Josiane Nunes was undersized in the height and reach department at UFC on ESPN 29, but that didn’t stop her from acquiring her first promotional victory with a highlight-reel finish Saturday.
On the UFC on ESPN 29 prelims, Nunes (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) defeated Bea Malecki (2-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) via knockout at 4:54 of Round 1. The event took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card aired on ESPN/ESPN+ after prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.
For much of the fight, Nunes pressed forward, full steam ahead to close the distance. She landed combinations on the seven-inch-taller Malecki, who largely circled away. As the clock wound down in Round 1, Nunes connected with a violent left hand that crumpled Malecki to the canvas. No follow-up punches were needed – nor thrown – as Nunes notched her first promotional victory.
With the win, Nunes extends her winning streak to seven. Meanwhile, Malecki encounters a loss for the first time in her professional MMA career.
The finish was the fourth in as many fights at UFC on ESPN 29, coming after back-to-back knockouts by William Knight and Ignacio Bahamondes.