Cristiane Justino vs Hitomi Akano — Fight recap

Cristiane Justino defeated Hitomi Akano by KO/TKO in the third round at 0:35, establishing dominant control throughout their April 2009 bout. Justino landed 41 significant strikes at 45% accuracy while Akano managed only 5 of 12 significant strikes, unable to find her range against the Brazilian's aggressive pressure.

The decisive moment came after Justino secured her lone takedown attempt with perfect efficiency, accumulating 3:04 of control time that kept Akano pinned and unable to establish any offense from the bottom. Justino's striking volume, particularly 34 head strikes from 79 attempts, wore down her opponent's defense and set up the finishing sequence.

Akano's inability to defend the takedown—failing on her sole attempt—and complete lack of control time illustrated a significant skill gap. The finish reinforced Justino's status as a rising force in women's MMA and positioned her for higher-ranked competition.