Ketlen Vieira got back to winning ways tonight at UFC 253 with a unanimous decision victory over Sijara Eubanks.
Round One:
Vieira immediately rushes into the clinch and presses Eubanks up against the cage. A couple of knees to the thighs from Vieira, but then Eubanks turns her.
Eubanks pushes away now and back to striking range. Vieira pumps out the jab and then a one-two. Kick from Eubanks.
Nice leg kick from Eubanks. Body kick now. Right hand gets through for Vieira. Punches for Vieira, but then Eubanks catches her with a solid counter.
Vieira into the clinch in the center of the cage. She tries a trip, but it doesn’t pay off and then Eubanks lands an uppercut as they separate.
Nice connection on the hook from Vieira and continues to unload a few more punches behind it. Overhand right from Eubanks, but then Vieira lands a straight punch of her own.
Right hand for Vieira, body punch from Eubanks. Now it’s Vieira who lands a body blow. Solid right hand for Vieira.
Two punches land for Vieira. Straight punch to the body from Eubanks. Vieira reaches for a takedown, but quickly gives up on it.
Uppercut connects from Vieira. Now a right hand. Left hook for Vieira and continues with a flurry of punches and then straight into a takedown, and this time she does land it before the round ends.
Round Two:
Vieira feeling out with the jab. High kick from Eubanks lands to the upper body. Vieira punches into the clinch and then quickly brings Eubanks down.
Vieira in Eubanks full guard here. Eubanks just looking to shut Vieira down and get a stand-up here but it’s not happening for now, so she starts to think about a kimura. Nothing doing with that and as she’s starting to look a little concerned the ref hands her a lifeline by opting to stand the fight back up.
Vieira working the jab. Eubanks trying to jab too. Kick for Eubanks. Good right hand for Vieira. Now a right for Eubanks. She lands a jab too. Eubanks kicks to the leg. Vieira punches upstairs. left hook for the Brazilian.
Final 10 seconds of the round and Eubanks presses forward with urgency and lands a body kick. Vieira firing off punches without landing cleanly as the round ends.
Round Three:
Early clinch from Vieira, but they punch straight back out of it. Eubanks letting her hands go as she tries to pick up the pace, with her coach having told her inbetween rounds that she may be down by two rounds here.
One-two for Vieira. Left hook sneaks through to land cleanly for Eubanks. Head kick from Eubanks seems to partially get through. She lands a right hand behind it.
Inside leg kick for Eubanks. Left hook for Vieira. Solid jab from her. Body kick for Eubanks. Eubanks attempts an overhand and Vieira counters with a punch of her own that comes off the guard.
Inside leg kick for Eubanks. She goes for the overhand again. They both flurry with punches at the same time. Eubanks with a nice body punch.
One-two for Vieira. Leg kick for Eubanks. Jab from Vieira as Eubanks lands to the body. Eubanks goes to the body and then upstairs. VIeira tries for a takedown and aborts quickly.
Inside leg kick for Eubanks. Now a body kick. Vieira lands and Eubanks counters. Eubanks spins to Vieira’s back. Vieira drops to the mat looking for a leg lock. Eubanks able to escape that and land a few ground and pound blows as the round ends.
Decision:
A competitive fight then, but though Eubanks won the third round, it was Vieira who edged the action in the first two and so she emerges with a unanimous decision victory (29-28 x3).
