Melissa Mullins was submitted on her return to the UFC by Brazilian Bia Mesquita as the British fighter suffered more heartbreak in Las Vegas.
Mullins, 34, was fighting four months after she was in tears on the scales at UFC London having narrowly made the weight.
That hometown fight for Mullins was cancelled when her opponent failed to make weight, and it was another diffcult night for the bantamweight as she was submitted in the first round on Saturday.
Mullins started strongly, pressuring Mesquita with some heavy striking, and she caught her with a big left hand that badly wobbled the Brazilian.
It looked like Mullins would be getting a big win against an undefeated fighter.
Mullins, however, let the contest go to the ground and Mesquita – a world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu – was able to buy time to clear her head before moving herself into an armbar position, forcing Mullins to tap.
Speaking after the loss, Mullins said: “For me I performed like I had never before. Ended up in the game of a female who is the best of what she does.
“I couldn’t be happier with my camp or peformance prior to the result. Hate this game but love fighting.”
Mullins moves to a 7-3 record in the UFC since her debut in 2023.
In the main event of the night, Manuel Kape ended a decade-long wait for revenge when he knocked out Kyoji Horiguchi in the third round of their flyweight contest.
The Angolan-Portuguese, who lost to Horiguchi in 2017, will now be hoping for a title fight against Joshua Van.
“Kyoji’s an amazing fighter, maybe the best fighter I ever fought in my life,” Kape said.
“I want to be like him and if I’m here in this position it’s because of Kyoji.
“One thing about me, I never give up.”
