Brazilian professional mixed martial artist Denise Gomes shocked the world this past Saturday (July 8) when she beat undefeated Mexican fighter Yazmin Jauregui in a record-breaking 20 seconds of round 1 at UFC 290. It was the fastest finish in strawweight history.
Six seconds after the opening round began, Gomes landed a pair of powerful right-hand shots to Jauregui’s face that staggered her and then dropped her to the canvas. Gomes then attacked her opponent with a series of left-hand punches that Jauregui could not defend on her knees. Referee Jason Herzog stepped in moments later and stopped the fight with 4:40 left in the round.
“A lot of people underestimated me,” Gomes said. “We knew we were going to win. I didn’t know when it was going to happen but I knew I was going to hurt her and come out with a win.”
Gomes improved to 8-2 record with the victory over Jauregui, who was a 4-1 favorite going into the matchup.
UFC 290 wasn’t a great night for many of the Mexican fighters who stepped into the octagon. Of the five Mexicans who fought, only one, Jesús Santos Aguilar, won their match at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Aguilar knocked out Shannon Ross with a “one-shot stunner” 17 seconds into the first round.
Besides Jauregui, the Mexican fighters who didn’t have a great night were Yair Rodríguez, who lost to Alexander Volkanovski after three rounds; Brandon Moreno, who lost to flyweight championship to Alexandre Pantoja in a split decision; and Edgar Cháirez, who lost to Tatsuro Taira in a unanimous decision.