LAS VEGAS – Denise Gomes beat Yazmin Jauregui with a first-round knockout Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Gomes, who pulled off one of the night’s biggest upsets and handed Jauregui the first loss of her career in record-setting fashion.
Denise Gomes vs. Yazmin Jauregui
Result: Denise Gomes def. Yazmin Jauregui via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:20
Updated records: Gomes (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) def. Yazmin Jauregui (10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Key stats: Gomes 20-second finish was the fastest in UFC women’s strawweight history.
Gomes on the fight's key moment
“It was a surprise for me (to finish that fast). I knew that I had the potential – I was going to come into the UFC and actually break some records. But to actually start like this is a very cool thing. It doesn’t matter what happens – people are always going to doubt. I have a lot of respect for the opponent, but you come in to win no matter what. If people think I’m going to lose or think I’m going to win, my respect is going to be the same.”
Gomes on fighting in front of a big Vegas crowd
“It is different. The energy is just up there – it’s so high. I’ve worked to prepare myself to not actually let it get to me. We worked (on that) a lot, but I can’t lie: The energy there is just surreal. It’s just pretty amazing.”
Gomes on what she wants next
“The sooner (I fight again), the better. I want to show people how much I’ve evolved. We’re always looking to evolve. As soon as we can fight, we’re going to do it. We have plans when we go in there, and I want to show with each fight that there’s been evolution as a fighter. Even though we have a game plan – and we do; believe me – whenever we get in there, there’s a surprise, even for myself. As long as it’s a good surprise, I’m in for it.”
To hear more from Gomes, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.
