At UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, Russian MMA standout Victoria Lipova delivered a decisive victory over American contender Jean Yu Frey. The match went the distance over three rounds, with the judges unanimously awarding Lipova the win by scores of 29-28 across all three cards. The 24-year-old fighter had entered the bout to the chant I’m Russian by Şaman, a personal touch that underscored her pride before the bout.
With this win, Lipova extended her undefeated run to eight straight victories. Her professional MMA journey began on September 25, 2020, when she defeated fellow Russian Irina Degtyareva. Frey, who is 38 years old, entered the fight with a record showing 11 wins against 10 losses, a profile reflecting a long and storied career in women’s MMA.
In the evening’s main event, Islam Makhachev faced off against Australian challenger Alex Volkanovski. Makhachev claimed the victory via knockout in the opening round, earning a landmark second consecutive title defense. His record now reads 25 wins and one defeat, a tally that cements his status at the top tier of lightweight competition.
There was some notable context to the Abu Dhabi card. Makhachev was originally slated to fight Brazilian star Charles Oliveira, but an injury forced Oliveira to withdraw from the bout, reshaping the event’s strategic matchups and timing.
Additionally, post-fight comments from Duduova revealed that he entered UFC 294 while dealing with a staph infection, a detail that adds to the narrative of the challenging conditions athletes sometimes overcome to compete on this stage. [Citation: UFC Stats and event coverage]