NEW YORK – Karolina Kowalkiewicz beat Silvana Gomez Juarez with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Take a look inside the fight with Kowalkiewicz, who won for the second time on teh heels of a five-fight skid.
Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Result: Karolina Kowalkiewicz def. Silvana Gomez Juarez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Kowalkiewicz (14-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC), Juarez (11-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
Key stat: Kowalkiewicz landed two takedowns in the first round, which was a UFC best for her.
Kowalkiewicz on the fight's key moment
“My game plan was to take her down. I did it in the first round, but in the second round and third round I couldn’t take her down. I made a lot of mistakes, but I won, so I’m very happy. But on Monday, I know my coach will be very angry at me … because I didn’t take her down (more). This is the biggest mistake.”
Kowalkiewicz on getting back on a winning streak
“The last few years were very, very hard for me. I lost five fights (in a row), and now I’m starting to win again. So I’m very, very happy.”
Kowalkiewicz on what she wants next
“I don’t choose my opponents. If the UFC tells me, ‘You must fight this girl or this girl,’ OK – no problem. Next year, maybe I want to fight three times – we’ll see.”
To hear more from Kowalkiewicz, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.