Jaqueline Amorim experienced a slight delay in celebrating her win. During a strawweight match at UFC Vegas 88 on a Saturday, Amorim caught her opponent, Cory McKenna, in a tight armbar from the bottom position. Initially, referee Mike Beltran seemed to signal the end of the fight… but then, unexpectedly, he reversed his decision.
Beltran was heard yelling “Stop!” as Amorim executed the armbar, only to instruct the fighters to keep going shortly after. Luckily, Amorim maintained her grip. She soon managed to flip McKenna onto her back and secure a submission victory.
You can see the decisive moment of the match below.
The reasons behind Beltran’s mixed signals during the fight remain a mystery. Nonetheless, this win marks Amorim’s first triumph in the UFC and her sixth victory via submission. The ex-Legacy Fighting Alliance strawweight champion now boasts a professional record of 7-1.
On the other side, McKenna (8-3) attempted to dominate the early stages with her wrestling skills but ultimately fell prey to Amorim’s superior jiu-jitsu. The 24-year-old’s two-fight winning streak comes to an end, and her UFC record drops to 3-2.