Casey O’Neill vs. Gabriella Fernandes squared off earlier tonight (Sat., Mar. 28, 2026) at UFC Seattle LIVE on Paramount+ from inside Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. In her first fight since August 2024, O’Neill stormed out of the gate to secure a first-round knockout win.
Both O’Neill and Fernandes were throwing heat from the first bell. The difference, however, was that O’Neill was feinting and building her combinations, whereas Fernandes was committing hard to single shots. Subsequently,
O’Neill was able to find her range first and start landing straight punches through the guard. When Fernandes bit down on her mouthpiece and fired back, an O’Neill counter hook landed flush and rocked the Brazilian.
O’Neill is well-known for her volume, and “King Casey” didn’t hold back! She unleashed an endless combination that knocked Santos against the fence and then ultimately floored him.
Check out the video highlights below:
This was a huge moment for the 28-year-old contender. O’Neill has dealt with a lot of injuries in the last couple years, as well as some previous adversity inside the cage. Her early UFC career — which saw her rise up the ranks with a 4-0 run — feels like an awful long time ago now, but O’Neill just reminded the fighting world of her potential. Hopefully, she can parlay this quick win into another booking, because women’s Flyweight is much more interesting with O’Neill back in the mix.
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