Piera Rodriguez’s performance in her UFC Vegas 92 bout against Ariane Carnelossi took a dark turn when she was disqualified for intentionally using headbutts.
At the beginning of the fight, Rodriguez showcased dominance over Carnelossi with her striking, causing Carnelossi to hit the ground. Subsequently, Rodriguez continued her attack on the ground before moving into her opponent’s guard. However, her downfall came when she committed two blatant headbutts, prompting referee Mark Smith to issue a warning.
Following a particularly forceful headbutt, Smith intervened to address the foul. As medical staff tended to Carnelossi, replays clearly depicted Rodriguez’s deliberate use of headbutts, leading to her disqualification by Smith. The fight came to an end at 3:16 in the second round, with Carnelossi declared the victor.
Commentator Paul Felder highlighted the severity of the infraction, underscoring that headbutts are strictly prohibited in UFC matches. This disqualification marks Rodriguez’s second consecutive disqualification, following her loss to Gillian Robertson in April 2023. On the flip side, Carnelossi’s victory serves as a redemption following her defeat to Loopy Godinez in May 2022.
