UFC Vegas 43 results: Taila Santos drops, taps out Joanne Wood in first with rear-naked choke

Taila Santos dealt another blow to Joanne Wood’s title aspirations with a first-round finish via rear-naked choke at UFC Vegas 43.

The bout was called off at the 4:49 mark of the first round after Santos twice dropped Wood and then secured the fight-ending submission to extend her current winning streak to three fights.

Check out the finish below.

The bout served on the main card of Saturday’s event at UFC APEX in Las Vegas and marked the first finish of the fight card after eight straight decisions.

Early on, it wasn’t grappling that set the tone for the fight but instead striking as Santos and Wood tested each other’s standup. It was quickly apparent that, while evenly matched in technique, Santos carried a speed advantage. That combined with a steady aggressive pace allowed her to fire and land first, and midway through the frame, she hit the jackpot with a right hand that sent Wood to the canvas for the first time.

Wood managed to right herself, but it wasn’t long before another overhand right sent her to the canvas. This time, Santos used the opportunity to take back control, where she fished for a choke, using intermittent punches to soften up Wood. Unable to fight the hands, Wood gave up her neck and tapped out.

Wood, who lost a title shot in 2020 with a submission loss to Jennifer Maia, now drops to 1-2 since that setback and has lost back-to-back fights after a split-call defeat against Lauren Murphy.