UFC 318: Carli Judice vs Nicolle Caliari

Carli Judice lit up the early prelims at UFC 318, held on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, with a powerful and decisive performance against Nicolle Caliari.

From the opening bell, Judice showcased her striking prowess—landing crisp body kicks and straight punches that visibly slowed Caliari. After surviving Caliari’s takedown attempts in Round 2, Judice pressed forward with renewed aggression in Round 3. A perfectly timed knee to the liver dropped Caliari instantly, and Judice followed up with ground-and-pound to seal the TKO at 1 minute 30 seconds of the third round.

With this victory, Judice became the first woman in UFC history to record finishes via both a kick and a knee—having previously knocked out Yuneisy Duben with a head kick in March—extending her perfect finish rate and improving to 2‑1 in the UFC and 5‑2 overall. Caliari suffered her second straight UFC defeat, dropping to 0‑2.

Judice’s knockout was a thing of beauty—balancing reach, timing, and brutal power to dominate the flyweight showdown.

Post-Fight Thoughts – Carli Judice:

“I knew I had the shot. When she dropped her elbow a bit, I just let that knee fly and it landed flush. Fighting in New Orleans, my people, my family—it gave me the fire. This one’s for Louisiana!”

Judice improves to 5–2 overall, 2–1 in the UFC, keeping her 100% finish rate alive. Caliari falls to 0–2 in the UFC, and may be facing pressure to get back in the win column.