Viktoriya Dudakova defeated Istela Nunes via TKO (injury), Round 1 - 0:34 at UFC Vegas 77 on Saturday, July 15, 2023, live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV.
The fight only lasted 34 seconds before a horrific injury forced the fight to end. Dudakova shot for an early takedown. Dudakova grabbed a single leg and easily brought Nunes to the ground. Unfortunately, for Nunes, when she went to brace herself with her left arm as she was being taken to the ground, her arm snapped in half right around the elbow. The arm bent at a scary angle that left Nunes in screaming pain and her arm hanging in different directions. Immediately, Dudakova released her takedown and got out of the way as doctors rushed into the Octagon to tend to Nunes.
Warning: The video below contains graphic images
BRUTAL #UFCVegas77 pic.twitter.com/iUvUVIa2nI
— danawhite (@danawhite) July 16, 2023
WOWWWWW #UFCVegas77 pic.twitter.com/6DBrwzaSLp
— Amy Kaplan (@PhotoAmy33) July 16, 2023
UFC fighters reacted to the injury, with many wishing Nunes a speedy recovery.
Ohh I feel so bad for Istela Nunes. 😖 Especially because I think that was her last chance to prove that she deserves her spot in UFC.
— Diana Belbiță (@DianaBelbita) July 16, 2023
I hope she will get another chance
#UFCVegas77
That fucking arm !!!! 😅😅
— C H🖕🏽T O🇪🇨V E R A (@chitoveraUFC) July 16, 2023
Ughhhh that was bad
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) July 16, 2023
I hope she heals quickly. I hate to see that. #UFCVegas77
— Cody Durden (@Cody_Durden) July 16, 2023
Awwwww that arm. I could feel the pain #UFCVegas77
— Thiago Moisés (@ThiagoMoisesMMA) July 16, 2023
I hope She recovers fast!!! Sad #mma #mmatwitter
— Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues (@gregory_mma) July 16, 2023
I know that pain. Nasty arm break and now she’s out a min of a year I’m sure.
— Bodybagz_Pyfer (@joe_pyfer96) July 16, 2023