UFC 161 ‘Evans vs. Henderson’ Preview

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Women’s Bantamweights

Alexis Davis (13-5, 0-0 UFC) vs. Rosi Sexton (13-2, 0-0 UFC)

The Matchup: Sexton has been around the sport for a while, making her professional debut in 2002 and competing for promotions such as Bellator MMA and Cage Warriors Fighting Championship during her 18-fight tenure. “The Surgeon” enters her matchup with Davis having bested Sally Krumdick, Roxanne Modafferi and Aisling Daly in her last three bouts, all under the CWFC banner. A natural flyweight, Sexton has moved up in weight before -- a 2006 defeat to Gina Carano stands out -- but the size difference between the Manchester, England, native and Davis could be a key factor in this fight.

A member of the Cesar Gracie Fight team, Davis has showcased her formidable ground game in back-to-back outings with the Invicta Fighting Championships organization. She became the first woman to submit Hitomi Akano at Invicta FC 2 and then followed up by tapping Shayna Baszler in January. Davis unleashed a full repertoire of submissions against Baszler, relentlessly attacking with a rear-naked choke, a heel hook, an omaplata and an inverted triangle over the course of the bout before finally choking out “The Queen of Spades” in round three.

Sexton’s recent efforts against Modafferi and Daly have seen her push the pace in hopes of forcing clinches and takedowns. She has utilized a moderate amount of ground-and-pound while displaying solid submission defense from top position. Attempting to implement a similar game plan against the larger and stronger Davis could prove taxing and unsuccessful. Davis is adept at bullying her foes in tie-ups, taking them to the mat and advancing position. Once there, she has been more active with her ground-and-pound than Sexton, which also creates openings for her variety of submissions.

While Davis is getting better on the feet, she was outstruck for two rounds when attempting to go toe-to-toe with Sarah Kaufman at Strikeforce “Tate vs. Rousey,” and she did not experience any serious success until she took Kaufman down in round three. Sexton should look to move in and out of danger while landing straight punches to avoid being overpowered.

The Pick: Davis’ size and grappling skills will prove to be too much, as she bullies Sexton in the clinch before taking her down and winning via submission in round two or three.

Last Fights » The Prelims