The UFC 287 preliminary fight card featured a bout between ranked strawweights. No. 10 Michelle Waterson faced No. 15 ranked Luana Pinheiro.
Waterson entered the match hoping to stop a two-fight skid and find footing after losing in four of her last five outings. Pinheiro was looking to moved up the rankings and take out a ranked veteran in the division and extend her winning streak to nine fights.
Waterson-Gomez took the center of the cage and worked to keep Pinheiro on the outside with jabs and front kicks. She delivered leg kicks while Pinheira looked to land a big shot. Waterson-Gomez connected with a head kick and a spinning back elbow in the opening round. Late in the frame, Waterson-Gomez knocked Pinheiro down with a high front kick. In the closing seconds, Pinheiro exploded forward with a clean right hand followed by a combination. It wasn’t enough to win the round, but it stopped the momentum of Waterson-Gomez.
Waterson-Gomez landed a big right hand early in the second frame. She stepped into the pocket and connected with a front kick to the face. Pinheiro answered with leg kicks. Waterson-Gomez can’t began to react powerful leg kicks from Pinheiro. Pinheiro pressed forward and inflicted damage in the clinch. Once separated, Pinheiro went back to delivering leg kicks. Every punch Pinheiro threw had fight-ending intentions. The round ended with the two exchanging in the center of the octagon.
Waterson-Gomez came out aggressive in the final round. She stood sideways and delivered side kicks. She changed levels and looked to get Pinheiro to the ground. Pinheiro quickly got back to her feet and the two battled inside the clinch. Waterson-Gomez launched a high volume output even though most did not land. The tactic briefly nullified Pinheiro’s offense. Waterson-Gomez outworked Pinheiro and secured a takedown in the final seconds.
The judges scored the bout for Pinheiro by split decision. The scorecards read 29-28, 28-29, and 29-28 for Pinheiro. The crowd didn’t agree.
UFC 287 Live Results: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2
Luana Pinheiro extends winning streak with split decision over Michelle Waterson-Gomez at UFC 287
