Melissa Mullins suffered a first-round submission loss to Bia Mesquita on her return to the UFC octagon as the British fighter endured further disappointment in Las Vegas.

Mullins, 34, competed four months after an emotional weigh-in at UFC London where she barely hit the required weight limit.

Her scheduled bout that night was scrapped after the opponent missed weight, and Saturday brought another tough outing as the bantamweight was finished in the opening round.

Mullins began well by applying pressure through powerful strikes and landed a significant left hand that left the Brazilian visibly unsteady.

It appeared Mullins was on course for a notable victory over an opponent who entered undefeated.

However, once the fight moved to the mat, Mesquita, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, recovered and secured an armbar that forced Mullins to submit.

After the defeat Mullins said: "I felt I delivered my best performance yet but faced an elite specialist in her discipline.

"My preparation and output before the finish were excellent. This sport can be brutal yet the passion for fighting remains."

Mullins now holds a 7-3 record in the UFC following her debut in 2023.

In the headline bout Manuel Kape secured long-awaited revenge with a third-round knockout of Kyoji Horiguchi in their flyweight matchup.

The Angolan-Portuguese fighter, who fell to Horiguchi in 2017, now eyes a title opportunity against Joshua Van.

"Kyoji is an outstanding competitor, perhaps the strongest I have faced," Kape stated.

"I aim to reach his level and my current standing owes much to that earlier bout.

"I have always refused to quit."