Canada’s Randa Markos ties UFC record in losing cause against Japan’s Murata

LAS VEGAS — Canadian strawweight Randa (Quiet Storm) Markos tied a UFC record in a losing cause Saturday, beaten by Japan’s Kanako Murata on a UFC Fight Night card.

All three judges scored it 30-27 for Murata (12-1-0), who used her wrestling skills in her UFC debut to control the 35-year-old from Windsor, Ont., over three rounds.

The featured preliminary bout was the 16th UFC appearance for Markos (10-11-1), tying her with Angela (Overkill) Hill for the most in UFC strawweight history. Markos submitted Hill when they met in 2019.

Murata, a decorated wrestler, took Markos down in the first minute and scored another takedown with less than two minutes remaining, delivering some heavy blows from above.

Markos looked to fight at distance in the second round but was dumped again with two minutes remaining. Markos escaped without significant punishment, however,

There was more of the same in the third with Murata taking Markos down 90 seconds into the round. Murata locked on a D’Arce choke that looked tight but Markos survived. The fight ended with Murata on top, with Markos trying in vain for a submission.

The 27-year-old Murata won the vacant Invicta strawweight title last time out with a split decision over Emily Ducote in November 2019.

Markos, who was replacing the injured Livinha (The Brazilian Gangster) Souza, was coming off a Sept. 19 submission loss to grappling ace Mackenzie Dern. Markos has lost four of her last five outings and is 6-9-1 in the UFC.

Former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos took on Paul (The Irish Dragon) Felder in the main event at the UFC’s Apex production facility. Felder stepped in on five days for Islam Makhachev, who was sidelined by a staph infection.

The 36-year-old Dos Anjos returned to the 155-pound weight class after losing four of his last five fights at welterweight (170 pounds).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2020

The Canadian Press