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Carli Judice defeated Nicolle Caliari via third-round TKO (knee to the body and punches) at UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier 3 on July 19, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Fight Breakdown
- Rounds 1 & 2: Fighting in front of her home-state crowd, Lafayette native Carli Judice put on a dominant, highly technical striking clinic. Knowing Caliari’s heavy grappling intentions, Judice expertly stuffed seven of Caliari’s eight takedown attempts. She used crisp punching combinations and targeted knee strikes to keep the distance, controlling the pace for the first 10 minutes.
- Round 3 Stoppage: Early in the final round, Caliari briefly secured her only takedown, but Judice escaped back to her feet almost instantly. At the 1:30 mark, Judice backed Caliari up with a punch combination and stepped in with a perfectly timed, brutal knee directly to Caliari’s liver. Caliari folded immediately and fell to the canvas, where Judice followed up with a few quick punches before the referee stopped the bout.
Historic Significance
With this stoppage, Judice earned a Performance of the Night bonus and became the first female fighter in UFC history to secure promotional TKO/KO wins using both a kick (in her previous bout) and a knee strike.