Viviane Araujo took a major step toward contention in the flyweight division at UFC on ESPN 36, garnering a unanimous decision triumph over Andrea Lee at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Araujo received scorecards of 29-28, 29-27 and 29-27 to win for the third time in her last four promotional outings.
Lee (13-6, 5-4 UFC) threatened to finish the bout early, as she dropped Araujo (11-3, 5-2 UFC) with a counter left hook and then rocked the Brazilian with a head kick when she returned to her feet. Araujo regained her senses in relatively short order, however, and gradually imposed her will the rest of the way.