Sherdog Prospect Watch: Emily Ducote

EmilyDucote fight day#InvictaFC47
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— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) May 11, 2022

It was just a matter of time before the Ultimate Fighting Championship signed Emily Ducote, who will walk to the Octagon for the first time at UFC on ABC 3 on July 16 after agreeing to replace Brianna Fortino on short notice against Jessica Penne. Ducote features a solid 11-6 record against opponents spotting a collective .596 winning percentage (102-69). Ducote has lost only once in her last six cage appearances and is riding a three-bout winning streak that saw her win, and then defend, the Invicta FC 115-pound title.

American Top Team OKC representative Ducote spent most of her mixed martial arts career competing in the 125-pound division before dropping a weight class in 2019. In fact, “Gordinha” earned her nickname, which stands for “little chunky” in Portuguese, because she used to carry a few extra pounds in the first stages of her career. The 28-year-old has an all-around combat sports background that ranges from taekwondo to college wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Ducote has stopped seven adversaries inside the distance, scoring four submissions and three knockouts or technical knockouts, for an eye-catching 72% finishing rate. In defeat, she has been stopped only once, when she fought Ilima-Lei Macfarlane for the inaugural Bellator MMA flyweight title and succumbed to a fifth-round triangle armbar.



After dropping a decision to future UFC competitor Emily Whitmire and bouncing back with back-to-back triumphs on the regional scene, Ducote joined Bellator, where she debuted at Bellator 159 with a second-round submission victory over Bruna Vargas. The same fate awaited Kenya Miranda da Silva when she faced Ducote at Bellator 161 as “Gordinha” forced her opponent to tap due to an armbar at the 4:37 mark of Round 2. Subsequently, Ducote locked horns with Ilima-Lei Macfarlane but conceded a decision to her foe at Bellator 167. The Bellator women’s flyweight division was growing deeper, and Ducote earned her shot to win the inaugural championship after scoring consecutive wins over Katy Collins and Jessica Middleton. Once more, “Gordinha” collided with Macfarlane in a clash that saw “The Ilimanator” outclassing her adversary before locking up the fifth-round finish. Ducote racked up two more consecutive defeats before being released by Bellator.

Welcome to @InvictaFights Emily Ducote! #InvictaFC36 #UFCFIGHTPASS pic.twitter.com/To09xFmCtm

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) August 10, 2019

After her release by Bellator, Ducote dropped to strawweight, defeated Kathryn Paprocki at an Xtreme Fight Night event in her native Oklahoma, and signed with Invicta soon thereafter. In her first assignment, she smashed Janaisa Morandin with punches at 4:03of the first period. That emphatic promotional debut was rewarded with a shot to capture the vacant divisional championship against Kanako Murata in the Invicta FC 38 headliner. The fight went the distance due to a careful approach from both contestants and two out of three cageside judges scored the clash in favor of Murata. Ducote’s appointment with gold was merely delayed, however as she faced Danielle Taylor for the once again vacant belt at Invicta FC 44 last August. That time, “Gordinha” took fate into her hands and crushed her foe with a powerful punch-head kick combination that left Taylor senseless 2:51 into Round 1. For her first title defense, Ducote faced former atomweight champ Alesha Zappitella in the Invicta FC 47 main event, where she battered and bloodied “Half-Pint” into a doctor stoppage between the second and third rounds. What might have been a lengthy and violent title reign was cut short when the UFC came calling, but more fans than ever before will have the opportunity to see the work of a promising fighter who only truly hit her stride when she found her best weight class.