An unlikely star emerged during the UFC’s latest event at the APEX Facility in Las Vegas.
In the UFC Vegas 102 main event Jared Cannonier survived two knockdowns to KO Gregory Rodrigues.
Elsewhere on the card, Gabriel Bonfim put Khaos Williams to sleep and earned praise from Belal Muhammad before a controversial doctor stoppage led to his brother, Ismael Bonfim, losing via TKO against Nazim Sadykhov.
However, UFC Vegas 102 kicked off with a 13-fight bantamweight veteran retiring after a bloody beating.
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Julia Avila’s daughter steals the show
Julia Avila was left a bloody mess after going the 15-minute distance with Jacqueline Cavalcanti.
All three cageside judges scored the fight 30-27 in favor of Avila’s 9-1 opponent – but her win was overshadowed by ‘The Raging Panda’ putting her gloves down on the floor to signify her retirement from MMA after the decision was announced.
“This is it,” Avila said when Daniel Cormier asked if she was retiring from MMA after her latest defeat.
“I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to fight on the world’s best stage.”
Avila then headed backstage to discuss her retirement decision with assembled members of the media.
The 36-year-old got emotional while talking about her legacy in the sport after failing to become a champion – but her two-year-old daughter, Eris, who was sitting on her lap, appeared uninterested in what she had to say.
Avila’s little one chugged water from a bottle before grabbing the mic and showing off her singing voice in a viral video dubbed ‘adorable’ by UFC fans.
The 135lb fighter wrapped up her final UFC press conference without a mic before heading off to spend time with her young family.
Julia Avila had a career to be proud of
Avila kicked off her career with a win over UFC veteran Marion Reneau in January 2012.
Two fights later, she got another big-name victory over future UFC flyweight champion Nicco Montaño.
Still, she had to wait until 2019 before she got the call from Dana White after a 6-1 run in the sport.
Avila picked up back-to-back wins in the UFC Octagon before losing to Sijara Eubanks in September 2020.
A comeback submission win over BJJ specialist Julija Stoliarenko was enough to earn Avila a big fight.
The Californian famously got the chance to face UFC legend Miesha Tate in December 2023.
A face crank submission defeat led to a lengthy layoff before she returned at UFC Vegas 102.
Avila retires with a hard-earned 9-4 record after mixing it with the very best fighters for the past 13 years.