ABU DHABI – Many rising prospects have had their coming out parties spoiled by Katlyn Chookagian – but Manon Fiorot made sure she was not one of them.
In the UFC 280 main card opener, Fiorot (10-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) jabbed and moved her way to a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) win over Chookagian (18-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC).
The bout was closely contested as both women showcased technical striking. Chookagian seemed to edge the exchanges early, with her signature “hut-hut-hut” audible upon each exchange.
Potentially down a round entering the second, Fiorot did not show signs of discouragement. She utilized her side kick and right hand. Chookagian stayed active with her punches, though many missed.
A toss-up entering the final round, Fiorot did just enough to convince the judges to unanimously score a rather lackluster fight in her favor.
The fans in attendance at Etihad Arena weren’t thrilled with what they saw – and they let the fighters hear it.
15 full minutes between two of the world's best flyweights! Who do you think takes it?
[ #UFC280 is Live on @ESPNPlus PPV: https://t.co/c9gmPHvMmB ] pic.twitter.com/PCI6pFa8Lz
— UFC (@ufc) October 22, 2022
#UFC280 results: Manon Fiorot (@ManonFiorot_MMA) def. Katlyn Chookagian via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Full results: https://t.co/ASgbZtcX37 pic.twitter.com/pD6NzWgvov
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) October 22, 2022
With the victory, Fiorot defeats the No.1-ranked women’s flyweight contender in the UFC rankings. A fresh face in the top of the division, Fiorot likely inserts herself into the title conversation.
The loss snaps a four-fight winning streak for Chookagian, whose previous loss came against Jessica Andrade in 2020. She now has four losses at flyweight in the UFC, against Fiorot, Andrade, Shevchenko, and Jessica Eye.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 280 results include:
- Manon Fiorot def. Katlyn Chookagian via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Belal Muhammad def. Sean Brady via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:47
- Caio Borralho def. Makhmud Muradov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Nikita Krylov def. Volkan Oezdemir via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Abubakar Nurmagomedov def. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Armen Petrosyan def. AJ Dobson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Muhammad Mokaev def. Malcolm Gordon via submission (armbar) – Round 3, 4:26
- Karol Rosa def. Lina Lansberg via majority decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.
