Canadian fight fans will have to settle for the return of two of the most exciting women in the 135-pound division, not former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
UFC bantamweight competitor Sarah Kaufman has finally found herself an Octagon opponent. The 29-year-old former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion will face off with former title challenger Alexis Davis for the third time at UFC 186.
MMAJunkie.com first reported the news. Kaufman also made the announcement on her Twitter account.
The No. 5-ranked Kaufman has been on the shelf for the past nine months due to injuries sustained in a car accident and has been campaigning tirelessly on social media for a return fight.
Well, the UFC obliged by pitting her against the No. 3-ranked Davis in the promotion’s latest trilogy fight.
Davis and Kaufman have met twice before; once in Strikeforce and another time on the Canadian mixed martial arts circuit. Kaufman bested her fellow Canadian on both occasions, earning TKO and majority decision victories.
Kaufman, a native of Victoria, British Columbia, sports a 1-0 Octagon record with one no-contest. She last fought former Invicta FC flyweight title challenger Leslie Smith in April, defeating her for the second time via unanimous decision.
Her lone no-contest was originally a split-decision loss to former Bellator fighter Jessica Eye in her Octagon debut. It was a decision that several MMA media outlets scored for Kaufman.
Meanwhile, Davis hasn’t fought since her 16-second beatdown at the hands of undefeated bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey at UFC 175 in July. The 30-year-old was previously riding a five-fight win streak, notching victories over top-10 opponents Eye and Liz Carmouche.
Kaufman, a Jackson/Winkeljohn MMA product, bloodied Davis in a 15-minute striking battle under the Strikeforce banner in March 2012. For three rounds the Columbus, Ohio audience was treated to a thrilling back-and-forth bloodbath in which Kaufman squeaked out a majority decision win.
The win earned her a shot at the bantamweight queen Rousey in August 2012. Kaufman would end up falling victim to the arm collector within the first minute of their tussle.
In the initial meeting between the two Canadian fighters, which took place in April 2007, Kaufman put away Davis via third-round TKO.
The pair’s next fight promises to be filled with as many knees, elbows and haymakers as their prior two bouts were.
We’d be remiss if we failed to acknowledge the growth that Kaufman and Davis have shown in the three years since they last fought.
Kaufman’s striking has looked better each time she has set foot in the Octagon. In fact, her former opponent Smith probably still feels the stinging of the crisp boxing on her face. Kaufman recorded over 200 significant strikes against Smith in their April encounter.
The Canadian battered Smith for 15 minutes and nearly finished Eye in their UFC 166 war.
Davis looked equally impressive against Eye and the former 135-pound title challenger Carmouche. The San Jose-based fighter picked apart Carmouche with leg kicks in their November 2013 fight, and utilized ground and pound to eek out a close decision over Eye at UFC 170.
Both Davis and Kaufman need a victory to keep pace with former title challenger Miesha Tate, who has compiled three straight victories in the last 12 months.
The 28-year-old Tate has been one of the more busy women in the bantamweight division, most recently earning a hard-fought win over former Olympic wrestler Sara McMann at UFC 183. Her only professional losses have come against those at the top of the 135-pound food chain, including bouts with the champion Rousey and current No. 1 contender Cat Zingano.
Kaufman has taken to Twitter in the new year in hopes of securing bouts with burgeoning Brazilian star Bethe Correia and Tate, who she holds a May 2009 victory over.
UFC 186 will take place April 25 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and is headlined by a bantamweight title rematch between T.J. Dillashaw and Renan Barao.
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