Josefine Knutsson and Giulia Polastri at the UFC Las Vegas 93 weigh-in. Credit: Youtube/UFC
Contender Series alumnus Giulia Polastri has appeared on the show twice, first against Jasmine Yasdavicius and then in a rematch last year, but makes her UFC debut against Josefine Knutsson at UFC Las Vegas 93 on Saturday.
The bout between the two fighters was originally scheduled for March but was postponed for several months after Knutsson, an unbeaten strawweight prospect, withdrew from the fight.
As the bout began, the two exchanged kicks. Knutson kept Polastri at bay with kicks, including deep kicks to the body. Knutson attacked with flurries of punches, including knees in the clinch. Polastri let Knutson dictate the pace, while Knutson relaxed and landed only a steady supply. Knutson’s push kicks to the body forced Polastri to back off every time she moved forward. In the final seconds, Polastri got a takedown. She quickly got in mount and landed some really good elbows. It may have been too late to win the round.
In the second round, Josefine Knutsson again combined her kicks and handling to attack. Knutsson mixed kicks to the head, body, and legs. Polastri took advantage of Knutsson’s opening and got a clean takedown. From behind, blood was pouring from Knutsson’s right eye. Lacking concentration, Knutsson swung her legs around, taking Polastri to the ground. The referee paused the bout, then returned to the mat to resume the bout. Knutsson attempted another illegal kick, but Polastri avoided it and moved to half guard. Knutsson applied a modified triangle choke, but it was never close, and the round ended there.
In the final round, Knutson wanted to go back to kicking. Knutson had the clear advantage in the stand-up. Polastri fought back but didn’t land any hits. Knutson threw combinations and Polastri ducked to catch them. With two minutes left, Polastri went for a takedown. Knutson defended with a whizzer but made the mistake of holding on too long and Polastri lost the match. Polastri went for an arm triangle from the other side. As she tried to cross to the other side, Knutson reversed and got top position. The match ended with Knutson firing a barrage of punches against the cage.
The score sheet showed that all three judges agreed and scored in Knutson’s favor.
Official result: Josefine Knutsson defeats Julia Polastri by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
