Jasmine Jasdavičius and Fatima Klein at the UFC Denver weigh-in. Credit: Youtube/UFC
Undefeated Invicta FC star Fatima Klein made her UFC debut on short notice on Saturday, taking on No. 15-ranked women’s flyweight contender Jasmine Yasdavicius at UFC Denver.
As a strawweight, Klein had all the tools to advance in the UFC, even though he was moving up a weight class and facing a taller, more experienced opponent, but 115 pounds was by far the better option.
The bout began with Klein in the center of the cage. It was Jasdavicius who used the distance to land the strikes early on. Klein barely attacked early on, but timed her kicks to take her down. Jasdavicius used the butterfly guard and exploded to her feet, taking Klein on her back. Jasdavicius only landed one hook, but was threatening with an RNC. Klein fought well with her wrists, but was clearly fighting at a size disadvantage. Jasdavicius got on top and landed some hard elbows. Jasdavicius finished the round on Klein’s back, putting her in a lot of pain.
Round two began with Jasdavicius closing in. Klein let go and landed a good right. A hard jab from Jasdavicius landed and Klein landed a good one-two. Jasdavicius continued to apply pressure, landing a straight to the body before pushing her against the cage. Klein reversed Jasdavicius and got into good position, but Jasdavicius was back in full control. She used her size to drag Klein back to the mat and regain control on her back. Jasdavicius landed both hooks and ended the round with an armbar.
In the final round, Klein definitely needed a finish. She came out unleashing a barrage of punches and knew it. She dropped Jasdavicius to her knees. Klein went for it and was met with a hard left and right. Jasdavicius could see Klein’s cardio was failing and finally pushed her against the cage. Jasdavicius got an easy takedown, forcing Klein into a familiar position. Klein tried to use the cage to get up but quickly fell again. Jasdavicius finished the fight on her back, threatening an RNC.
All three judges awarded Jasmine Yasdavicius the victory, with the scorecards scoring 30-27 for the third straight round.
Official result: Jasmine Yasdavičius defeats Fatima Klein by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
