Julija Stoliarenko had a lot to prove on a big stage in London, and played spoiler and underdog perfectly in less than two minutes.
In the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 224 at The O2 in London, Stoliarenko (11-7-1 MMA, 2-5 UFC) shared the octagon with Molly McCann (13-6 MMA, 6-5 UFC). It was an underdog role in every sense of the word for Stoliarenko, but she silenced a hostile crowd and tapped out her fan-favorite opponent at 1:55 of the first round.
Stoliarenko tried to get the action going at a fast pace early on, but McCann wasn’t interested in the fight early on. When McCann threw punches, she landed well, but her success didn’t last long.
Stoliarenko decided to take the fight to the ground and quickly took McCann’s back. McCann managed to get rid of her opponent, but she wasn’t out of danger yet. Stoliarenko isolated an arm in the scramble and locked in a deep armbar. McCann attempted to escape, but after turning around she had no choice but to tap the submission hold.
Check out video of the arrival below (via Twitter):
The result was the second victory under the UFC banner in seven fights for Stoliarenko. Her previous victory was similar to Saturday’s result, as she submitted Jessica-Rose Clark in the first round of UFC 276.
On the other side, McCann’s return to England didn’t go as planned. “Meatball” has now lost two straight outings, both ending in the first round. Prior to her current skid, she had three straight wins over Ji Yeon Kim, Luana Carolina, and Hannah Goldy.
The most recent results from UFC Fight Night 224 include:
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Julija Stoliarenko defeated. Molly McCann via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:55
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Nathaniel Wood won. Andre Fili via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Paul Craig beats. Andre Muniz via TKO (elbows) – Round 2, 4:40
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Fares Ziam defeated. Jai Herbert by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
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Lerone Murphy beats. Josh Culibao by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
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Daniel Marcos beats. Davey Grant via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
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Jonny Parsons beats. Danny Roberts TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:57
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Joel Alvarez beats. Marc Diakiese via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 4:26
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Mick Parkin beats. Jamal Pogues via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Makhmud Muradov defeats. Bryan Barberena via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Ketlen Vieira defeats. Pannie Kianzad via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
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Chris Duncan beats. Yanal Ashmouz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
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Bruna Brasil beats. Shauna Bannon by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
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Jafel Filho beats. Daniel Barez via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 1:34
More UFC!
UFC Fight Night 224 play-by-play and live results
UFC Fight Night 224 results: Nathaniel Wood overcomes adversity, defeats Andre Fili in turbulent brawl
UFC Fight Night 224 results: Paul Craig shines in middleweight debut with second-round TKO of Andre Muniz
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s Event Hub for UFC Fight Night 224.
The story originally appeared on MMA Junkie