<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13317701" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="maryna-moroz" source="Orion">Maryna Moroz</keyword> beat Mariya Agapova at <keyword id="11922275" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ufc" source="Orion">UFC</keyword> 272 and gave emotional statements to reporters backstage.</li><li>Moroz said she had been crying all week because of the situation in her home country <keyword id="11985141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ukraine" source="Orion">Ukraine</keyword>.</li></ul>LAS VEGAS — Ukraine athlete <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/maryna-moroz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maryna Moroz</a> cried before her <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC</a> match Saturday because of nerves, pressure, and how terrible the situation is in her home country."I have a lot of pressure, I'm nervous," she told reporters at a media event Insider attended after the conclusion of Saturday's UFC 272 event inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas."All this week, I feel nervous, I cry. But I try to focus. It was really hard for me. That I see in Ukraine how terrible the situation is. My heart hurts. But I did it. I focused, and I fight."The 30-year-old rose above any potential distractions to <a href="https://www.insider.com/maryna-moroz-scores-submission-win-at-ufc-272-gives-emotional-speech-2022-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">excel in her women's flyweight match against Mariya Agapova</a>.Moroz asserted her authority by out-grappling Agapova in the first round and beating Kazakh opponent Agapova with an arm-triangle choke midway through the second.But events in Eastern Europe were never far from her mind.She walked to the Octagon while holding the Ukraine flag, gave an emotional post-fight speech, and frequently spoke about it to Insider and other reporters.Russia shelled multiple Ukraine cities since invading February 24, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-united-nations-general-assembly-volodymyr-zelenskyy-soccer-sports-7456cc05797d72960257a8ac75654d98#:~:text=The%20U.N.%20human%20rights%20office,impossible%20to%20verify%20the%20claim." target="_blank" rel="noopener">caused the civilian deaths of hundreds — if not thousands — of people</a> since then, and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/top-wrap-1-europes-largest-nuclear-power-plant-fire-after-russian-attack-mayor-2022-03-04/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seized Europe's biggest nuclear power plant</a> Friday.With tears in her eyes, Moroz said: "It's hard. I think my ma's nervous. I'm nervous about my mother. I don't want Russian people to come and kill my family because many of my friends die right now. Russian army are killing."I feel terrible. Every day I feel, think, somebody come and kill my family. I don't want. I want people to listen, stop this because I want to save my family."Moroz even claimed that the UFC Russia account on Instagram blocked her. When asked why she said: "Because I'm from Ukraine."<h2>'I hope this war will finish,' Moroz said</h2><div type="image" title="Maryna Moroz put Mariya Agapova in vulnerable position after vulnerable position in their UFC 272 fight." height="1388" width="2000" msid="90062318" hostid="261"></div>Through the crisis, elite combat <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">sports</keyword> athletes from Ukraine — Vasiliy Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk — returned to the country <a href="https://www.insider.com/lomachenko-usyk-fight-war-ukraine-against-russian-invasion-2022-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to help the war effort against the Vladimir Putin-led invasion</a>.Hall of Fame fighter Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, and his brother Wladimir, also a Hall of Fame boxer, <a href="https://www.insider.com/wladimir-klitschko-war-is-terrifying-madness-and-terror-in-2022-2022-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have pleaded for the invaders to return to Russia</a>."I see many — Klitschko, Usyk, Lomachenko — everybody to protection. It's amazing. Guys, really strong. Not in ring, outside strong. Only respect for these guys," said Moroz.In a message for Ukrainians who remain in the country, she said: "I want to say guys, stay strong. I hope this war will finish. I believe it. I love my country. It's beautiful, people kind. People right now are together."The UFC boss Dana White commended Moroz's "awesome performance" and the "awesome speech" she gave in the middle of the Octagon after her win.As for what's next for her in the UFC, Moroz is simply targeting progression through the rankings."I want to rest a couple weeks, talk with coach, and maybe summer to be back" against opponents in the "top 10, top 15. I'm ready for everything," she said.

Maryna Moroz cried before her UFC match because of nerves, pressure, and how terrible Ukraine's situation is

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ukraine fighter <keyword id="13317701" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="maryna-moroz" source="Orion">Maryna Moroz</keyword> won her <keyword id="11922275" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ufc" source="Orion">UFC</keyword> match Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.</li><li>But behind the pay-per-view match was a fighter concerned about developments at home.</li></ul>LAS VEGAS — Ukraine fighter Maryna Moroz won her <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC</a> 272 fight in style Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and gave an emotional speech in the Octagon, and backstage, about events taking place in her home country.Moroz was a crowd favorite from the start as she walked to the cage holding Ukraine's yellow and blue flag aloft. That fan support stayed with her throughout the contest, as she attempted takedown after takedown in the opening round.The second round was similar to the first, in that Moroz asserted her authority on the fight with her expert grappling.With the fight on the floor, an area Moroz could dominate, Moroz rained punches down on Agapova's face and eventually got her fight-ending submission locked in.With an arm-triangle choke getting tighter, Moroz depleted what little fight Agapova had left in her, and so the Kazakh tapped midway through the round.By the end of the fight, Moroz had succeeded with two of her five takedown attempts, and landed 72 of her 86 strikes for a 69% accuracy rate.Watch the awesome win right here:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—UFC (@ufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1500280817431556097">March 6, 2022</a></blockquote>But behind the statistics, and behind the fight-winning strategy that Moroz implemented, was a fighter concerned about developments in Europe.Russia shelled multiple Ukraine cities since invading February 24,<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-united-nations-general-assembly-volodymyr-zelenskyy-soccer-sports-7456cc05797d72960257a8ac75654d98#:~:text=The%20U.N.%20human%20rights%20office,impossible%20to%20verify%20the%20claim." target="_blank" rel="noopener">caused the civilian deaths of hundreds — if not thousands — of people</a> since then, and<a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/top-wrap-1-europes-largest-nuclear-power-plant-fire-after-russian-attack-mayor-2022-03-04/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seized Europe's biggest nuclear power plant</a> Friday."If you know my country has war right now, and my family is in Ukraine," said Moroz in her post-fight victory speech."I had a hard week. I worried. I cried because my family right now is in a bad situation," she said."Thank you for everyone who messaged me and supported me because this week was hard for me. I wanted to cry because of this war in my country. Thank you, everyone."Watch it right here:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1500286081152999426">March 6, 2022</a></blockquote><h2>Moroz is concerned about the safety of her family in Ukraine</h2><div type="image" title="Maryna Moroz gave an emotional post-fight speech." height="1503" width="2000" msid="90026176" hostid="261"></div>At the post-fight press conference Insider attended, she added: "I'm nervous about my mother. I don't want Russian people to come and kill my family."Many of my friends die right now," said Moroz. "Russian army are killing. And I feel terrible. Every day I'm feel, thinking, somebody come and kill my family. I don't want. I want people to stop this. I want to save my family."With victory, Moroz advanced her pro <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MMA</a> record to 11 wins (one knockout, six submissions, and four decisions) against three losses.She has now won three fights in a row since coming unstuck in back-to-back fights four years ago.

Ukraine fighter Maryna Moroz scored a victory via arm-triangle choke, then gave an emotional post-fight speech

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Natalia Silva scored the knockout of the night Saturday when she finished Tereza Bleda.</li><li>Silva KO'd Bleda with a spinning back to the jaw which has to be seen to be believed.</li></ul>LAS VEGAS — Natalia Silva ended Tereza Bleda's night early with a spinning back kick to the jaw Saturday at <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a UFC Fight Night event</a> 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.<h2>'A thing of beauty'</h2><div type="image" title="Silva landed a spinning back kick to Bleda's jaw." height="1362" width="2000" msid="95631450" hostid="261" sizebytes="113006"></div>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:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—UFC (@ufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1594035686969315330">November 19, 2022</a></blockquote>Victory advanced Silva's <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pro MMA</a> record to 14 wins (four knockouts, seven submissions, and two decisions) against five defeats.<h2>Hiestand, Demopoulos, and Turcios win by decision</h2>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:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—MMA mania (@mmamania) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1594054704606380034">November 19, 2022</a></blockquote>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.

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Maryna Moroz cried before her UFC match because of nerves, pressure, and how terrible Ukraine's situation is

Alan Dawson

Ukraine fighter Maryna Moroz scored a victory via arm-triangle choke, then gave an emotional post-fight speech

Alan Dawson

25-year-old UFC fighter scores incredible 3rd-round knockout with a spinning back kick to her opponent's jaw

Alan Dawson