Alice Ardelean went all-in to get first UFC win: 'My face looks terrible'
Alice Ardelean went all-in to get first UFC win: 'My face looks terrible' Ardelean won Fight of the Night for her win over Rayanne Dos Santos to open UFC on ESPN 68
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Alice Ardelean went all-in to get first UFC win at UFC Vegas 107
UFC on ESPN 68 winner Alice Ardelean talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight after her victory over Rayanne dos Santos in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS – Alice Ardelean met the media Saturday after her win over Rayanne Dos Santos at UFC on ESPN 68.
Ardelean (10-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC) upset Dos Santos (14-9 MMA, 0-3 UFC) in their women's strawweight bout to open the event at the UFC Apex. Dos Santos was more than a 2-1 favorite, but Ardelean pulled off the upset for the first win of her UFC career – and walked away with Fight of the Night, too.
"What a battle," Ardelean told MMA Junkie shortly after her win. "I feel amazing. I mean, my face looks terrible, but I feel amazing having my first win in the UFC – everyone's dream, and my dream came true."
Ardelean's UFC tenure started with back-to-back decision losses in 2024. She said that left her with some question about if she had what it takes to fight at the UFC level.
But Saturday may have answered those queries.
"I had a lot of doubts – especially after my last fight. Straight away, after I came back from the cage, I was like, 'I'm done with this. It's too painful.' It's a lot of pain you take (as a fighter). But I said, 'You know what? I have one more chance. One more fight. Let's go. I'll put everything into it.'
"I worked from the smallest thing to the biggest thing and said this is my last chance. If I don't get this, I might not be good enough and that's a thing – I have to accept it and move down and fight in some other events (outside the UFC), because I love fighting. This is my life. That was my thought, and I put everything into it. I'm proud of myself."
Check out Ardelean's post-fight news conference in the video above.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
UFC full fight: Merab Dvalishvili upsets Umar Nurmagomedov in first title defense
UFC full fight: Merab Dvalishvili upsets Umar Nurmagomedov in first title defense Merab Dvalishvili surprised many in his first fight as UFC champion. Many thought Umar Nurmagomedov was bound to be champion, so much in fact that Merab Dvalishvili was labeled an underdog in their bout despite being the champion. Back in January at UFC 311, Dvalishvili entered his first title defense against a very promising Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of the pay-per-view card. Dvalishvili had a tough fight in the first couple of rounds, but then went on to dominate and overwhelm Nurmagomedov to win a unanimous decision. You can re-watch Dvalishvili's first defense of his UFC bantamweight belt in the video above. Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) returns to the octagon this Saturday for his second title defense. He takes on Sean O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who he beat to get the UFC bantamweight title in September, in the main event of UFC 316 (ESPN+ pay-per-view) at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
UFC full fight: Merab Dvalishvili upsets Umar Nurmagomedov in first title defense
Many thought Umar Nurmagomedov was bound to be champion, so much in fact that Merab Dvalishvili was labeled an underdog in their bout despite being the champion. Back in January at UFC 311, Dvalishvili entered his first title defense against a very promising Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of the pay-per-view card. Dvalishvili had a tough fight in the first couple of rounds, but then went on to dominate and overwhelm Nurmagomedov to win a unanimous decision. Advertisement You can re-watch Dvalishvili's first defense of his UFC bantamweight belt in the video above. Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) returns to the octagon this Saturday for his second title defense. He takes on Sean O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who he beat to get the UFC bantamweight title in September, in the main event of UFC 316 (ESPN+ pay-per-view) at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC full fight: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
Forbes
8 hours ago
- Forbes
Maycee Barber's Coach Says She Begged Team Not To Cancel UFC Fight
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 31: Maycee Barber has her hands wrapped prior to her fight during the UFC ... More Fight Night event at UFC APEX on May 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC) Maycee Barber was moments away from making the walk to the Octagon for her main event fight opposite Erin Blanchfield on the UFC Vegas 107 fight card when a medical issue left Barber unable to compete. According to Barber's coach, the highly ranked women's flyweight competitor begged her team to allow her to fight on Saturday night before the fight was called off. 'For the record, Maycee did not pull out of her fight,' Barber's coach Cody Donovan wrote on Instagram. 'She refused to surrender in spite of what was happening to her medically. As a coaching staff, we decided to call the doctor in. Even as she begged us not to. What we saw was just too dangerous. I am proud of the bravery she showed in the face of a medical emergency. Most fighters would have ran for door. When they tell the story of @mayceebarber this will be the Goliath that she got to overcome on her road to greatness. God is good." Instagram - Cody Donovan MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 09: Maycee Barber prepares to face Katlyn Cerminara in a flyweight fight ... More during the UFC 299 event at Kaseya Center on March 09, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) During the prelim portion of the UFC Vegas 107 card, UFC commentator Megan Olivi reported on the medical issues that had kept Barber out of the Octagon since her win over Cerminara. "A myriad of very serious health issues have plagued the UFC flyweight," Olivi said. "In fact, it resulted in an 11-day hospitalization. She had over a dozen rounds of IV antibiotics, and she was diagnosed with things like Epstein-Barr [Syndrome], Mono, and toxic levels of mercury in her blood. "They brought in a Colorado infectious disease specialist to see if they could diagnose and treat whatever was going on with her, and still, to this day, Barber doesn't really have any answers. "However, they were able to find a combination of medicine to help control all the things that were happening inside here., to help her feel better and to get back to training and competing. But yesterday, it was obvious. The time away, paired with all those health issues, really resulted in difficulty in making weight." Olivi then related that she had spoken to Blanchfield after Barber weighed in a half-pound heavy for the 135-pound bout. During that conversation, Blanchfield told Olivi she was concerned that Barber would not be able to make the walk to the Octagon for the fight. Ultimately, Blanchfield's fears became a reality. "Not what I had planned for a Sunday post," Barber posted on Instagram. "Thank you to everyone for the prayers & support I owe an apology to @ufc @mickmaynard2 @danawhite @seanshelby & @blanchfield_mma ** PS my life is not messy this is just a bad hand. We will get to the bottom of it all and be back 🤍" Maycee Barber Instagram Barber's post included video of her being taken out of the UFC Apex on a stretcher. Blanchfield's management team reported that she will be paid her full show and win money for UFC Vegas 107. There has been no reporting on if Barber will receive any of her purse for Saturday's fight card. UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko was on hand for the card because the fight could have determined her next opponent. Blanchfield is ranked No. 4 in the official UFC women's flyweight rankings, while Barber checks in at No. 5. The next event on the UFC schedule is UFC 316 on Saturday.
