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MMA News: Fighter Gets Sent to the Shadow Realm in Women's Title Fight

Did "Tina Black" just punch her ticket to the UFC?

Drew Beaupré

MMA News: Fighter Gets Sent to the Shadow Realm in Women's Title Fight
MMA News: Fighter Gets Sent to the Shadow Realm in Women's Title Fight /

Valesca Machado scored a highlight-reel finish and claimed strawweight gold in her headlining fight at Urijah Faber’s A-1 Combat 18.

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“Tina Black” first established herself as a violent knockout artist in her native Brazil before she came up short against Piera Rodriguez in a Dana White’s Contender Series fight in 2021.

The 28-year-old went on to find considerable success in top women’s promotion Invicta FC until she lost her strawweight title to Danni McCormack last year, but following a pair of canceled bouts, the Brazilian returned at A-1 Combat 18 and brutally knocked out Taylor Mauldin in the night’s main event.

Already well-known for her dangerous striking, “Tina Black” pressured her opponent right from the opening bell and landed some huge punches before a thunderous right hand ended things in less than a minute.

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The victory was Machado’s first knockout since she stopped four-straight opponents to get her Contender Series opportunity, and she also handed Mauldin her first loss after “Machine Gun” began her professional MMA career with four wins.

The newly-crowned A-1 Combat strawweight champion was likely still on the UFC’s radar following her success in Invicta FC and previous Contender Series fight, and after a highlight-reel knockout like that it would be no surprise to see Machado competing in the Octagon at some point soon.

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