Taking inspiration from her countrywoman, UFC’s flyweight contender Casey O’Neill paid homage to viral break-dancer Raygun at UFC 305 in Perth. Snapping her two-fight losing streak in spectacular fashion, O’Neill first defeated Brazil’s Luana Santos in Saturday’s contest and then did the worst break dancing moves in recorded history.
Racking up her fifth win in the promotion, one that kept her waiting from 2022, Casey paid respects to Rachel Gunn aka Raygun by emulating her signature moves inside the octagon.
CASEY O'NEILL'S CELEBRATION 😅 #UFC305 pic.twitter.com/1OXarBr2VT
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 18, 2024
Yes, Gunn is the competitive Australian academic-breakdancer who shot to fame after her truly terrible Paris Olympics performance went viral, and to such an extent that the Aussie population has now forced their agencies to open an investigation against her.
Kick-starting her UFC career with a perfect 9-0, O’Neill was touted as the next big thing in the flyweight category with many fast-tracking her to a title shot.
However, after racking up four wins under her belt in the promotion, the Aussie lost her momentum and skidded her way down with two back-to-back losses.
But she rebounded on Saturday, redeeming herself from her submission loss to Ariane da Silva by defeating a fellow Brazilian.
O’Neill trumps Santos via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Casey O’Neill vs Luana Santos was Saturday’s lone women’s bout and O’Neill made sure that she got everybody’s attention. While the UD win might not have been what she had in mind, a win is a win, especially on the back of 2 straight losses.
Despite her opponent catching her kick earlier in the opening round, Casey’s best weapon in the earlier stage was her right hand.
In fact, this got the fight standing and the Aussie’s exceptional lateral movement ensured that the Brazilian had no escape route, essentially trapping her whenever Santos would try to circle out or disengage.
To her credit, Santos did answer back with a few kicks of her own, mainly targeting Casey’s legs in an effort to slow her down.
But using her crisp 1-2, Casey managed to win the first two rounds, making the third round mean the world for Santos who tried to turn up the heat.
She tried switching stances but that did not help. Though she managed to get a headlock takedown, Casey reversed it and was able to take the back, getting a body lock on.
And with the Aussue putting pressure on Santos with a face crank, the outcome of the fight was apparent, handing Casey her first win since 2022.
