Irene Aldana scored a historic upkick to the liver finish this past Saturday night and wants to fight for the gold next.
The finish was so unusual that many didn’t notice what happened until the replay was shown on the broadcast. Aldana knows it was a rare way to win a fight, but affirms it was no accident.
“It was bizarre,” Aldana told reporters at the UFC 279 post-fight press conference. “I knew the kick hit well, and it hit in the liver, but it was a little confusing for me to see her reaction like that. So I was like, ‘I’m sure I kicked her in the liver, but maybe I kicked her somewhere else. I’m not sure because of her reaction.’ But we trained the kick a lot, I’m glad it came out this night.”
The Mexican fighter is now on a two-fight winning streak, with both fights being finishes, and is 4-1 in her past five trips to the octagon. Her only defeat in this latest run came in a decision against former champion Holly Holm.
“I’m open to whoever the UFC wants me, but I’m obviously chasing the title fight,” Aldana said. “I’m ready for the title fight. If that’s the next step, I’m ready.”
You can listen to all of Bodyslam’s podcasts by following us on Spotify and subscribing to our YouTube Channel, or any of your favorite podcast platforms.
Follow me on Twitter: @WhoElseButRami
Follow us on Twitter: @BodyslamNet
