Nora Cornolle shuts down Melissa Mullins with knee, head kicks at UFC Fight Night 240

LAS VEGAS – Nora Cornolle hurt Melissa Mullins with a knee, and she wasted no time to take advantage.

Cornolle (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) hit Mullins (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) with a knee to the liver in short range, then poured on the punishment to hand Mullins the first loss of her career. Cornolle’s finish came at the 3:06 mark of the second round.

Their fight opened UFC Fight Night 240 (ESPN+) on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The bout was at a 138-pound contract weight after both fighters were going to miss weight Friday.

“It feels so good. I’m so happy,” Cornolle said in her post-fight interview. “Melissa, I knew she was tough. The English girls are tough – it’s just a dogfight. That’s what she gave me. I’m so happy I could get the finish.”

After a competitive first round, Cornolle hit Mullins with a head kick midway through the second, and not long after landed the knee. Mullins quickly started to hunch over, and Cornolle moved in with a pair of head kicks and a couple punches once she hit the ground for the finish.

Other than her UFC debut in front of her home fans in Paris in 2023, a decision win over Joselyn Edwards, all of Cornolle’s wins have been finishes.

Check out her latest stoppage, part of her eight-fight winning streak, below.

Action heating up EARLY

Nora Cornolle ends it in Round 2 with the KO! #UFCVegas90 pic.twitter.com/1YEdXvHdbz

— UFC (@ufc) April 6, 2024

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 240.