UFC Fight Night 260 : Loma Lookboonmee vs Alexia Thainara

The opening bout at UFC Fight Night in Perth set the tone for the evening as Loma Lookboonmee and Alexia Thainara squared off in a clash of striking versus grappling. Right from the first exchange, Lookboonmee used her trademark Muay Thai weapons — stabbing teeps and quick low kicks — to keep Thainara guessing. However, Thainara quickly closed the distance, pushed her opponent toward the fence, and landed the first takedown of the fight, forcing Lookboonmee to defend from half-guard. The Brazilian fighter’s top pressure was heavy, and she dropped short elbows while threatening to pass guard, clearly taking control of the first round.

In the second frame, Thainara built on that momentum. She timed a perfectly set-up single-leg takedown just seconds into the round and smothered Lookboonmee from top position. Though Loma briefly created space and scrambled to her feet, Thainara dragged her back down, this time advancing to side control. She mixed in ground-and-pound with methodical transitions, leaving Lookboonmee struggling to establish any offensive rhythm. The Perth crowd roared as Thainara’s dominance became apparent — her grappling pressure was the deciding factor of the fight.

Round three saw Lookboonmee come out with urgency, firing body kicks and trying to create enough distance to turn the tide. For a brief moment, she managed to reverse position in a scramble and wound up on top, but Thainara remained calm and escaped before any real damage was done. The Brazilian once again found the back, securing hooks and controlling position for nearly the final minute of the fight. Loma’s striking was effective in flashes, but she could not keep Thainara off her long enough to shift the momentum.

When the final horn sounded, there was little doubt who had imposed her game plan more effectively. All three judges scored the bout 30-27 in favor of Alexia Thainara, awarding her a clean sweep on the scorecards. The victory showcased her ability to neutralize a decorated striker with relentless takedowns, clinch work, and positional control.

Speaking after the fight, Thainara credited her team for drilling takedown chains throughout camp, noting that she wanted to “make it a grappling fight from the first second.” The win marks an important step forward for her in the strawweight division, as she demonstrated composure and endurance over three hard rounds. Lookboonmee, meanwhile, showed heart and striking creativity but will likely look to shore up her takedown defense before her next outing.