Melissa Mullins suffered defeat on her UFC return Saturday night in Las Vegas, falling via first-round submission to Brazilian Bia Mesquita at bantamweight. The 34-year-old British fighter showed promise early, staggering Mesquita with heavy striking including a powerful left hand that wobbled her opponent.

However, Bia Mesquita capitalized when Mullins took the fight to the ground, locking in an armbar that forced the tap. The loss comes after Mullins' scheduled hometown fight at UFC London was scrapped when her original opponent failed to make weight. She now sits at 7-3 in the UFC since her 2023 debut.

In the main event, Manuel Kape secured dramatic revenge over Kyoji Horiguchi, knocking him out in the third round of their flyweight rematch. Kape, who lost to Horiguchi in 2017, now positions himself for a potential title shot against Joshua Van after ending his decade-long wait for redemption.

Both results shift the bantamweight and flyweight divisions significantly. Mullins faces questions about her ground game against elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners, while Kape's stoppage victory over a former title challenger elevates him into championship contention.