Australia’s Jessica-Rose Clark is gunning for a rematch with the UFC rival who, she says, deliberately put her out of the sport for year, revealing: “I’ll fight her again and knock her out”.

Already ranked among the nation’s most popular fighters, Clark is set to make her third courageous comeback in as many years against Brazilian Tainara Lisboa at UFC Fight Night in North Carolina this Sunday.

Back in July last year, the Innisfail product suffered a series of gruesome injuries at UFC 276 after being caught in an arm bar by Lithuania’s Julija Stoliarenko.

Watch UFC 289: Nunes v Aldana LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Sunday June 11 from 12pm AEST. ORDER NOW >

Apart from having her elbow dislocated, the Queenslander also had several ligaments in her arm severely torn — an experience she recalls as “like somebody tearing a piece of paper”.

The injury continued a horror run for the women’s bantamweight who also did her ACL in 2020 and tore foot ligaments in 2019 – both of which also kept her out of the Octagon for close to 12 months each.

Worse, Clark maintains she would never have been out for longer than three months with this latest injury had Stoliarenko simply released the submission when she tapped.

Instead, the Aussie insists her rival continued with the lock and, in turn, caused so much damage that it left her wondering if she could even continue in the sport.

So shaken up was Clark by her third major injury in three years, she actually packed up her dogs, her truck and hit the road for four long months.

While the 35-year-old has since battled back both mentally and physically – and is now ready to go on a run into the bantamweight top five – she also wants another shot at the fighter responsible for an injury that “broke my heart” and took a year from her.

Asked if she has crossed paths with Stoliarenko since UFC 276, the fighter replied: “No, I haven’t”.

But as for if she knew you tapped, then deliberately continued the submission?

“Yes, absolutely,” Clark continued.

“Absolutely.

“And I was pissed off because if she had just let go when I tapped, I would’ve been out three months.

“That’s it.

“The thing is too, in the fight previous, I’d actually got arm barred as well and had a heap of people telling me ‘oh, you tapped too early’.

“So this time when I was in the submission I remember thinking ‘f… you guys, I’m not going to tap early’.

“But then I felt my elbow dislocate.

“So I thought, ‘OK, this is it’.

“And if she releases me there when I tapped, three months.

“But the fact (her) continuation caused the damage, caused me to be out for so long, I was angry about that for a long time.

“I felt everything tear, too.

“On the inside of the arm I had a full tear and a partial tear. Then on the outside, another partial tear.

“And I felt all of it.

“It was a wild.

“When I did my ACL, that was a snap.

“But for this one, imagine your elbow getting bent right back on itself … and then (your ligaments snapping) like somebody tearing a piece of paper.”

Still, Clark refuses to be mad about the incident.

“Because there is so much good that has come from me being forced to have that extended time off,” she insists.

“Initially though, I remember being in the cage thinking ‘f…, I’ve got to do this again?’.

“I’d just come back from ACL surgery. And the year before, blown out all the ligaments in my foot.

“So I was there thinking ‘is this now my life?’.

“I’d just suffered three massive ligament tears back-to-back-to-back.

“It broke my heart.

“But having that time on the road, it helped me see I still have a lot of years left in this sport. That I still have a lot to get from fighting.

“So I’m not mad.

“But I do want to fight her (Stoliarenko) again.

“I know she’s moved to flyweight but I don’t think she is going to successfully make that.

“And when she does comes back to bantamweight, I’ll fight here again and knock her out.

“I want that one back.”

Clark added that she was excited by the challenge of facing Lisboa this Sunday.

“Because, honestly, I’m confident I can beat anyone in this division,” she said.

“Physically and technically, I can compete with anyone.

“It’s only self doubt which has held me back and that’s something I’ve been working on. With a couple of wins I believe I can be top 10, top five for sure.”

ULBERG WANTS PEREIRA KO

CARLOS Ulberg wants to become the second fighter from Auckland’s famed City Kickboxing gym to knock Brazilian Alex Pereira cold, saying: “Brother if this right hand lands, it’s goodnight”.

Currently on a run of three straight wins, Ulberg is looking to announce himself as a Next Big Thing of the UFC light heavyweight division in North Carolina this Sunday.

The 32-year-old New Zealander is a whopping -450 favourite against Ukranian Ihor Potieria – who himself kayoed UFC great Maurico ‘Shogun’ Rua last start.

Should Ulberg win, the popular Kiwi then wants to fight at least twice more this year while also revealing he sees Pereira in his “near future”.

The Brazilian already has a famed rivalry going with Ulberg’s training partner Adesanya, who recently reclaimed the UFC title by knocking Pereira cold.

The pair have continued to exchange insults on social media since, but with Pereira having moved up in weight it is the Ulberg showdown that would now make for a strong storyline.

Asked if he saw Pereira in his future, Ulberg told The Takedown: “For sure man.

“He’s a lot heavier for middleweight so to now come up in weight, and being a strong kickboxer, I think he will be comfortable here.

“He will be fighting some guys in the top 10, top five before he goes into the title picture but I think he’s going to fit in pretty well.

“And I definitely see him in the near future.”

So as for how a fight between you goes?

“Brother,” Ulberg laughed, raising his right fist, “if this right hand lands then it’s goodnight.

“You know me.

“The left hand, it’s good. But once my right hand gets happy it’s goodnight.”

But first, Potieria.

“Who I know is young, hungry,” Ulberg continued.

“Watching his last win, he’s quite light on his feet. And he did what he needed to do against someone who was leaving the UFC.

“Good win for his resume.

“And I think for the UFC to now put this fight together, it was a no brainer.

“This fight really opens the doors to a top 15 ranking.

“And that’s the goal for me.”

VOLK & UFC 290 CONFIRMED

ALEXANDER Volkanovski has finally been confirmed as the headline act for International Fight Week in July, with ‘The Great’ defending his UFC featherweight crown against interim title holder Yair Rodriguez.

As first revealed by Fox Sports Australia back in March, Volkanovski will headline a stacked UFC 290 card that also includes fellow Australian’s Robert Whittaker and rising star, Jack Della Maddalena.

UFC president Dana White finally confirmed the new this week, with the Aussie trio all set to throw down on July 9 (AEST).

Whittaker faces South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis, with the winner then expected to go straight into a title fight against Israel Adesanya, most likely in Australia this September.

Maddalena, meanwhile, will face No.9 ranked welterweight, Sean Brady.