LAS VEGAS – Viktoriia Dudakova beat Istela Nunes with a first-round injury TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 49 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Dudakova, who won when Nunes badly injured her left arm just 34 seconds into the fight.
Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Istela Nunes
Result: Viktoriia Dudakova def. Istela Nunes via TKO (injury) – Round 1, 0:34
Updated records: Dudakova (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Nunes (6-5 MMA, 0-4 UFC)
Key stats: Dudakova’s win on Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2022 was the lone decision win of her career.
Dudakova on the fight's key moment
“I didn’t really understand (what happened). The referee came to our locker room and said that until he stops the fight, I should continue to attack, continue to hit, until he pulls me away. Accordingly, I didn’t know what to do (when she landed). She shouts – should I hit or stand and wait? But in the end, the referee intervened.”
Dudakova on disappointment in the finish
“I feel a little relief that I won, but at the same time, I didn’t show myself. Every time I say, ‘Now I will show myself completely. I will open up to the public. They will see what I am capable of.’ And every time, it doesn’t work. … I know that every time I go in there, this is everything is at stake. My whole future is at stake. It could be monetary, or it could be just the rankings or whatever. Everything is at stake. I have to make sure that I win because we might not even have enough money for the next fight.”
Dudakova on what she wants next
To hear more from Dudakova, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.
