Fan favorite Karolina Kowalkiewicz had a tough time in enemy territory Saturday at UFC Fight Night 261.

On the preliminary card at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Kowalkiewicz (16-10 MMA, 9-10 UFC) was finished by a barrage of Julia Polastri (14-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) strikes for a standing TKO at the 2:56 mark of Round 3.

Polastri seemed to have Kowalkiewicz’s number from the beginning of the fight. She nearly finished Kowalkiewicz in Round 1 and Round 2, but then got it done in Round 3 with a head kick and punches. Referee Marc Goddard stopped the fight standing when Kowalkiewicz was not defending properly.

Julia Polastri destroys Kowalkiewicz #UFCRiopic.twitter.com/F9kA9leHmo

— TakeruCigarra (@TakeruCigarra) October 11, 2025

Kowalkiewicz, 39, falls into a three-fight skid. At one point in her UFC career, however, Kowalkiewicz was on a five-fight skid and bounced back with four-straight wins.

Polastri, 27, bounces back from a March unanimous decision loss to Loopy Godinez.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 261 results:

• Julia Polastri def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz via TKO (head kick, punches) – Round 3, 2:56
• Luan Lacerda def. Saimon Oliveira via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 3:55

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Rio video: Karolina Kowalkiewicz absorbs dozens of punches for TKO

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