Julia Polastri Record: 15-6-0

Earning the contract

Polastri returned to Dana White's Contender Series in 2023 and made it count, submitting Patricia Alujas with a second-round rear-naked choke to finally earn her UFC deal. Her promotional debut, however, delivered a tough lesson: she dropped a unanimous decision to unbeaten Swedish striker Josefine Knutsson in 2024. Polastri responded the way she had throughout her career, bouncing back with a hard-fought split-decision win over Cory McKenna later that year to get into the win column inside the Octagon.

Signature win and recent form

After a unanimous-decision loss to Lupita Godinez in March 2025, Polastri delivered the standout result of her UFC run that October, stopping former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz with a third-round head kick and punches – a statement finish over a respected veteran that showcased her striking at its sharpest. She returned in April 2026 against unbeaten prospect Talita Alencar, dropping a unanimous decision in a competitive bout.

Fighting style

Polastri is a pressure striker with a genuinely balanced finishing arsenal: five of her wins have come by knockout, three by submission and six by decision, for a 57% finish rate. That spread is unusual at strawweight – she carries real power in her hands and kicks, as the Kowalkiewicz head-kick TKO proved, while her jiu-jitsu gives her a legitimate path to the finish on the mat. Notably, all six of her career losses have come by decision, with no stoppage defeats, a testament to her durability and her ability to stay competitive against high-level opposition even on her off nights. The recurring challenge has been getting over the hump against the division's most polished decision-makers.

Career highlights

• Contender Series contract — Polastri submitted Patricia Alujas by rear-naked choke to earn her place on the UFC roster.
• Statement finish over a veteran — her third-round head-kick TKO of former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz stands as her signature UFC win.
• Never stopped — across 20 professional fights, all six of her losses came by decision, underscoring rare durability in a 5'2" strawweight.