Watch: Manon Fiorot Stops Jasmine Jasudavicius in 74 Seconds at UFC Vancouver
Former flyweight title challenger Manon Fiorot made a statement at UFC Vancouver on Saturday night, stopping home favorite Jasmine Jasudavicius via first-round TKO at Rogers Arena. The finish came at 1:14 of the opening round, silencing the Canadian crowd and marking a decisive return for the French fighter.
Manon Fiorot Finishes Jasmine Jasudavicius
Fiorot entered the bout looking to bounce back from her first UFC loss, a unanimous decision defeat to champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 315 in May. That setback ended her seven-fight UFC winning streak, which included victories over Rose Namajunas, Erin Blanchfield, and Mayra Bueno Silva. Jasudavicius, ranked fifth in the division, carried a five-fight winning streak into the contest, with her most recent win coming via rear-naked choke submission over former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade.
The fight ended quickly. Fiorot established her range immediately with a sharp jab, controlling distance and preventing Jasudavicius from closing the gap. Midway through the first round, Fiorot landed a clean left hand that rocked the Canadian fighter badly. The former title challenger immediately swarmed with ground strikes, forcing referee Dan Miragliotta to step in and stop the bout.
Jasudavicius protested the stoppage as it happened, questioning the referee’s decision. However, replays confirmed that Fiorot had landed a barrage of unanswered strikes on the ground, with Jasudavicius absorbing significant punishment while her face touched the mat. While some fans debated whether the stoppage came too early, the footage showed Fiorot landing multiple clean shots as Jasudavicius struggled to defend herself effectively.
The victory marked the first time Jasudavicius had been finished in her professional career. The 36-year-old Canadian entered the bout with a 14-3 record and had established herself as a well-rounded grappler with strong wrestling and submission skills, having earned three Performance of the Night bonuses in the UFC.
For Fiorot, the win was the result of significant changes to her training approach. The 35-year-old spent this camp working at Montreal’s TriStar Gym under the guidance of renowned coach Firas Zahabi, marking the first time she had left her hometown to train elsewhere. Speaking at the UFC Vancouver media day, Fiorot described the adjustments she had made. “It was the first time I leave my hometown to train outside,” she explained through an interpreter. “I made new skills and you’ll see Saturday a new Manon with a new game plan and new stuff”.
When asked to elaborate, Fiorot emphasized that the changes were not drastic. “It’s not about big change, just adjustment,” she said. “Little move on my skills, on my striking game and my wrestling game. If I had to say one word, just ‘adjustment'”.
In her post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, Fiorot addressed her mindset following the title loss. “I was a little depressed. It was a bad time. It was a rough time for me, but thankfully I got together with my team and we’re able to recover and get back in here and come back with a big win,” she stated. The performance demonstrated the effectiveness of her work at TriStar, as she was able to land the straight left hand that set up the finish.
The timing of Fiorot’s return was deliberate. She had passed on competing at UFC Paris in September, explaining that it would have been too soon after her defeat. “I didn’t have much opposition for Paris, but to be honest, it was too close and too early after my defeat. I needed more time to refocus on me. It’s really good for me to fight now,” she told reporters.
Regarding her future plans, Fiorot remained focused on taking any opportunity the UFC presents. “To be honest, I don’t care. I just want to fight as soon as possible. And whatever UFC choose for me, I take the fight,” she said during the post-fight press conference. The division’s title picture will clarify next month when Shevchenko defends the flyweight belt against former strawweight champion Weili Zhang at UFC 322 on November 15 in New York.
Fiorot acknowledged having a preference for that title bout. “If I had to choose I’d prefer Valentina win this fight, but I’m really focused on me, and we will see,” she stated. Zhang is vacating the strawweight title to move up and challenge for the flyweight belt, entering the bout on a six-fight winning streak.
With the victory, Fiorot improved to 13-2 overall and 8-1 in the UFC. The quick finish put her back in the title conversation in a competitive flyweight division. Her striking statistics remain impressive, as she lands 5.58 significant strikes per minute with 66% striking defense while absorbing only 3.59 strikes per minute. Her takedown defense stands at 87%, making her difficult to control on the ground.
For Jasudavicius, the loss ended her impressive run and dropped her record to 14-4 overall. The St. Catharines, Ontario native had been looking to secure a title shot with a victory over the second-ranked contender, but the early finish derailed those plans in front of the home crowd.
The UFC Vancouver main card also featured controversy earlier in the evening when referee Miragliotta appeared to make an error in the lightweight bout between Kyle Nelson and Matt Frevola, adding to the discussion around officiating throughout the night.
