O'Neill survives anaconda choke to seal spectacular armbar at UFC 331

Casey O’Neill delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the year at UFC 331 on Saturday in Los Angeles, surviving a near-fight-ending anaconda choke from Eduarda Moura before reversing position and tapping the Brazilian out with an armbar at 3:22 of Round 1.

Moura controlled the opening exchanges, catching an off-balance O’Neill with a right hand that put her on the canvas. The Brazilian grappler moved quickly to top position, landing ground strikes before locking in an anaconda choke that had O’Neill in serious trouble. O’Neill stayed composed, however, and managed to work her way free.

What followed was a remarkable sequence. O’Neill used her legs to elevate Moura into the air and seamlessly transitioned into an armbar, leaving Moura with no option but to tap.

The win extends O’Neill’s current streak to three consecutive victories, including back-to-back finishes over Moura and Gabriella Fernandes. Her overall record now stands at 12-2, and the performance will do little to quiet talk of her as a genuine dark-horse contender in the women’s flyweight division.

In her post-fight interview, O’Neill wasted no time in calling her shot, requesting a matchup with top-10 flyweight Maycee Barber as her next assignment.