Monthly Report | March 2025

Alexia Thainara wasn’t originally supposed to make her UFC debut in London opposite beloved Brit “Meatball” Molly McCann, but visa issues forced compatriot Istela Nunes out of the matchup, opening the door for the Ribas Family representative to make the transatlantic voyage and step into the Octagon for the first time.

And few have maximized their debut efforts better than “Burguesinha” so far this year.

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From dancing and vibing throughout her walk to her celebratory dive onto the canvas, Thainaraenjoyed every minute of her first UFC experience. She looked excited, but not overwhelmed; energized, but not on tilt, and she absolutely took it to McCann from Jump Street, ultimately finishing the former Cage Warriors champ in the waning moments of the opening round.

In both the striking and grappling realms, the Brazilian was a step, maybe a step-and-a-half ahead, operating without hesitation or real concern for what was coming back her way; fighting like someone that had made that walk several times before, not a promotional newcomer. For me, those are telltale signs that someone has a real chance to climb the ranks early in their UFC careers, and that appears to be the case with Thainara.

A member of last season’s graduating class from Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS), Thainara has benefited from a pair of booking changes in her two UFC-related bouts. She was initially paired off with Fatima Kline last season before the New Jersey native was called up to face Jasmine Jasudavicius in Denver, paving the way for the charismatic 27-year-old to thoroughly out-work Rose Conceição and earn her contract before the opportunity to face McCann fell in her lap. 

The strawweight division feels like it’s at the very start of a youth movement, one that will reshape the landscape of the 115-pound ranks over the next couple years, and after a dynamic opening appearance, it wouldn’t be surprising if Thainara as very much a part of that ascending group and eventually finds herself a cozy little place in the rankings. 

Honorable Mentions: Sam Patterson, Mario Pinto, Magomed Ankalaev, Ignacio Bahamondes, Carlos Leal, Kevin Vallejos, David Martínez, Ateba Gautier

Submission of the Month: Shauna Bannon Survives, Submits Puja Tomar (UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Brady)

A little over two minutes into the second round of her clash with Puja Tomar in London, Shauna Bannon gestured, for the second time in 20 seconds, to referee Lukasz Bosakci, about kicks from Tomar that she felt were landing low. Moments later, Tomar went high, putting her left shin across the jaw and neck of Bannon, causing her to crumple to the canvas. 

It felt like a fight-ending blow, and Bosaski charged forward to get a close look as Tomar pounced and tried to pound out a finish. But Bannon had her wits about her enough to corral her opponent when she made the mistake of shifting her attack to the ground, initially tying her up to clear the cobwebs before deciding to get offensive off her back.

RELATED: Shauna Bannon Submits Puja Tomar

After Bannon regained her guard, Tomar postured up, standing with her arms extended, prompting Paul Felder to state on the broadcast, “She’s gotta watch her arms here.” Unfortunately, Tomar couldn’t hear “The Iron Lung” on comms, because he was bang on.

Bannon climbed her guard a little higher and then collected Tomar’s right leg with her left arm, off-balancing her to where she fell to the canvas, allowing the Irish strawweight to attack an armbar. Initially, Tomar defended properly, getting as tall as she could while working to get her arm out of danger, but when she lingered and looked to stack Bannon up, she actually putherself deeper into the hold, allowing “Mama B” to begin shifting her hips, extending the arm, and ultimately secure the tap.

This was an absolute “snatching victory from the jaws of defeat” moment for Bannon, who was rightfully ebullient following the win, and a massive learning moment for Tomar, who was as close to landing one of the best knockouts of the month as you can be while still ending up on the wrong side of the results. 

By the way: Felder called that Tomar had put herself back into serious trouble just before the tap, too. He’s absolutely tremendous as an analyst.

RELATED: Shauna Bannon's Post Fight Interview

Honorable Mentions: Bahamondes vs. Jalin Turner, Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Cody Gibson, Brendson Ribeiro vs. Diyar Nurgozhay, Carlos Vera vs. Josias Musasa, Andre Lima vs. Daniel Barez, Sean Brady vs. Leon Edwards, Chris Duncan vs. Jordan Vucenic, Edgar Chairez vs. CJ Vergara

Knockout of the Month: Mauricio Ruffy Wipes Out King Green (UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev)

When I spoke with Caio Borralho last year ahead of his main event clash with Jared Cannonier, he told me that Mauricio Ruffy was the most gifted fighter he has ever seen, which was high praise from the first member of the thriving Fighting Nerds squad to make an impact in the UFC.

In his first appearance after that conversation, Ruffy battled to a decision with late replacement opponent James Llontop, a fellow DWCS grad who tagged in for Charlie Campbell and came in a little north of the 165-pound catchweight limit. He won, but not in the manner many expected, and with far less flair than he showed in his debut stoppage win over Jamie Mullarkey a few months earlier at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro.

RELATED: Mauricio Ruffy Knocks Out King Green

At UFC 313, Ruffy showed why Borralho was quick to sing his praises.

Paired off with King Green in a main card measuring stick fight, Ruffy stung the veteran midway through the opening round with a straight right hand that caused Green to start reaching for a get-back. The Brazilian stayed calm, continued working to back the Californian towards the fence and herd him with pawing left hooks that would lead him into another right hand. After working him backwards behind the tram line, Ruffy began pawing with his lead hand once more, but this time, it was a distraction.

The long lightweight spun into a wheel kick that landed flush and sent Green face-first into the canvas, immediately ending the fight. 

Ruffy is a fascinating fighter to track in the lightweight division, as he’s dynamic on the feet and fights with undeniable panache. The win over Green resets where his floor rests in the talent-rich 155-pound ranks, but his ceiling has yet to be determined, and the way he and the rest of the team has been going of late, it’s hard not to project the 28-year-old being the next member of the Sao Paulo-based outfit to move into the Top 15.

This was the kind of performance that gets you a major opportunity next time out, so it’s going to be interesting to see who ends up standing across the Octagon from Ruffy later this year.

Order UFC 314: Volkanovski vs Lopes 

Honorable Mentions: Patterson vs. Danny Barlow, Mario Pinto vs. Austen Lane, Chidi Njokuanivs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, Waldo Cortes Acosta vs. Ryan Spann, Priscila Cachoeira vs. Josiane Nunes, Carli Judice vs. Yuneisy Duben, Manuel Torres vs. Drew Dober, Gautier vs. Jose Daniel Medina

Fight of the Month: Nasrat Haqparast and Esteban Ribovics Battle It Out (UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev)

There will be times when the top fight of the month is a technical masterpiece full of attacks and counters; a bout between two elite competitors at the peak of their powers, pushing one another to the absolute limit in a display of mixed martial arts at its absolute apex. 

And then sometimes, it’s just gonna be a good old-fashioned fistfight between two durable, competitive talents looking to take another step forward in a crowded field as we had here.

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Haqparast entered on a four-fight winning streak, the best run of his UFC career, except many felt he didn’t quite do enough to get the nod in his bout with Jared Gordon last summer. Ribovics arrived having won his last three, including a split decision win over Daniel Zellhuberat UFC 306 that took home Fight of the Month honors for September and Fight of the Year in our annual year-end staff awards. 

Both were stationed outside the Top 15 in the ultra-deep lightweight division and both looked to use this showcase opportunity on the main card of the opening event of the year to elevate their standing and keep climbing the divisional ladder.

 Over the course of the 15-minute battle, they landed a combined 282 significant strikes (18.8 per minute), with Ribovics throwing an insane 433 shots over the three-round affair. Haqparastwas the much more efficient of the two, landing at a shade under 50 percent on his way to garnering the split decision win, but Ribovics didn’t yield in his pursuit once, further establishing himself as a must-see competitor each time he steps into the Octagon.

This was one of those contests where, despite the loss on his record, the Argentine’s stock still rose, while Haqparast collected a fifth consecutive victory, and should garner another step up in competition next time out as a result.

Honorable Mentions: Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev, Loopy Godinez vs. Julia Polastri