Fatima Klein kicks off 2025 with a bang at UFC Vegas 101

In an exciting start to the UFC’s 2025 calendar, Fatima Klein made a statement at UFC Vegas 101, securing her first finish of the year with a second-round TKO victory over Victoria Dudakov. The highly anticipated strawweight bout, which took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, showcased Klein’s dominant grappling skills and marked her first win in the promotion.

Klein, who entered the octagon as a heavy favorite (-800), lived up to expectations by dominating the fight from the opening bell. The 26-year-old prospect, known for her powerful striking and grappling skills honed at Silver Fox BJJ, wasted no time in establishing her dominance over the Russian fighter.

In the first round, Kline used her superior grappling to avoid being taken down and to reverse Dudakov to take a dominant position. Her ability to control the fight on the mat landing dangerous ground and striking set the tone for what was to come. Dudakova, who lost to Sam Hughes, struggled to find her rhythm against Klein’s relentless pressure.

As the second round began, Kline’s confidence was palpable. She continued to dominate Dudakov on the mat. The turning point came midway through the round when Kline was able to start dropping the hard ground and hitting. From there came vicious elbows that Dudakova could only cover until the referee intervened, stopping the contest at 4:27 of the second round. The stoppage fired up the crowd at UFC Apex and sent a clear message to the strawweight division.

The win was especially sweet for Klein, who suffered a unanimous decision loss in her UFC debut against Jasmine Jasudavicius last year. That fight, fought on short notice and at a higher weight class, left Klein eager to prove himself in his natural strawweight division. With this impressive victory, Klein improved her professional record to 7-1 and established herself as a rising star in the 115-pound division. The performance will likely earn her a fight against a fighter higher up in the UFC strawweight rankings and set her up for more high-profile bouts in the coming months.

For Dudakov, this loss marks her second straight loss in the UFC, dropping her record to 8-2. The Russian fighter will have to regroup and rethink his approach as he looks to bounce back from this setback. With the UFC’s 2025 campaign off to such an explosive start, fans and pundits alike will be eagerly watching to see what’s next for Fatima Klein. If this performance is any indication, the strawweight division has a new contender to watch out for in the coming months.

Garrett Kerman covers all combat sports, from MMA and UFC, to boxing, to bare knuckle, for clutch points. He is also very knowledgeable about all American sports, especially the NFL, when it comes to news and betting analysis. Born in Saint Cloud, Florida, he has positions at Playmaker HK and Vegas Odds.