Ernesta Kareckaitė Earns First UFC Win Over Caliari
Ernesta Kareckaitė defeated Nicolle Caliari by split decision at UFC APEX in Las Vegas on January 11, 2025. The Lithuanian flyweight earned her first UFC win, with two judges scoring the three-round contest 29–28 in her favor.
Standing combinations helped establish the advantage
Kareckaitė found her rhythm as the contest developed, combining punches and varying her targets. Caliari had successful moments of her own, but Kareckaitė largely kept the exchanges standing.
The third judge favored Caliari 29–28, leaving a narrow split verdict. Kareckaitė’s work across the full distance proved sufficient to secure the majority of the judges’ overall scores.
Her promotional debut had ended differently
Kareckaitė had first appeared in the UFC against Dione Barbosa at UFC 301 on May 4, 2024. Barbosa won that encounter by unanimous decision after creating serious early submission danger.
Kareckaitė defended the back attack and improved later in that contest, particularly during the final round. The Caliari matchup gave her an opportunity to turn that experience into a winning performance.
Both fighters arrived through the Contender Series
Kareckaitė earned her roster opportunity through a split-decision victory over Carli Judice in September 2023. Caliari qualified the following season by submitting Corinne Laframboise with a belly-down armbar.
Their meeting brought together two recent graduates at different points in their UFC starts. Caliari was making her debut, while Kareckaitė used her second appearance to add a first promotional victory to her record.
Sources
- UFC: striking approach and split result
- UFC: Judice qualifying win and Barbosa debut
- UFC: Barbosa fight and final-round improvement
- UFC: Caliari’s qualifying submission and debut status
