UFC 276 kicked off with a fight that lasted just 42 seconds and ended with Octagon veteran Jessica-Rose Clark getting her elbow dislocated.
Both Clark and women’s bantamweight opponent Julija Stoliarenko entered the event inside the T-Mobile Arena looking to get back into the win column. However, the pressure was much more on Stoliarenko after the 29-year-old lost her last three bouts. A fourth could very well have led to the end of her tenure in the UFC. She fought like a desperate competitor on Saturday night.
Less than 10 seconds into the bout, Clark landed a right hand that seemed to wobble the Lithuanian and had her looking to avoid big-time follow-up shots. However, she quickly recovered and was able to land some heavy artillery of her own. When Clark looked to respond, Stoliarenko scored on a well-timed double-leg takedown and took the fight to where she had the advantage.
UFC 276 begins with a nasty fight-ending submission
Stoliarenko’s strength as a grappler quickly showed as she passed the guard, worked her way to snatch up Clark’s left arm, and attempt a fight-ending armbar finish. While the 19-fight veteran tried to defend, it was not long before Stoliarenko was able to gain the right leverage and crank Clark’s arm completely in the wrong direction — forcing the tap at 4:19 of the opening round. (Be aware some readers might find the video to be graphic.)
Clark immediately grabbed her elbow after the tap. Hopefully whatever injury she incurred was a dislocation and not any torn elbow ligaments.
The victory moves Stoliarenko’s record to 10-6 overall and is her first win inside the Octagon after four UFC appearances. For Clark, it is a second consecutive loss — both by armbar in the first round. She has lost in four of her last six bouts.
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