Jacinta Austin captured the UAE Warriors Strawweight Championship on Tuesday, handing Valentina Escobar her first pro loss with a split decision result after five rounds.
After a close start to the fight, a pivot to mainly focusing on kickboxing allowed Austin to pull away on scorecards and win the bout.
In the first and second rounds of the fight, Escobar was the aggressor in stand-up positions. Austin took the fight to the ground many times in the opening minutes, seeking control of the fight on the canvas instead of trading on the feet.
While Austin was able to put together control time in the first and second rounds, Escobar kept the Australian title challenger guessing. Escobar tried for crafty submissions like kneebars and armbars from her back, often forcing Austin to defend despite being in a top position.
After a pair of back-and-forth rounds, the fight became much more successful for Austin by the third round.
Austin started to gain a more controlling lead in the fight after focusing on a stand-up fighting style. She became an aggressive puncher against Escobar, leading the bout in striking positions. Austin’s success on the feet continued through the championship rounds and allowed her to earn the decision.
The decision win continued a strong year for Austin. In March, the Sydney-based talent rounded out a three-fight run in European promotion OKTAGON with a victory over former Invicta FC title challenger Karolina Wojcik.
Just five months before her UAE Warriors title opportunity, Austin had gained another belt in her home country. She went the distance in May against Amena Hadaya, earning her the Eternal MMA Strawweight Championship.
Austin now heads into 2025 on a three-fight winning streak, with a pair of five-round victories to her name.
26-year-old Escobar walked into Tuesday night with a flawless record of six wins since her 2022 debut.
Here are the quick results from UAE Warriors 55:
Bout 12: Khotam Boynazarov def. Tahir Abdullaev via Decision, Unanimous (UAE Warriors Welterweight Championship)
Bout 11: Jacinta Austin def. Valentina Escobar via Decision, Split (Vacant UAE Warriors Strawweight Championship)
Bout 10: Bruno Machado def. Eduardo Garagorri via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 3:32)
Bout 9: Tarek Suleiman def. Ole Magnor via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 8: Rodrigo Cavalheiro Correia def. Erkin Darmenov via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:53)
Bout 7: Ali Iksender Aliyev def. Magomedrasul Khakhulmagomedov via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 0:45)
Bout 6: Amir Hossein Alipour def. Robson Gracie Jr. via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 5: Kamron Ortikov def. Murad Maganaev via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 4: Abdulla Al Bousheiri def. Ole-Jorgen Mandt Johnsen via Decision, Split
Bout 3: Diego Dias def. Aigun Akhmedov via Submission, Triangle Choke (RD 2, 4:28)
Bout 2: Akbarjon Islomboev def. Ben Royle via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 1:31)
Bout 1: Ullubiy Amirzhanov def. Samir Akhmedov via Submission, Ninja Choke (RD 2, 0:59)
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