World ranked Australian Jessica-Rose Clark's ground game proved decisive and she showed her mental strength, by ending a tough week with a UFC flyweight unanimous points win over high-profile American Paige VanZant.
Clark had her Las Vegas apartment burgled and her pet cat put down after it was attacked late last week after she left for the fight in St Louis.
The 30-year-old Queenslander, who won on her UFC debut in Sydney last November beat VanZant by two scores of 29-28 and one of 30-27.
Clark, who is ranked 10th in the new division, dominated the first two rounds with her grappling.
VanZant, who told her corner she thought she had broken an arm in the fight, was more competitive in the third.
Clark said it had been tough to get the events of the past week out of her head and she had let the stress get to her a bit.
"There was a lot more that I wanted to do but didn't realise how much the week affected me till I actually fought," Clark said on Fox Sports' post-fight show.
"I wasn't really sleeping the week leading up, obviously dealing with stuff going on back home.
'I guess I didn't feel as energised as what I was hoping to be and what I have in the past.
"Mentally I still felt 100 per cent switched on, it's just my body just wasn't responding the way I wanted it to."
Clark pressed for a submission, but VanZant, who moved up from strawweight, survived despite spending much of the first two rounds on her back.
When the fighters were upright, Clark landed some good counterpunches after VanZant missed.
VanZant connected with some kicks and landed the occasional knee blow, but Clark never looked in any trouble.
"She hit me a couple of times to the body and it took a bit of wind out of me," Clark said.
"I've been wanting to show that I can grapple as well, everyone knows me as a striker.
"'I've been wanting to show that I've got takedowns and that I can start hunting for submissions and I can maintain and dominate on the floor, so I definitely did that tonight."
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