correct call.

Official Result: Joanne Wood def. Luana Carolina by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)

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Scotland’s Wood (15-8) will face Luana Carolina (8-3) in a flyweight match-up at the London, England-based event on March 18, 2023.

Multiple sources confirmed the booking to Cageside Press on Sunday, following an initial report by Ag.Fight.

Wood, training out of Syndicate MMA under coach and husband John Wood, has not competed since March 2022, when she dropped her third straight bout at the hands of Alexa Grasso. That trailed losses to Taila Santos and Lauren Murphy, not to mention the loss of a title shot after champ Valentina Shevchenko pulled out of a planned fight.

Wood and Shevchenko were expected to face off at UFC 251 in 2020, only for Shevchenko to withdraw due to injury. Wood then opted to step up against Jennifer Maia on short notice that August, but was submitted by the Brazilian, who would go on to face Shevchenko just three months later.

Carolina will be returning to the scene of the crime in a sense. She last competed in London in March of 2021, where she was knocked out in violent fashion by a Molly McCann spinning elbow.

UFC 286 will take place at the O2 Arena in London, England on March 18, 2023. While no main event has been officially announced for the card, it is expected that welterweight champ Leon Edwards will top the show. The following bouts have been reported for the event thus far:

• Marvin Vettori vs. Roman Dolidze
• Joanne Wood vs. Luana Carolina

The post Joanne Wood vs. Luana Carolina Booked for UFC 286 appeared first on Cageside Press.

For UFC flyweight Molly McCann that moment came when she set up and executed a flawless and devastating spinning elbow that took Luana Carolina out before she even hit the canvas. The UFC London crowd erupted and McCann jumped out of the cage to celebrate and share some words with UFC president Dana White on Saturday night.

“I’ve done the bit. I absolutely smashed it. Done what all my coaches have said. Everything I’ve done for a lifetime. I’m not going to break down the normal Meatball. It’s where I’m supposed to be, the performance I’m supposed to have. Me and Paddy Pimblett are going to change the game with the second go at the British invasion after we had Brad Pickett, after we had Michael Bisping. It’s my time,” McCann told reporters at her post-fight scrum.

McCann came into UFC London with a different mindset of self-belief. She spoke on what she and her coach talk about leading up to fights.

“Mike Tyson once said ‘Self-belief will supersede the genius if applied correctly’. Me and my coach have run through Mike Tyson analogies and quotes all day and all yesterday. It’s just something that as a fighter we’re out to fight the bigger people all the f*cking time. I have to take that onboard with me. I’ve had to overcome a lot in here (points to her head). I think that has f*cked off now and now here I am,” McCann said.

The confidence McCann showed in the fight was not only apparent to the fans, but the broadcast booth noticed it and mentioned it repeatedly during the fight.

“I’m home. I’m not in America, I’m not in fight island. Not running off anyone else’s clock. I’m going to be deadline honest it’s every day I doubt myself in training because I train with the best. Constantly training with the best. It wasn’t until this last week and this week where that tandem was just there. It was just there. I was hitting the pad tonight and I was going ‘F*cking hell! It’s not me!’ Imagine how many parties I’m going to go into now and you’re literally just going to walk and they’re just going to put that on replay,” McCann said while imitating the elbow she landed on Carolina.

The next step for Meatball is some rest and recovery, but not a break from the gym.

“Not to go missing. To get back in the gym Wednesday. Give my family and friends my girlfriend the time they deserve. Pay my respects to all my training partners and go for a nice scoff,” McCann laughed.

“This is where it begins. You watch me out of and raise my level from the last fight. I told you I added extra rounds with my boxing coach. Two extra sessions a week on a 15-session week I added an extra two sessions. So you add that up and already absolutely monotonous, horrible fight camp anyway. I’m going to keep on learning, keep on striving. In the time off from the cage I’ll focus on my boxing, I’ll focus on my jiu jitsu. It’s evident to see. I can either go out wrestling when I want to,” McCann said.

McCann did not give a name of an opponent she prefers for her next fight and she gave a reason why.

“I’m not bothered for that. I respect every single one of those in this division this is a stacked division and every single person who trains wants to win the title. And all of those, apart from Shevchenko, it’s a 1% difference between all of us. That’s how much I respect every one of you girls, I respect you all. Once we get in there then it’s my house. It’s my house.”

Watch the full UFC London post-fight press scrum with Molly McCann above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

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