Irene Aldana and Macy Chiasson are one of the only clashes on this card that wasn’t remixed after weigh in issues.
“I think there are opportunities in both weight classes, and I’m waiting for people to realize that,” Chiasson said at Wednesday’s UFC 279 media day in Las Vegas.
But this quote predated her unfortunate attempt to make weight. Aldana graciously accepted a the 140-pound catchweight for 30% of Chiasson’s purse.
In round one Aldana turned heads with her impressive ground game. The Mexican athlete had Chiasson’s arm hyper extended at one time and Chiasson barely escaped. Cormier and Rogan even debated if she’d tapped during the sequence unnoticed.
HOW DID CHIASSON SURVIVE THIS 🤯
STREAM #UFC279 NOW ▶️ https://t.co/8b7bwVGe8n pic.twitter.com/7eLUO4ewZi
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 11, 2022
Aldana would capitalize on her position raining in ground and pound from the top and even briefly threatening an Americana submission which she didn’t want to fully commit to.
In round 2, Chiasson recovered and tried to even out the score sobered up by her corner. She took Aldana down, Aldana went for a leg attack but failed to get a submission, instead she used the submission threat to get back on top.
Chiasson got Aldana back down, was throwing strikes from every which way. Even got Aldana in a body triangle connecting elbows to the side of her face. She briefly ended in mount while Aldana recovered and pushed her back into half guard. Chiasson wanted an arm triangle but Aldana defended. Consensus was it was 1-1 after this round.
In round 3, Chiasson was visibly slower to start. Chiasson tried for a takedown, pulled Aldana to her back. Aldana was throwing upkicks from the bottom and Chiasson suddenly crumbled to the ground as if stricken by a rock.
#UFC279 Replay: Irene Aldana lands a heel to her opponents liver from her back that shuts her opponent down😳#UFC
https://t.co/1wRP1eNWwW— MMAdissect (@mmadissect) September 11, 2022
A kick to the liver secured Irene Aldana the win in the 3rd round.#UFC279 pic.twitter.com/wXI1y0rOQb
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) September 11, 2022
Initially it was believed that Chiasson had suffered an injury in process however Aldana explained to ref Jason Herzog that it was an upkick to the liver that shut down Chiasson’s body completely.
Irene Aldana with the W. #UFC279 pic.twitter.com/7IB3MpfIVD
— A (@mmatalkaq) September 11, 2022
It was clear in the replay that Aldana caught Chiasson with the heel of an upkick to the liver!
https://twitter.com/ChillemThreebo/status/1568797095053922306?s=20&t=JLc8InyDZCONBp7BucxksA
MMA Pros were amused: