Overview
- Benouaich opened the UFC Paris preliminaries on Saturday with a second-round finish, dropping Sofia Montenegro with a right hand and securing a rear‑naked choke at 4:22 of round two.
- The UFC's official result lists the method as a rear‑naked choke while some outlets described the stoppage as a technical submission after Montenegro appeared to lose consciousness rather than visibly tap.
- The victory updated the fighters' records, moving Benouaich to 8-2 and Montenegro to 6-3, and it counts as Benouaich's first official UFC win.
- The finish followed a high‑pace striking exchange and heavy ground-and-pound that left Montenegro bloodied and brought a loud reaction from the Accor Arena crowd, giving France an early home‑card highlight.
- Benouaich reached the UFC after reaching the semifinal on The Ultimate Fighter 34, and her decisive debut continues a recent pattern of TUF competitors being fast-tracked onto UFC cards and could set her up for bigger bouts in Europe.