LAS VEGAS – Viktoriia Dudakova beat Istela Nunes with a first-round injury TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 49 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Dudakova, who won when Nunes badly injured her left arm just 34 seconds into the fight.
Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Istela Nunes
Result: Viktoriia Dudakova def. Istela Nunes via TKO (injury) – Round 1, 0:34
Updated records: Dudakova (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Nunes (6-5 MMA, 0-4 UFC)
Key stats: Dudakova’s win on Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2022 was the lone decision win of her career.
Dudakova on the fight's key moment
![](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/2023/07/Viktoriia-Dudakova-vs.-Istela-Nunes-UFC-on-ESPN-49-2.jpg)
“I didn’t really understand (what happened). The referee came to our locker room and said that until he stops the fight, I should continue to attack, continue to hit, until he pulls me away. Accordingly, I didn’t know what to do (when she landed). She shouts – should I hit or stand and wait? But in the end, the referee intervened.”
Dudakova on disappointment in the finish
![](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/2023/07/Viktoriia-Dudakova-vs.-Istela-Nunes-UFC-on-ESPN-49-3.jpg)
“I feel a little relief that I won, but at the same time, I didn’t show myself. Every time I say, ‘Now I will show myself completely. I will open up to the public. They will see what I am capable of.’ And every time, it doesn’t work. … I know that every time I go in there, this is everything is at stake. My whole future is at stake. It could be monetary, or it could be just the rankings or whatever. Everything is at stake. I have to make sure that I win because we might not even have enough money for the next fight.”
Dudakova on what she wants next
![](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/2023/07/UFC-on-ESPN-49-Victoria-Dudakova-post-fight-interview.jpg)
To hear more from Dudakova, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.