Nora Cornolle`s post-fight celebration at UFC 314 in Miami garnered negative attention from many viewers.
The French fighter competed in the opening bout of UFC 314, which was headlined by Alexander Volkanovski versus Diego Lopes. Cornolle faced Hailey Cowan of Texas in a women`s bantamweight match. Notably, Cornolle had failed to make weight for this fight.
On Friday`s weigh-in, Cornolle was 138lbs, exceeding the bantamweight limit by 2lbs. This marked Cornolle`s second instance of missing weight in her four UFC appearances.
Despite Cornolle missing weight, Cowan agreed to proceed with the fight, receiving a portion of Cornolle`s earnings.
Nora Cornolle Submits Hailey Cowan with Rear-Naked Choke
Unfortunately for Cowan, the fight did not go in her favor. Cornolle controlled the fight on the ground and secured a finish in the second round.
In the first round, Cornolle attempted an armbar submission, coming close to forcing a tap from Cowan. However, Cowan managed to escape and survive until the second round.
In round two, Cowan attempted a takedown, but Cornolle reversed it, ending up in a dominant position. Cornolle then took Cowan`s back and applied a rear-naked choke. On her second attempt with the choke, Cornolle successfully forced Cowan to tap out.
After the submission, as Cornolle released the hold, Cowan`s neck was still in the position of the choke. Cornolle quickly stood up.
Fan Backlash Against Nora Cornolle for Post-Fight Conduct
Following the victory, Cornolle pushed Cowan away as Cowan was getting up, drawing criticism.
UFC commentator Jon Anik described Cornolle`s celebration as having “a bit of a mean streak.”
Anik questioned, “Did you see the way she sort of disposed of Hailey Cowan after choking her out?”
Anik also raised concerns about Cornolle`s weight issues moving forward, stating, “The question that beckons for Cornolle moving forward is the [weight] scale…”
Cornolle faced criticism for pushing Cowan down forcefully after the tap, with Cowan`s face hitting the mat. The referee immediately checked on Cowan`s condition.
One fan commented on social media platform X, “Kinda b***** move after the tap for someone who didn’t make weight.”
In her post-fight interview, Cornolle mentioned health problems that prevented her from reaching the 136lb weight limit.
The same fan questioned, “Then why is she fighting?” regarding her stated health issues.
Another fan on X remarked, “Damn. Anik was right,” and added, “The way Cornolle threw her off after the tap was tough. Make weight.”
Another comment on X stated, “Throwing the opponent off like that is poor sportsmanship.”
Despite the negative fan reactions, it appeared that Nora Cornolle and Hailey Cowan showed mutual respect shortly after the fight, sharing a moment before Cornolle`s interview with Joe Rogan.
With this submission victory in Miami, Cornolle`s UFC record improved to 3-1.
Rupert Hartwell