Brazilian Dione Barbosa started UFC Oklahoma City on the right foot. In the first fight of the event, held on Saturday night (18), the Pernambuco native finished Anna Melisano with a rear-naked choke in the first round, in a duel valid for the flyweight division (up to 56,7 kg). With the result, 'Bruxa' achieved her second consecutive victory in the organization and moved closer to the category ranking.
Dione Barbosa wins by submission in the first round.
First-round submission for @DioneBarbosaMMA at #UFCOKC ! 🔥
Who enjoyed the Brazilian's victory? 🇧🇷
[Live only on @ParamountPlusBR ] pic.twitter.com/ovR1FaqIq5
— UFC Brazil (@UFCBrasil) July 18, 2026
From the first minute, Dione imposed her ground game. The Brazilian sought the takedown, made the necessary adjustments, and took Melisano to the ground. Maintaining her record of taking down every opponent she has faced in the UFC, 'Bruxa' controlled the action on the ground, applied constant pressure with ground and pound strikes, and neutralized any reaction from her rival. In the final stretch of the first round, she took her opponent's back and, despite her opponent's attempt to defend, locked in a rear-naked choke to secure the victory by submission.
See too
The result extends the good run of form for the Pernambuco native, who was coming off a victory over Melissa Gatto by majority decision. At 34 years old, Dione secured her fourth win in six UFC fights and reinforced her reputation as one of the leading judo specialists in the flyweight division (up to 56,7 kg). With this dominant performance, the Brazilian takes another step closer to climbing the division's rankings.
Undefeated athlete debuts with devastating knockout in the first round.
THE HAMMER 🔨
RJ Harris earns the big RD1 knockout with a stellar performance in his debut!
[ #UFCOKC is LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/V1oCrIbinl
— UFC (@ufc) July 18, 2026
From the very first seconds, RJ Harris He showed he wouldn't feel the pressure of his debut. While Hines tried to control the center of the octagon with low kicks, the newcomer responded with excellent distance reading and began landing counter punches. After neutralizing his opponent's initial attacks, he landed a powerful uppercut that knocked him down. Without giving him any chance to recover, he went on an intense ground and pound attack until forcing the referee to stop the fight in the first round.
Undefeated in his career, the American arrives in the UFC surrounded by expectation after standing out in the LFA for his aggressive style and high knockout rate. With a dominant performance right in his debut, Harris confirms his status as a promising fighter and presents a strong calling card for the organization.
Results from UFC Oklahoma City
MAIN CARD
Middleweight (up to 83,9 kg): Dricus Du Plessis defeated Kamaru Usman by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
Middleweight (up to 83,9 kg): Christian Leroy Duncan defeated Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Chase Hooper defeated Mitch Ramirez by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:15 of round 1.
Strawweight (up to 52,1 kg): Fatima Kline defeated Tabatha Ricci by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Tommy McMillen defeated Alberto Montes by technical knockout (punches) at 3:29 of round 3.
PRELIMINARY CARD
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Jose Miguel Delgado defeated Austin Bashi by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani defeated Seok Hyeon Ko by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Light heavyweight (up to 92,9 kg): Felipe Negão defeated Levi Rodrigues Jr. by technical knockout (punches) at 1:40 of round 2.
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Ezra Elliott defeated Damien Anderson by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Flyweight (up to 56,7 kg): Alden Coria defeated Stewart Nicoll by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Heavyweight (up to 120,2 kg): RJ Harris defeated Alvin Hines by technical knockout (punches) at 1:40 of round 1.
Flyweight (up to 56,7 kg): Dione Barbosa defeated Anna Melisano by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:04 of round 1.
Exclusive: Michael PQD talks about his brutal UFC debut victory.
Comments