UFC Vegas 88 video: Jaqueline Amorim overcomes terrible referee error, armbars Cory McKenna
Jaqueline Amorim had to wait a little longer than necessary to enjoy the thrill of victory.
In a preliminary strawweight bout at UFC Vegas 88 on Saturday, Amorim had opponent Cory McKenna dead-to-rights with an armbar submission from bottom position, and referee Mike Beltran appeared to agree... before changing his mind.
Beltran could be heard shouting “Stop!” as Amorim attacked with an armbar, only to then tell the fighters to continue competing. Fortunately for Amorim, she did not relinquish the hold completely and moments later she was able to sweep McKenna onto her back and earn the tap-out.
Watch the finishing sequence below.
Jaqueline Amorim locks up the first-round armbar #UFCVegas88
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 16, 2024
(via @espnmma) pic.twitter.com/g6iTOAnnDd
It’s unclear what motivated Beltran to instruct the fighters to stop and then resume the bout, but the end result is Amorim’s first UFC victory and her sixth career submission win. The former Legacy Fighting Alliance strawweight champion improved to 7-1 as a pro.
McKenna (8-3) looked to control the fight with her wrestling early, only to succumb to Amorim’s dangerous jiu-jitsu game. The 24-year-old sees a two-fight win streak snapped and falls to 3-2 inside the octagon.