Karolina Kowalkiewicz Batters Heather Jo Clark In Rotterdam

UFC Fight Night 87 is in full swing in the European city of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The main event is set to pop off as Alistair Overeem and Andrei Arlovski are warming up in their respective locker rooms, and the first fight of the evening is Heather Jo Clark vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz at strawweight. Kowalkiewicz moving well, reaching out with the jab but Clarke lands a nice overhand and a left hook. Kowalkiewicz moving but not landing here, but now they clinch and she hits a flurry.

Clark kicking the legs well on the double, and a nice right counter after a slip. KK needs to find a rhythm, she’s reacting rather than initiating. HJC rocks KK and now shoots but get stuffed (giggity). Kowalkiewicz looks like she has pillows as gloves, Clark just walking through these strikes and landing her own. Nice rush from KK, she lands a good combo, Clark might be wobbly here and a beautiful spinning back kick to the liver form Kowalkiewicz. Round ends, 10-9 Clark but it’s close.

These girls have some serious braid game. They trade to start round 2, Kowalkiewicz with a big counter and Clark is hurt again, and another right hand. The end is near folks, Clark recovers though and now switching up stances but it doesn’t go as planned. Kowalkiewicz ripping combos now, much better round for the Polish woman. Crazy Muay Thai clinch work from KK, looking like a tank now. The elbows now from KK and Clark is rocked yet again, knees to the gut, side kick now to the belly. Takedown from Kowalkiewicz and she takes the back of Clarke, now to an armbar, round ends easily 10-9, perhaps 10-8 for Kowalkiewicz.

Round three starts and Clarke looking more tired here, Kowalkiewicz whips in a straight right and it connects with a kick coming in return from Clark. Nice 2-1 from Kowalkiewicz, but there’s a lull in the action as they clinch, bad move for Clark in my opinion. She separates but eats a couple of HUGE right hands from Kowalkiewicz. They clinch again, doesn’t last long and Clark is getting punished. More strikes, this is a tough fight for both ladies. Kowalkiewicz rounds the fight out with a variety of kicks elbows and punches and Clark is just eating a crazy amount of hits. Great round, easily 10-9 again or maybe 10-8.

The judges call it 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 Karolina Kowalkiewicz.