Kowalkiewicz tunes up Esquibel to snap skid at UFC Gdansk

In a clash of strikers, Karolina Kowalkiewicz proved the superior technician on Saturday.

The former strawweight title challenger let leather fly from the first bell to the last for a lopsided decision over newcomer Jodie Esquibel in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 118 in Gdansk, Poland. Kowalkiewicz snapped the first two-fight losing streak of her career and improved to 4-2 in the Octagon with the lopsided verdict in her home country.

The 32-year-old fearlessly took the fight to the comparatively diminutive Esquibel, landing crisp combinations for every single strike her foe threw, for all three rounds. A Muay Thai specialist, Kowalkiewicz had Esquibel, a boxer, reeling in the second with some blistering knees that made the newcomer rue dipping her head on entry:

A clearly over-matched Esquibel didn't land much of consequence, and had eaten an unofficial total of 140 strikes for her trouble when all was said and done. The Invicta FC import has now alternated wins and losses over her past four fights and sees her pro record fall to 6-3 after Saturday's defeat.