Lucie Pudilova

Lucie Pudilova is a Czech mixed martial artist who began her combat sports journey at 16 and eventually became a fixture in the UFC's bantamweight division. Before joining the promotion, she built an impressive 6-1 regional record and claimed the Gladiator Championship Fighting Bantamweight title in her home country, earning a shot at the big stage in March 2017. Her early UFC run showed promise, with unanimous decision wins over Ji Yeon Kim and Sarah Moras, but she struggled against stronger ranked competition and faced a five-fight losing streak that led to her release in February 2020.

Rather than fade away, Pudilova returned to the Oktagon promotion in the Czech Republic, where she rebuilt her confidence and record over the next two years, going 5-1 and retraining at the respected Straight Blast Gym Ireland under coach John Kavanagh. Her hard work paid off when she re-signed with the UFC and delivered a decisive TKO win over Wu Yanan at UFC 278 in August 2022, stopping her opponent with ground elbows in the second round. The victory seemed to reignite her career, but recent fights have been competitive but unrewarding.

Pudilova's trademark is her aggressive, volume-based striking attack and willingness to engage in tight, close battles. She has earned two Fight of the Night bonuses - against Irene Aldana and Antonina Shevchenko - for her efforts in competitive bouts, even when those fights didn't go her way. However, recent losses to Joselyne Edwards (a controversial split decision that 15 of 15 journalists believed she won), Ailin Perez, and Luana Carolina have stalled her momentum. Despite being removed from the UFC roster in July 2024 after her loss to Carolina, Pudilova's career reflects the journey of a dedicated fighter from a smaller nation who fought at the sport's highest level and refused to quit when the door temporarily closed.