Youngest Woman on UFC Roster Scores First UFC Win With Must-See Knockout

Alice Pereira’s first UFC victory came in absolutely sensational fashion during the prelims for UFC Vegas 115.

Taking place at the Meta APEX facility in Las Vegas, NV in between UFC Seattle and UFC 327, UFC Vegas 115 is headlined by a lightweight matchup between former title challenger Renato Moicano and rising contender Chris Duncan.

The card wasn’t loaded with recognizable names outside of the top few fights, but the 20-year-old Pereira's second Octagon outing against Hailey Cowan was one of the more intriguing fights scheduled for the event’s prelims.

Alice Pereira Scores Jaw-Dropping KO For First UFC Victory

After compiling an undefeated record on the regional scene in her native Brazil, Pereira earned a call up to the UFC last year and was booked to meet Montse Rendon in a women’s bantamweight bout at Noche UFC.

Montse Rendon (red gloves) fights Alice Pereira (blue gloves) during Noche UFC at Frost Bank Center. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Pereira’s final regional fight saw her go the distance for the first time when she claimed the Cage Masters FC women’s bantamweight strap against Samara Santos, and against Rendon she once again went to the judges’ scorecards but ended up losing a split decision in her promotional debut.

Matched with Cowan for her sophomore outing at UFC Vegas 115, Pereira closed as a very slight favorite to collect her first Octagon victory. Cowan also came into the night looking for her first UFC win, as “All Hail” dropped her previous two UFC bouts to Jamey-Lyn Horth and Nora Cornolle after joining the promotion off of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Scrapping for their first career UFC win 💪@AlicePereiraUFC vs Hailey Cowan

[ #UFCVegas115 | LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Riziap9qVp
— UFC (@ufc) April 4, 2026

The opening round of Pereira vs. Cowan saw “Golden Girl” show off the striking that helped her to initially attract the attention of the UFC, but in the second frame Cowan was able to bring things to the mat and maintain top position for an extended period.

Pereira managed to work back to her feet with less than a minute remaining in the round, and she immediately went after her opponent before landing a picture-perfect knee that sent Cowan crashing backwards to the canvas.

STEP IN KNEE GETS THE KO 👏@AlicePereiraUFC gets her first UFC win in STYLE!

[ #UFCVegas115 | LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Miqx9P6zaU
— UFC (@ufc) April 4, 2026

Although it didn’t come in her promotional debut, Pereira’s victory was certainly one of the more impressive results in recent memory for a fighter’s first UFC win. The majority of the 20-year-old’s victories have come via knockout, and fans will be eagerly waiting to hear an update on when Pereira will return to the Octagon next.