UFC 214 results: Alexandra Albu brawls her way to win over Kailin Curran

While that approach got her face bloodied and bruised, it also got her a win on the scorecards, as Albu (3-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) outpointed Curran (4-5 MMA, 1-5 UFC) in an entertaining brawl to win a unanimous decision victory after three frantic rounds.

Albu didn’t always make the smartest choices in this fight, but she did make them all with a fervent commitment, relying on her athleticism to get her out of a few jams against Curran. After a fast start that saw Albu charge forward behind some heavy combinations, she halted her own momentum by pulling guard in the first round, giving Curran a free chance to work from the top.

Albu would adjust somewhat in the second, taking Curran down and doing some work of her own from the top position, battering Curran with ground-and-pound and at one point shrugging off an illegal upkick that prompted a brief intervention from referee Herb Dean.

But after relying on her own explosive strength to pull her through early, Albu began to tire later in the round, giving Curran a chance to turn the tables in the third frame. A blistering combination of punches and kicks had Albu on the run early, and Curran got further help from some takedowns assisted by Albu’s own questionable choices.

That left Albu looking battered by the time the final horn sounded, but when it went to the judges all three had the fight for Albu by scores of 29-28, giving her a narrow victory in a frenzied contest.

With the win, Albu remains perfect as a professional in her young career. Curran has now lost three straight in the UFC.

Check out UFC 214 results below.

Main card

Jon Jones def. Daniel Cormier via third-round TKO (3:01) 

Tyron Woodley def. Demian Maia via unanimous decision 

Cris Cyborg def. Tonya Evinger via third-round TKO (1:56) 

Robbie Lawler def. Donald Cerrone via unanimous decision 

Volkan Oezdemir def. Jimi Manuwa via first-round KO (0:22) 

Undercard

Ricardo Lamas def. Jason Knight via first-round TKO (4:34)

Aljamain Sterling def. Renan Barao via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 30-26)

Brian Ortega def. Renato Moicano via submission (guillotine) (R3, 2:59)

Calvin Kattar def. Andre Fili via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Alexandra Albu def. Kailin Curran via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Jarred Brooks def. Eric Shelton via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Drew Dober def. Josh Burkman via first-round KO (3:04)