Flyweights Karine Silva and Gabriella Fernandes faced off on the UFC Vegas 124 preliminary card at the Meta Apex, a battle of ranked Brazilians.
Fernandes and Silva tied up along the fence early in their flyweight fight, Fernandes in control for a moment, Silva reversing, knees exchanged. Silva looked for a sweep but couldn’t land it, leading to another exchange of knees.
While they would come off the fence, much of the round played out in exactly that position. In fact they’d return there in the final minute of the frame, Fernandes in control, firing knees before Silva reversed, only for them to turn around yet again. Fernandes would then attempt to drag Silva down, only for Silva to land on top. She finished the round chopping at the legs of Fernandes.
Round two saw the pair work a little more at center, with action including both ladies firing kicks ot the body. As they hit the back half of the round, the exchanges got a little more voluminous, at least until they clinched up against the fence again. That led to more knees from Fernandes, and elbows in answer from Silva. As they broke, a quick exchange followed. A little more action at center was followed by a final clinch.
Fairly even rounds through ten minutes, with the fight still up for grabs in the third. The final five minutes found Silva pressing, but when they went to the fence, Fernandes was able to reverse, getting an underhook in place. Silva threw a few knees, and an elbow, despite having her back to the fence and Ferandes on her. They reversed, reversed again, and Fernandes landed a knee or two to the thigh.
The fight would go the distance, with both ladies celebrating after the horn. Of course, barring a draw, there could only be one: in this case, that was Karine Silva, winning on all three scorecards. A couple of spots ahead of the #15-ranked Fernandes, she holds the fort and may jump up a spot or two in the next few days.
Official Result: Karine Silva def. Gabriella Fernandes by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)