Victoria Dudakova has cleared the air about her controversial incident at UFC Vegas 101.
Dudakova punched her husband and coach in the face after losing to Fatima Kline for the second time in her MMA career. The loss was brutal. A flurry of grounded elbows split Dudakova open, the blood flowed and she booked herself for a TKO defeat – the first knockout of 2025.
Fans were surprised by her actions after the fight, and she is keen to clarify what happened and apologize to those who watched.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Victoria Dudakova apologizes for setting a bad example
Dudakova finally broke her silence in an Instagram post on January 15, explaining that she was “angry” that her husband wasn't immediately by her side after the loss. she claimed it was “not an excuse” to set a bad example.
“The emotions have calmed down a bit,” Dudakova wrote. “First of all, I would like to apologize to my husband and coach. I was angry that he turned away from me at such a difficult moment and did not want to go into the cage.
“This is not an excuse and I am not making any excuses for myself. I did the wrong thing, I couldn't control my emotions. I have set a bad example for athletes and the younger generation. I would also like to apologize to the sports fans. Thank you to everyone who sticks with me in such a difficult situation.”
With some hope, the UFC will be more favorable to Dudakova's next fight, giving her a chance to bounce back from the first major setback of her fighting career.
What's next for Victoria Dudakova
Before her back-to-back losses, Dudakova was touted as the second-best player at women's strawweight. She debuted in the UFC after a successful stint on Dana White's Contender Series, where she immediately picked up a brutal dislocated elbow finish over Istela Nunes.
Cracks began to appear when Dudakova missed weight for her fight with Jinh Yu Frey and promptly gassed in her next fight against Sam Hughes, taking her first loss. That said, fighters have bounced back from worse, and with some improvements, Dudakova could be back to her winning ways soon.
At 25, Dudakova has a bright career ahead of her, provided she makes the necessary adjustments and the UFC extends her contract. Other fighters who bounced back after major setbacks include Charles Johnson and Dominick Reyes, who broke losing streaks of three or more.
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