Virna Jandiroba won the battle of the Brazilians in the strawweight main event of UFC Vegas 94, and announced herself as the next big threat to reigning champion Zhang Weili.
Jandiroba’s grappling smarts proved to be the difference-maker in her matchup against fellow contender Amanda Lemos as she proved to be the superior grappler on the mat. And, after appearing to be working her way towards a rear-naked choke, Jandiroba swiftly transitioned to an armbar that forced Lemos to tap in the closing seconds of the second round.
It was a performance that showcased just how dangerous Jandiroba is on the mat, and should see her move into the strawweight top three to position her nicely for a future shot at the title.
Steve Garcia made full use of his short-notice co-main event billing to stop SeungWoo Choi in 96 seconds, while lightweight vet Kurt Holobaugh outpointed Kaynan Kruschewsky to claim victory in his 30th professional bout.
The main card saw a pair of second-round stoppages, as Bruno Silva and Dooho Choi registered TKO finishes in their respective matchups against Cody Durden and Bill Algeo.
The main card kicked off with victory for Hyder Amil, who stopped JeongYeong Lee with strikes in 65 seconds of his featherweight matchup.
UFC Vegas 94: Official results
MAIN CARD
- Virna Jandiroba def. Amanda Lemos via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 4:48
- Steve Garcia def. SeungWoo Choi via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:36
- Kurt Holobaugh def. Kaynan Kruschewsky via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Bruno Silva def. Cody Durden via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:58
- Dooho Choi def. Bill Algeo via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:38
- Hyder Amil def. JeongYeong Lee via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:05
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Cody Gibson def. Brian Kelleher via submission (arm triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:58
- Miranda Maverick def. Dione Barbosa via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Trey Ogden def. Loik Radzhabov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Luana Carolina def. Lucie Pudilova via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Thomas Petersen def. Mohammed Usman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)