Lucia Szabová Conquered Two Divisions After Her Return; Now She’s UFC-Bound
Lucia Szabová’s last title defense went all five rounds against Lucie Pudilová. Her first UFC opponent, Tainara Lisboa, brings a different challenge into Saturday’s matchup.
Lucia Szabova last fought on Aug. 1, defending her OKTAGON bantamweight championship over five rounds against Lucie Pudilová. Three months later, the undefeated Slovakian is preparing to make her UFC debut against Tainara Lisboa at UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Nolan in Las Vegas. The move comes after a return to competition that took her from a lengthy absence to the top of two divisions.
Szabová Went the Full 25 Minutes
Szabová had been away from MMA for almost three years when she returned in March 2024. She defeated Cornelia Holm in July 2021 before stepping away to become a mother. Her resurgence began with an armbar submission of Roza Gumienna, and she followed it with two wins, one over Aitana Álvarez and the other over Kalindra Faria before moving into title contention.
The first championship came against Cecilie Bolander in August 2025. Szabová stopped the Norwegian with sheer dominance in the opening round, then dropped to flyweight and conquered Leidiane Fernandes in April 2026. That victory made her the first woman to hold OKTAGON titles in two divisions.
Her next fight did not end with another stoppage. It was much harder to settle. Szabová went five grueling rounds with Pudilová, but successfully defended her precious bantamweight belt by unanimous decision. After three consecutive finishes, she had to maintain her work through the full championship distance to secure the result. She now leaves OKTAGON with both titles behind her, but with battle-hardened experience for the road ahead.
Lisboa’s Last Two Defeats Came Late
Lisboa’s UFC record stands at two wins and two losses. She submitted Jessica-Rose Clark with a rear-naked choke at 4:20 of the third round in her promotional debut, then earned a unanimous decision against Ravena Oliveira. Her two defeats came in 2025, both deep into the fight: Luana Santos submitted her with an Americana at 4:59 of round two, while Melissa Croden stopped her with strikes at 4:32 of round three.
Lisboa has not fought since that loss. She returns against a debutant whose recent run includes both decisive finishes and a five-round decision. Szabová has already shown she can win when an opponent survives the early exchanges; now she must bring that experience into the Octagon against a fighter who has yet to lose there before the second round.
