- Natalia Silva scored the knockout of the night Saturday when she finished Tereza Bleda.
- Silva KO'd Bleda with a spinning back to the jaw which has to be seen to be believed.
LAS VEGAS — Natalia Silva ended Tereza Bleda's night early with a spinning back kick to the jaw Saturday at a UFC Fight Night event on ESPN+.
The women's flyweight match kicked off a 12-fight card at the Apex TV studio in Las Vegas, and it was a fight Silva impressed in thanks to the sharp striking she displayed through the three-round fight.
Silva did not have it all her own way, though. Bleda had the edge in the opening round thanks to a takedown and triangle attempt from the bottom position.
Silva started to show her striking variety in the second, landing 37 strikes from 51 attempts in that round alone.
Then, in the third, the Brazilian secured her highlight-reel finish as she landed a flashy, spinning back kick flush on Bleda's face, who looked dazed and confused after the impact.
Silva hit her with afters and, before long, Bleda's mouthguard flew out of her mouth and the referee stepped in to call the fight off. It was all over.
'A thing of beauty'
UFC commentator and former champion Michael Bisping called the shot "a thing of beauty … timed perfectly" when he spoke to her through a translator once the official result was announced.
And it was. It rarely gets better than this for an athlete making her second appearance in the big show.
Watch the knockout right here:
—UFC (@ufc) November 19, 2022
Victory advanced Silva's pro MMA record to 14 wins (four knockouts, seven submissions, and two decisions) against five defeats.
Hiestand, Demopoulos, and Turcios win by decision
Elsewhere on the card, Brady Hiestand, Vanessa Demopoulos, and Ricky Turcios posted victories of their own, all via unanimous decision over separate opponents.
Hiestand outpointed Fernie Garcia in a bantamweight bout, Demopoulos triumphed over Maria Oliveira at strawweight, and Turcios edged Kevin Natividad at 135-pounds after overcoming a violent flying knee.
Watch the epic knee strike right here:
—MMA mania (@mmamania) November 19, 2022
Also on the prelims, Miles Johns defeated Vince Morales by scores of 30-27 and 29-28 (x2), and out-pointed Maryna Moroz.
The show's main event, a heavyweight contest between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac, was canceled at the last minute, according to an official statement from ring announcer Joe Martinez.
Insider understood it is because Lewis fell unwell on the day with a non-COVID and non-weight-cutting issue.
The UFC has a week away for the Thanksgiving holiday before returning with a December 3 event in Orlando.
Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland headline that 15-fight card which also features Rafael dos Anjos, Tai Tuivasa, and Derek Brunson in separate bouts.