Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For three athletes, Saturday’s UFC 237 event marked that special moment in their career.
Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression those fighters made on the sport’s biggest stage from Rio de Janeiro.
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Viviane Araujo
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Result: Viviane Araujo def. Talita Bernardo via knockout (punch) – Round 3, 0:48
Record: (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: A+
Consider Jon Anik’s words in his post-fight interview with Viviane Araujo when you look to describe what she did on Saturday night: “A star is born.”
Stepping in on less than one week’s notice for your UFC debut, and against a fighter featured in the top 15 of the UFC’s official rankings, that’s a challenge. Doing it by taking a fight up two weight classes from where you normally compete? That’s complete madness, yet Araujo did exactly that in a bantamweight clash with Talita Bernardo – hence why she registered just 131 pounds at Fridays’ official weigh-ins.
Araujo was phenomenal from the opening bell, looking loose and relaxed on her feet as she darted in and out of range of her powerful opponent, firing quick, straight punches and chopping at Bernardo’s legs. It was a composed, wise attack, and it saw Araujo rush out to a 20-18 lead on all three judges’ cards after two rounds.
However, Araujo wasn’t done.
In the third, Araujo landed a clean right hand to the chin, sending Bernado crashing to the canvas at the 48-second mark of the frame. All seven victories in Araujo’s have now come by way of stoppage – and she’s going to drop back down to the strawweight division for her next outing.
If you’re a 115-pounder on the UFC’s roster, consider Araujo’s own words in that exchange with Anik: “Vivi is coming.”
Carlos Huachin
Division: Bantamweight
Result: Raoni Barcelos def. Carlos Huachin via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:49
Record: (10-4-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: B+
Carlos Huachin stepped in on short notice to face a talented prospect and received absolutely zero respect, with oddsmakers tagging his opponent, Raoni Barcelos, as an 11-1 favorite. Early on, that looked like a big mistake.
Huachin looked impressive on the feet, aggressive with his striking and showing a willingness to fire his dangerous left hand with full power at every opportunity.
Things took a turn in the second, with Barcelos showing the full range of his talents by dropping Huachin and then dominating him on the floor. That said, the Peruvian showed his grit, working himself free from multiple submission attempts and bucking and rolling as he tried desperately to escape back to his feet. The opportunity never came, showing Hauchin certainly has some skills to develop moving forward, but his durability was unquestionable, and UFC commentator Dominick Cruz openly questioned referee Eduardo Herdy’s decision to stop the fight.
How might things have changed if Herdy had given Huachin an 11-second leash to the bell, allowing him to start on the feet again for the third round? We’ll never know, but Huachin proved himself a name to watch for his second outing.
Luana Carolina
Division: Women’s flyweight
Result: Luana Carolina def. Priscila Cachoeira via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-27)
Record: (6-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: A-
In a bit of matchmaking genius, a pair of Brazilians with a penchant for brawling were paired together for Luana Carolina vs. Priscila Cachoeira, and the two delivered on expectations.
Against an ultra-aggressive Cachoeira, Carolina proved capable of countering as she retreated, firing powerful punches in the pocket and flashing out a gorgeous high kick that would have finished any fighter not known as “Zombie Girl.”
Carolina’s pace slowed only slightly despite the relentless pace of the contest, and she was dominant from bell to bell. A finish certainly would have been nice, but Cachoeira is known as one of the toughest women in the sport. With her rangy frame and slick striking, Carolina looks like a forced to be reckoned with at 125 pounds.
For complete coverage of UFC 237, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
