Irina Alekseeva makes her debut with a kneebar finish as "Russian Ronda"
Irina Alekseeva missed weight in the weeks leading up to UFC Fight Night 223, but she made up for it in the ring.
At the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday, Alekseeva (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), dubbed "Russian Ronda" in honor of Ronda Rousey, a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, quickly defeated Stephanie Egger (8-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC).
After some early clinch exchanges, Alekseeva rolled into a kneebar and bent Egger's leg, forcing him to submit at the 2:11 point of Round 1.
Alekseeva was pleased with her performance in her octagon debut. With the victory, she became just the fourth female fighter in UFC history to submit her opponent with a kneebar.
In an interview with Daniel Cormier after the fight, Alekseeva said, "I didn't care if she tried to beat the crap out of me; I knew I was going to keep pushing forward." "My will was stronger than hers, and I knew there was nothing she could do to beat me."
The most recent UFC Fight Night 223 results are as follows:
Round 1, 2:11: Irina Alekseeva submits Stephanie Egger (kneebar) to win.
Journey Newson is defeated by Marcus McGhee in Round 2 at 2:03 by submission (rear-naked choke).
Hailey Cowan was defeated by Jamey-Lyn Horth in a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
