LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 8: (LR) Opponents Karolina Kowalkiewicz of Poland and Denis Gomez of Brazil compete at UFC Fight Night at UFC APEX on November 8, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada They confront each other during the weigh-in. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Former strawweight title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz faced Denis Gomez on Saturday in a highly anticipated prelim at UFC Vegas 100.
Gomez began her professional fighting career in 2017, and the following year Kowalkiewicz faced fellow Polish star Joanna Jerzejczyk for the UFC 115-pound title.
In the early going, Gomez landed low and body kicks, while Carolina struggled to counter and close the distance. Gomez would pretend (or simply endure) a spinning attack, and the pair would instead exchange kicks and single strikes. Near the halfway mark, Gomez opened up, closed the distance and attacked, adding a knee kick. She then clinched and pursued a takedown despite having an advantage on the feet. Much of the remaining time will be spent fighting and jockeying for position.
In the second round, both fighters returned to the fence, with Gomez taking control and looking for another takedown. She added a knee and tried to score a trip, but Kowalkiewicz was able to turn things around and get her back out of the cage. Still, she was outmatched at range, and Gomez exploded forward, firing long straight kicks and left and right hands. This caused Kowalkiewicz to grab a bodylock and go back to the fence, only to be reversed by Gomez.
Gomez was likely to go up in the third round, leaving Karolina Kowalkiewicz in need of a finish. Instead, the pair were on their toes again, at least for the first 90 seconds. In the center, Kowalkiewicz had some success, using a jab and even going for the body. She tried to back up in the second half of the round and attempted a submission to no avail. In the end, there were no surprises on the scorecards, with Dennis Gomez claiming a unanimous decision victory.
Official result: Denis Gomez def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
