Montserrat Ruiz drops unanimous decision in UFC return as Alice Ardelean’s reach and straight shots rule at the Apex
Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz came back to the Octagon on Saturday night and ran into a bad stylistic storm. After nearly two years away, the Mexican strawweight fell to Alice Ardelean by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) at UFC Vegas 110 in Las Vegas. The result extends a difficult run since her breakout debut win and underscores the adjustments Ruiz must make against long, jab-first strikers.
How Montserrat Ruiz vs Alice Ardelean played out
From the opening minute Ardelean set outside range with a snapping jab and low kicks, forcing Ruiz—five feet even with a compact stance—to cross a lot of empty space. When Ruiz tried to close with looping rights into clinch entries, Ardelean met her on straight lines or angled off with kicks, carving up the lead leg and marking Ruiz’s eye by the end of Round 1.
Round 2 followed the same script: Ruiz hunted takedowns off single legs and body-locks, but Ardelean’s frames and balance denied level changes, and the Romanian repeatedly split the guard with straight punches. Ruiz never stopped trying to force collar ties or trap a leg on the fence, yet the cleaner, higher-volume work belonged to Ardelean.
The third was Ruiz’s grittiest frame—she caught a kick, walked Ardelean to the fence, and made it scrappy—but each surge was answered by tight counters and resets at range. After 15 high-effort minutes, the scorecards were clear.
What the loss tells us about Ruiz right now
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Range management remains the puzzle. Ruiz’s best nights—most famously her debut decision over Cheyanne Vlismas—came when she could force clinches, chain head-and-arm throws into scarf-hold control, and stay attached. Against Ardelean’s length and footwork, those entries arrived too telegraphed and too wide.
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Single-track entries invite straight counters. The overhand-right-to-clinch pattern worked better in Invicta and in her UFC debut; here, the straight shots got there first. Adding jab feints and level-change fakes would disguise the shot.
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Wrestling still travels—if she reaches it. When Ruiz finally clasped hands or collected a leg, she created chaos. The issue was volume of clean entries, not finishing ability.
Form and context: from upset-maker to course-correction
Ruiz’s UFC story opened with a signature upset in 2021 built on relentless clinch grappling and top control. Since then she’s faced a brutal slate of hitters and finishers, absorbing TKO losses and a long layoff that stretched from late 2023 to this week. Saturday’s return looked like a fighter determined to bite down and try—and one who needs sharper tools to get to her wheelhouse against rangy, disciplined opponents.
What should be next for Montserrat Ruiz
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Setup, not just pressure. Add double-feint chains—hip fake, jab fake into blast double; or jab, shoulder-faint into inside trip—to stop opponents keying on the overhand.
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Southpaw looks and inside angles. Brief stance switches can open the inside lane for lead-hand collar ties and knee taps, especially against orthodox jabs.
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Cage-cutting footwork blocks. Instead of chasing, Ruiz can step across with her rear foot to wall opponents toward her strong side, then shoot under the exit.
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Target selection. Early body-head layering (right to the ribs before the overhand upstairs) slows the feet and makes later entries higher percentage.
The bigger picture at strawweight
The division is packed with jab-and-kick stylists who make short wrestlers pay for straight-line chases. Ruiz’s blueprint—pressure, clinch, scarf-hold control—still has value, but it now demands deeper layers to reach phase one. With health restored and minutes logged, she has a platform to rebuild: find the right matchup, lean into high-rep wrestling camps, and return with a game plan that gets her into contact more efficiently.
Montserrat Ruiz fought with trademark heart, but Alice Ardelean’s length, straight punching, and balance kept the fight where Ruiz least wanted it—at range. The path back is clear: disguise the entries, cut the cage, and turn future bouts into the grinding clinch battles where “Conejo” is at her best.
