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)

The post UFC Vegas 115: Melissa Gatto Appears KO’d by Illegal Kick, Fight with Dione Barbosa Allowed to Continue appeared first on Cageside Press.

Gatto, normally a flyweight, was looking to shake off losses to Ariane Lipski and Tracy Cortez.

This one went to the ground early, with Gatto on top, but Vidal working on a guillotine off her back. Once Gatto pulled free, she spent the entirety of the round on top, and towards the final minute was able to create space to start doing damage. With all of thirty seconds still on the clock, Gatto moved to mount, and would finish the round there, having been in control for the better part of five minutes.

Early in round two Gatto charged forward firing a one-two. They’d head to the cage, battling in the clinch, with Gatto finally landing a throw takedown near the midway mark of the round. That was more time spent on the feet for Tamires Vidal in round one, but she still found herself on the ground, with Gatto riding her back, hooks in and lots of time on the clock. She couldn’t find the submission, however, and the pair would head to the third.

Having been dominated through two rounds, Vidal needed a finish, but her corner instead advised patience. In the end it would not matter. In a strange scene early in the third, a jab by Gatto connected to the chest. Vidal held her breast and gave the ref a look before turning away, with it unclear whether it was pain, or a wardrobe issue, that caused her reaction. In any case, turning away was the wrong decision as the ref opted to wave off the fight, giving Melissa Gatto a TKO win.

Melissa Gatto gets the win after Tamires Vidal's delayed reaction 😳 #UFCVegas92 pic.twitter.com/wooliXIhK0

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 18, 2024

Official Result: Melissa Gatto def. Tamires Vidal by TKO, Round 3, 0:37

The post UFC Vegas 92: Dominant Melissa Gatto Earns TKO Win in Bizarre Finish of Tamires Vidal appeared first on Cageside Press.

Promotion officials announced the cancellation shortly before the fighters were to have made the walk. An undisclosed medical issue with Dudakova appears to be the culprit.

An undefeated Russian talent, Victoria Dudakova was entering just the third fight of her UFC career while sporting a perfect 8-0 record. The 2022 Contender Series winner picked up victories over Istela Nunes and former Invicta FC atomweight champ Jinh Yu Frey through her first two outings with the company.

Brazil’s Melissa Gatto was looking to snap back-to-back losses to Tracy Cortez and Ariane Lipski. It remains unclear as to whether the UFC will look to rebook the pairing.

UFC Atlantic City is headlined by another pair of women’s flyweights, as Manon Fiorot takes on Erin Blanchfield atop Saturday’s card. That fight could produce the next title contender in the weight class, though the winner may be waiting a bit. As it stands, The Ultimate Fighter 32 coaches Alexa Grasso, the current 125lb champ, and Valentina Shevchenko are expected to face off at the end of the season.

In the night’s co-feature, Vicente Luque takes on Joaquin Buckley. The Dudakova vs. Gatto fight had been expected to be the third bout in on Saturday. Instead, Ibo Aslan vs. Anton Turkalj was moved forward in the line-up.

UFC Atlantic City continues with its main card airing live on ESPN.

The post Victoria Dudakova vs. Melissa Gatto Scrapped with UFC Atlantic City Underway appeared first on Cageside Press.

Abus Magomedov

Abusipuyan Magomedov took on a tall order when he tried to beat the seventh ranked middleweight in the UFC, Sean Strickland, as an unranked challenger in his second UFC fight. Still, Abus did not seem ready for the spotlight, gassing out and giving in to the Strickland boxing onslaught in the second round.

There are a number of unranked middleweights who Abus is more ready to face. He should be treated like any 1-1 UFC middleweight. What opponent would be better, then, than fellow UFC Vegas 76 main card participant Brunno Ferreria, who also is 1-1 in the UFC currently. Both got knocked out on the same night and so their respective availabilities could well dovetail in the coming months.

Magomedov’s Next Fight: Brunno Ferreira

Damir Ismagulov

This may well have been the last fight of Ismagulov’s career. He retired after his last fight, a loss to strong wrestler Arman Tsarukyan, but came back, with mentions of this being the last fight on his UFC contract. If Damir fights again, and in the UFC, he should serve as a test for a rising unranked contender after two clear losses in a row.

The winner of Ludovit Klein vs Ignacio Bahamondes will be such a contender, with this fight representing a fourth consecutive fight unbeaten for either man. Both are exciting striker types, too, giving Damir another look after facing two wrestling-heavy attacks in a row and giving the fans a bout they would look forward to seeing.

Ismagulov’s Next Fight: Retirement OR Winner of Klein/Bahamondes

Max Griffin

Griffin was in an unenviable position on Saturday, fighting a fast-rising, undefeated knockout artist in Michael Morales at UFC Vegas 76. He tested the Ecuadorian, giving him problems at times and taking the fight the full fifteen minutes, but in the end it was Morales who won a comfortable decision.

Griffin is now 1-2 in his last three. However, one could also look at it as 5-2 in his last seven. He may not be in immediate contention to be ranked, but the fifteen fight UFC veteran is not too far away from the rankings and can have a good fight with any other unranked welterweight.

One other welterweight on a two fight losing streak, one who was in the rankings going into his last two fights, is Daniel Rodriguez. ‘D-Rod’ lost to Neil Magny (as did Griffin) and Ian Garry to fall from ranked grace. A fight between these two would be the ultimate proving ground, as one starts to free-fall and the other is right back in the mix at 170lbs.

Griffin’s Next Fight: Daniel Rodriguez

Melissa Gatto

Melissa Gatto lost a close split decision to Ariane Lipski in an entertaining contest at 125lbs. Gatto has now lost two in a row after jumping out to an undefeated 8-0 record. However everyone takes losses in the UFC, and she also has two knockout wins in the promotion.

Another fighter who has lost two in a row after starting hot in the UFC is Mariya Agapova. The Kazakh fighter has a high octane striking style that has left her gassed out in the past. Gatto is a good test for her in that realm as she is in the striking realm for Melissa.

Gatto’s Next Fight: Maryia Agapova

Ismael Bonfim

The elder Bonfim brother was one of the most highly touted lightweight prospects in the world after his UFC debut against Terrance McKinney, but he fell flat against well-rounded athlete Benoit St. Denis at UFC Vegas 76. Bonfim will have to shore up some aspects of his game, particularly his grappling defense, in order to live up to the potential many saw in him.

A good test of his grappling, albeit one perhaps less stiff than St. Denis, is Christos Giagos, a fighter who is 6-6 in the UFC and has been a test for many a young lightweight fighter. Giagos is coming off of a knockout win over Ricky Glenn and deserves a higher profile match-up next time out.

Bonfim’s Next Fight: Christos Giagos

Brunno Ferreira

Brunno ‘The Hulk’ Ferreira lost at his own game on Saturday as he stood and traded with Nursolton Riziboev and was knocked from the realms of consciousness. At risk of repetition, Ferreira now stands at 1-1 in the UFC after losing his undefeated mark. The win over Gregory Rodrigues, however, carries more weight than that record may suggest.

The same could be said of Abus Magomedov’s reputation and his record, due to the spotlight the UFC put on him with the UFC Vegas 76 main event slot and his spectacular debut knockout. It only makes sense to pair the two together for a thrilling fight.

Ferreira’s Next Fight: Abusipuyan Magomedov

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A former KSW champ, the “Queen of Violence” Lipski was 2-1 in her last three, while Gatto was looking to bounce back from her first career loss, against Tracy Cortez last year.

The fight opened with Gatto circling on the outside, while Lipski held center. She landed a kick to the body; the pair traded punches, but through the opening two minutes, little was landed, at least of any significance. Lipski at least was throwing, but missed the mark as often as not, while Gatto looked to counter, or lead with her kicks.

As the round wore on, the exchanges continued. Lipski showed some stance switches, and kept Gatto on the outside. It wasn’t until the final 30 seconds that Gatto closed the distance, getting Lipski on the fence looking for a takedown — which she couldn’t find prior to the horn sounding.

Gatto took all of a minute to get back to a clinch in round two, showing ample strength in pinning a slippery Lipski against the cage. It was Lipski, however, getting the fight down, though the pair stopped straight back up. Again, Gatto put her weight on Ariane Lipski; even when they came off the fence, Gatto bullied Lipski back to it. Lipski would reverse, but couldn’t hold the position. When they did break, Lipski got her hands going and added a leg kick, followed by an uppercut.

Round three featured more exchanges on the feet through the opening three minutes. But from there, Gatto would threaten to take the back standing. She didn’t have it, and slid off, going to the ground with Lipski getting inside her guard. Lipski postured up, landed a punch and backed off, letting Gatto back to her feet. Lipski then marched forward, firing a combination capped off with a low kick.

The pair would wind up going the distance, with Lipski taking the victory care of two judges.

Official Result: Ariane Lipski def. Melissa Gatto by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)

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“It was such an inspiration. I know how this (was) a great opportunity for me. To see her train the way she does. Had the opportunity to learn from her,” Lipski told reporters on Wednesday.

“She is always there to try to help out. Even though (she was) in training camp she’ll look at me on the mat and see I’m (making) mistakes.”

Lipski said that Nunes would correct her mistakes even in the middle of her own championship fight camp.

“(Always) trying to give me some advice that could make me (a) better (fighter) so she’s great. I’m a big fan of hers,” she said.

“It’s an honor for me.”

On Saturday night Lipski matches up with Melissa Gatto who is coming off a year-long layoff. She last fought at UFC 274 in May 2022.

“Melissa has a good grappling game, a good ground game, control game. I believe as an MMA fighter she has improved her striking,” she said.

“The plan is go there, show my game, and fight for the win from the beginning to the end.”

With 2023 at the halfway point Lipski could squeeze in one more fight this year before looking at possibilities in 2024.

“I’ve been talking to my head coach Renato (Silva) we plan to fight three times this year. Let’s see what’s going to happen after this fight,” said Lipski.

“We were looking for a fight in December. I don’t know where, but we really want to fight one more time.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Ariane Lispki above. She faces Melissa Gatto at UFC Vegas 76 on Saturday night.

The post Ariane Lipski Was Front Row For Amanda Nunes Last Camp, “It’s An Honor For Me.” appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I’m so happy. So excited to be back. Of course it’s been a year with the surgery and the medical leave that comes after that. I’m happy to be back. I took that time to actually become better, and become a better fighter,” Gatto told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.

The injury that kept Gatto away for over a year following her loss to Tracy Cortez at UFC 274. Time on the shelf gave her opportunities to improve her game, but also her mental fitness.

“Anytime you have a high-performance athlete that’s removed from the daily routine, training, being there on the mat frequently, just getting better physically. It’s always challenging. It does teach you lessons, specially on the mental side,” she said.

“I do feel that I had to get stronger and prepare mentally. I feel more ready than I’ve ever been. Specially on the mental side. I took the time to actually become a better fighter mentally.”

Next for her is Ariane Lipski in her return fight to MMA. She doesn’t underestimate her opponent.

“When the UFC called, obviously happy to get the call to be able to match with her. She is a tough opponent. She’s an experienced opponent. I think she’s got 10 fights in the UFC,” she said.

“She is from the same state as I am, and it’s going to be important for a lot of us specially the Brazilian fans.”

Melissa Gatto takes on Ariane Lipski at UFC Vegas 76 from the UFC APEX on Saturday night.

The post Melissa Gatto Makes Her Return From A Year Layoff Mentally Stronger appeared first on Cageside Press.

The women’s flyweight bout is set to take place as part of the UFC’s September 17, 2022 Fight Night card. No venue or location has been announced for the event; Fight Bananas was first to report news of the match-up.

Both fighters later confirmed the booking on social media.

Robertson, 27, continues to hold the record for finishes, submissions, and most fights overall in the UFC’s women’s flyweight division. She’s split her two most recent fights, with a win over Priscila Cachoeira in December followed up by a loss to JJ Aldrich in March.

Fighting out of Florida and originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Robertson has seven submission victories among her 10 wins as a professional.

Gatto, who has fought as a featherweight and bantamweight in the past but who has mainly competed at flyweight, will be looking to bounce back from the first loss of her career this September. Last time out, she was paired up with Tracy Cortez, losing a unanimous decision at UFC 274 in Phoenix this past May.

Prior to that, 26-year old Gatto had picked up wins over Sijara Eubanks and Victoria Leonardo, and, outside the UFC, Karol Rosa.

The promotion’s September 17, 2022 Fight Night show is expected to be headlined by bantamweight contenders Cory Sandhagen and Song Yadong.

The post Gillian Robertson Gets Melissa Gatto at UFC’s Sept. 17 Card appeared first on Cageside Press.

Being able to fight and win in front of your friends and family is a dream of many fighters, but for Cortez it was more than just a fight.

“This was definitely a dream come true and something that I could check off my dream and goals. I have plenty more to hit. The fact that I’m here fighting in front of my hometown is a dream come true,” Cortez told reporters in her post-fight scrum.

Cortez and Gatto went the full 15 minutes and while Tracy was able to control where the fight went she was put into a couple of tough spots. At one point Gatto went for a leg lock which was something that Cortez had actually trained for, but didn’t really mean to in camp.

“That was the first time I’ve been put in that position. Weirdly enough we had worked on it. I don’t know why we worked on it. I was like, ‘No she doesn’t really throw it that often you know’. For some reason somehow I got caught in sparring and they said, ‘Hey let’s work on this for a little bit.’ I had my coach Santino and Brian (Ortega) help me out a little bit. Yeah it’s crazy how things worked out,” Cortez said.

During the bout Gatto showed some success on the feet against Cortez. Eventually Gatto did shoot in for a takedown which surprised not only the broadcast team, but Cortez.

“Well my coaches were telling me they were like, ‘Hey you’re doing good. If you want to keep it standing, keep it standing. Whenever you’re comfortable go for it. You see the punches. I’m good with my distance. So when she did go for the takedown that’s when it caught me off guard. I was like on the cage like, alright this is my comfort zone, let’s go,” said Cortez.

Now with the fight done and having taken seemingly no damage, a quick turnaround is possible for the young flyweight.

“I would love a quick turnaround. I would love to get back in the cage. I’m healthy, I’m not hurt. I have no bruises. Got a couple, my knees are a little scraped up from the canvas, but other than that I’m good,” Cortez said.

After the fight Cortez gave an inspiring speech to the crowd, many whom came from the same places she came from, and the crowd gave her the love she gave them in that moment. The feelings Cortez felt in that moment are the memories she will take for the rest of her career.

“Orgullosa, man. I’m proud. It makes me proud to be from here. There’s not a lot of names that, or a lot of people that just try to represent here from Phoenix, Arizona. Hopefully I start that wave. You see a lot of people from California representing LA such like Brian. You know, they’re proud to be from California. You don’t get that a lot here from people from Phoenix,” Cortez said.

“Hopefully I can put Arizona on the map.”

Watch the full UFC 274 post-fight press conference appearance by Tracy Cortez above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

The post UFC 274’s Tracy Cortez: “Hopefully I Can Put Arizona On The Map” appeared first on Cageside Press.

It didn’t take long for Cortez to pick up where she’d left off in April 2021, when she’d picked up a win over current Bellator fighter Justine Kish. After a couple of calf kicks, Cortez got the fight down, and got on top. But Gatto attacked an arm off her back, and had to be wary given how dry they were early. Finally, they’d move back to the feet, where Gatto fired a few low kicks. Gatto then clamped on a body lock, and moments later they’d be back on the ground.

Again, Gatto lifted her hips and looked to snatch an arm, which Cortez had to wrench free. Cortez opted to stay in the Brazilian’s guard. It was a dangerous game, but she survived the round and likely won it given all that top time.

In round two, Cortez landed with a knee to the body in the opening minute. Gatto landed a left. She’s pushing forward. Hits home with a right. Fans on a kick. Superman punch from Gatto follows, and she then scooped Cortez up and landed the takedown! Cortez was right back up. Gatto moved to the back, dropping some ground and pound. She was trying to flatten her opponent out. Gatto wound up with Cortez on top of her, Gatto controlling from the back with hooks in. Gatto locked in an arm-bar attempt. Cortez stacked her up, and she was out!

Still, the round likely belonged to Melissa Gatto. In the third, Cortez set the tone early, landing a takedown out in the open. Well away from the fence, Cortez had lots of space, and time, to work. They’d spend most of the round battling it out on the ground, with Cortez getting the upperhand — extending her win streak to 10 after a year away.

Official Result: Tracy Cortez def. Melissa Gatto by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29)

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