LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 12: (RL) Giulia Polastri of Brazil defeats Cory Polastri of Wales in a strawweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hit McKenna. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Welsh strawweight Corey McKenna faced Brazilian Giulia Polastri in the third fight of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 98 preliminary card.
McKenna, once the youngest fighter in the UFC, came out of the gate active, tightening up and hitting his opponent with knees. Polastri regained the advantage and connected with a few knees of his own. The Brazilian was able to reverse positions along the fence, and after about a minute of trading elbows and knees in the clinch, he landed his first few punches.
McKenna turned the match around again, changing levels and going for a double leg takedown. Polastri had the influence to keep her against the fence and maintain the situation. That forced McKenna to go back to fighting in the clinch, add more knees, and swap positions again around the midway point of the round.
Moments later, the two finally returned to center, giving Giulia Polastri a chance to land a flying knee that seemed short. This pair saw the most boxing in the fight up to that point, with both women throwing. Polastri added a low kick and more knees in the clinch, but this time the pair broke after a split second. The round ends with them knocking on the fence for a spell.
During the round, McKenna’s corner urged her not to clinch with Polastri any further.
Polastri landed a kick and McKenna added one of his own to complete the combo early in the second round. Polastri picked a fight with McKenna and eventually bullied her to the fence. After all, McKenna was looking for a throw. When she didn’t have it, “Poppins” changed levels for a more traditional takedown attempt, but it only got stuffed. Polastri then reversed positions, leading to a knee replacement. This time they got out of the cage relatively quickly and went back to style with Polastri shoving McKenna down.
Flipping the script, Polastri landed a short shot and got a takedown at the halfway mark of the second round. While being stuffed, she was able to grab a body lock and fire knees to Cory McKenna’s body and thighs. Maintaining a body lock, Polastri momentarily jumped onto McKenna’s back as he remained standing next to the fence. The Brazilian slid down shortly after, and McKenna held hands to free himself.
Similarly following the first round, McKenna’s corner was satisfied that she was able to avoid a clinch with Polastri. Heading into the third, there was a good chance McKenna would need a finish to get the win. That being said, Polastri went back to beating the Welsh strawweight with a walk. Poppins tried to circle out of the way, but when they came together, Polastri was having more success in the exchange. A left hand connected two minutes into the third, which led to McKenna clinching again, just as her corner had warned. Especially considering her lack of success in the takedown department.
The two finally got on the ground with about 90 seconds left, and McKenna took the lead, but with Polastri moving aggressively off her back, there was never a chance for the much-needed finish. Looking at the scorecard, there was one surprise: Judge Sal D’Amato ruled in McKenna’s favor. Still, Giulia Polastri secured the victory.
Official result: Julia Polastri def. Cory McKenna (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) split decision
