"I felt like I was dying" - Female UFC star infuriated with rival's 'malicious' octagon move that left her unable to walk, cough, laugh, or sneeze
UFC Vegas 100 ended in disastrous fashion for women's strawweight contender Luana Pinheiro, who was handed a unanimous decision loss by Gillian Robertson. Unfortunately, it wasn't just the defeat that ruined her evening, it was Robertson's actions during a specific ground sequence.
While stacking Pinheiro on the mat, Robertson battered her buttocks with 12-6 elbows, which enraged Pinheiro and left her with serious damage. The Brazilian felt that her foe's actions were disrespectful and that she would never resort to them were the positions reversed.
In an interview with Ag. Fight, Pinheiro said:
"It's not a move to submit or knock me out, it's not like that. In my view, she did it maliciously with bad intentions, not just during the round but after time was up, she did it again. It wasn't the heat of the moment, she knew where she was hitting."
Moreover, Pinheiro has also revealed that she has been on strong medication since the bout, which took place on Nov. 9.
"I'm on strong medication, today's the last day I'll take them. I can't sit without a cushion or bend my back. I can't exert much force because I feel it there. At first, I couldn't walk, cough or laugh properly and sneezing was agony. I felt like I was dying."
Check out Luana Pinheiro describing the physical pain she was in (16:19 and 23:15):
To make matters worse, the loss has left Pinheiro on a three-fight losing streak, with her previous losses coming against Angela Hill and fellow Brazilian Amanda Ribas. It is a stark reversal of what was previously an excellent run of form in her MMA career, as she was on a 9-fight win streak.
The 12-6 elbows are now legal in the UFC
Just days before UFC Vegas 100, 12-6 elbows were made legal. The most high-profile case of the strike being used was during Jon Jones' disqualification loss to Matt Hamill back in 2009 on 'The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale' in the first round of their encounter.
Jones, while on top of Hamill, resorted to the strike repeatedly, ending in his disqualification as it was an illegal technique at the time. It remains the only loss on Jones' record.