Lupita Godinez oustruck Emily Ducote to earn a unanimous decision victory tonight at UFC Fight Night 224.
Round One:
Leg kick for Ducote and Godinez fires back with a flurry of punches. Godinez letting her hands go again as she applies early pressure.
More punches from Godinez. Punch for Ducote. Inside leg kick from Ducote now. Godinez with a hard right hand. She attempts a takedown, but Ducote defends that well.
Ducote works to the body and Godinez fires back upstairs. Low kick lands well for Godinez. Now a jab.
Ducote pumps out the jab, but Godinez throwing heavier shots so far. Quickly flurry to the body and one upstairs from Ducote.
Again Ducote works to the body. Inside leg kick from Godinez and Ducote lands one of her own. Another calf kick for Ducote.
Exchange in close and Godinez lands the harder straight punches. Inside leg kick from Ducote. Ducote steps forward but eats a punch.
Calf kick for Ducote who is bleeding from the nose. Godinez with punches. Ducote in on a takedown attempt, but Godinez defends it. Ducote ends up pressing her into the cage. Elbow for Ducote and Godinez fires one back and then breaks free.
Godinez continues to be the more aggressive in the final stages of the round.
Round Two:
Inside leg kick for Ducote. Body kick from Godinez. Inside leg kick from Godinez. she gets a right hand through.
Inside low kick from Ducote and then another kick behind it. A couple of punches land for Godinez. Calf kick for Ducote.
Hard punches from Godinez. Now solid jabs from her. Straight right too. Ducote chipping away with leg kicks, but needs something more to deter Godinez at this stage in the fight.
Ducote attempts a takedown and Godinez sprawls to defend it, then stands up and lands a couple of knees to the head.
Back to striking range and Godinez lands a combination. Ducote trying to work a combination of her own, but without as much power.
Left hand gets through for Ducote as they exchange again. Ducote upping her work-rate and lands again. Now a push kick from her and Godinez responds with punches and a kick of her own.
Punch from Godinez and Ducote fires back with two punches. Right hand for Ducote. Now a head kick attempt that’s blocked.
Punch and a high kick from Godinez. Jab for Ducote and Godinez attempts a takedown that fails. Right hand from Ducote as the round ends.
Round Three:
They exchange in the center of the cage to start the final round. Low kick from Godinez and Ducote fires back with punches.
Good right hand from Godinez. She works to the head and body. Head kick attempt from Ducote is blocked.
Front kick to the body for Godinez. Calf kick from Ducote and Godinez lands one too. Right hand for Godinez and Ducote lands a leg kick.
inside leg kick from Godinez. Right hand for her too as Ducote was looking to flurry. Jab for Godinez. Uppercut from Ducote lands and another punch behind it.
Both ladies swinging hard in close. Overhand and a left hand from Godinez. Leg kick from her. Jab for Ducote and now a calf kick.
Right hand for Ducote. Hooks from Godinez. She lands the left hand. Ducote attempts a head kick. One-two for Godinez. Ducote attempts a takedown and almost gets it, but Godinez defends well in the center of the Octagon and stays upright.
Ducote attempts to get in on another takedown and Godinez fires off a knee in response. Both throwing punches in closes.
Godinez moves in and lands a takedown. Ducote attempts to work for a submission from her back in the final few seconds of the fight but nothing doing and so we’re headed to the scorecards.
Decision:
A competitive fight then, with Godinez throwing strikes with more authority for the most part, but Ducote gradually stepping up her output and intensity in the second-half of the fight to keep things interesting. In the end it’s Godinez who rightly emerges victorious by unanimous decision though (30-27, 29-28 x2).
