Joanne Wood ended her mixed martial arts career in style, using a timely spinning backfist in the final round of her UFC 299 preliminary card bout to secure the victory.
The 38-year-old from Scotland had announced prior to Saturday’s event she had planned on ending her fighting career win or lose and she had to battle from behind at Miami’s Kaseya Center to get her hand raised with a split decision verdict.
Maryna Moroz secured an early takedown and controlled most of the opening round, defending a leg lock attempt and maintaining top position. The second round mostly consisted of striking exchanges and the crowd was loudly cheering by the end of it. The third round was more of the same.
Wood out-landed Moroz 75-52 in Round 2 and 77-54 in Round 3 and her biggest and best moment of the 15-minute bout occurred in the final minute when she wobbled Moroz with a spinning backfist to secure the round on all three judges’ scorecards.
The win served as a poetic bookend to her career since it was Moroz who handed Wood the first loss of her MMA career when the two met back in April of 2015.
Wood began her MMA career in 2012, making a name for herself in Invicta FC before the UFC introduced the lighter women’s weight classes and she was a participant on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter to feature exclusively female fighters.
The endearing striker ends her MMA career with a 17-8 pro record and a 9-8 record in the UFC specifically.
Wood never fought for a UFC title but did earn one in 2020. She had a championship bout with then-titleholder Valentina Shevchenko scheduled for UFC 252 but Shevchenko withdrew injured and the bout never came to fruition.
Fittingly, bagpipes played as Wood exited the Octagon for the final time.
