The first UFC event of the year had its fair share of talking points and one of them came in the second bout to take place inside the Octagon in 2025. Victoria Dudakova suffered her second consecutive loss after being stopped in the second round by Fatima Kline at strawweight.
Rather than Kline delivering the first finish of the new year, it was what happened after the bout that grabbed the headlines. After Dudakova’s corner entered the Octagon to console her in defeat, she appeared to turn around and slap one of her coaches, who is also her husband, as seen below.
Interesting reaction from Victoria Dudakova as she slaps her cornerman after her loss to Fatima Kline.
— Verdict (@VerdictMMA) January 11, 2025
The 25-year old Russian has since posted a message on social media to explain the situation from her point of view. She publicly apologized for her actions, stating that her emotions got the better of her in that moment having been finished for the first time in her 10-fight pro career.
She posted the following message on Instagram to provide more context and thank her supporters.
“Emotions have subsided a bit…..First of all, I would like to apologize to my husband and coach. I was hurt that in such a difficult moment, he turned his back on me and didn’t want to come into the cage. That’s no excuse and I’m not looking for an excuse for myself. I did the wrong thing, I couldn’t control my emotions. I set a bad example for the athletes and the younger generation. I also want to apologize to the sports fans. Thank you to everyone who stays with me in such a difficult situation”