LAS VEGAS – Ernesta Kareckaite beat Nicolle Caliari with a split decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 249 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Kareckaite, who has gone nearly five years without winning anything other than a split decision in MMA.
Ernesta Kareckaite def. Nicolle Caliari
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 11: (L-R) Ernesta Kareckaite of Lithuania punches Nicolle Caliari of Brazil in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on January 11, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Result: Ernesta Kareckaite def. Nicolle Caliari via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Updated records: Kareckaite (6-1-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Caliari (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stats: Kareckaite stuffed 11 of Caliari’s 14 takedown attempts.
Kareckaite on the fight’s key moment
“(The game plan) was connect, and I didn’t do that. That’s why I’m mad at myself. … We were prepared for everything.”
Kareckaite on making improvements
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 11: (L-R) Nicolle Caliari of Brazil punches Ernesta Kareckaite of Lithuania in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on January 11, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
“I’m happy, but at the same time, I had a lot of mistakes. It’s 50/50. I just know what I had to do and didn’t do the right thing, so I’m just going to get back and learn from my mistakes. ”
Kareckaite on what she wants next
“I really want to stay busy this year and I want to show myself and show my skills and be better every time. … I’m going to go back to the gym. I’m going to have few days to rest, but I want to learn from my mistakes, correct them and be better.”
To hear more from Kareckaite, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.