Author: Nathan McCarter

UFC 159 Preview: Shelia Gaff vs Sara McMann Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 159 plays host to the third women’s bantamweight bout in UFC history. Highly touted prospects Sara McMann and Sheila Gaff square off on the FX preliminary card.MMARising.com’s pound-for-pound list has McMann ranked 10th and Gaff 13th.McMann (6-0) i…

UFC 159 plays host to the third women’s bantamweight bout in UFC history. Highly touted prospects Sara McMann and Sheila Gaff square off on the FX preliminary card.

MMARising.com’s pound-for-pound list has McMann ranked 10th and Gaff 13th.

McMann (6-0) is a former Olympian in wrestling. She entered the sport roughly the same time as UFC champion Ronda Rousey, but has elected to go a slower route for her development. She will be the second mother to compete inside the Octagon.

Gaff (10-4-1) has won three in a row. One of her losses comes to featherweight Romy Ruyssen in 2010. She gave up a significant amount of weight in that bout. The German will introduce herself to the world on Saturday.

This is a preview heading in to Saturday’s bout.

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Rory MacDonald vs. Jake Ellenberger Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger will square off in the Octagon this summer when they meet at UFC on Fox 8.The winner of the fight will likely be the front-runner for the next title shot at welterweight. Although it is doubtful that MacDonald would …

Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger will square off in the Octagon this summer when they meet at UFC on Fox 8.

The winner of the fight will likely be the front-runner for the next title shot at welterweight. Although it is doubtful that MacDonald would challenge his teammate, GSP, for the gold, the welterweight showdown has heavy implications.

MacDonald is on a four-fight win streak since his defeat to Carlos Condit in 2010. He is the premier prospect of the division. Ellenberger has won back-to-back fights after a come-from-behind win by Martin Kampmann last June.

The 170-pound division continues to be one of the most exciting divisions in all of MMA.

Here is a head-to-toe breakdown of this important welterweight fight.

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Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Alexis Davis (13-5) and Rosi Sexton (13-2) continue the string of female debuts in the UFC when they meet at UFC 161 in June.Sexton will move up to bantamweight for this fight. She was highly ranked in the flyweight division during her time at 125 poun…

Alexis Davis (13-5) and Rosi Sexton (13-2) continue the string of female debuts in the UFC when they meet at UFC 161 in June.

Sexton will move up to bantamweight for this fight. She was highly ranked in the flyweight division during her time at 125 pounds.

Davis is currently ranked fifth in the UFC’s official rankings. In MMARising’s pound-for-pound rankings Davis ranks fifth, and Sexton comes in at 11th. It is a battle between two of the best veterans in the sport today.

With The Ultimate Fighter housing Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano, this fight is unlikely to produce the next title challenger, but the winner will put herself in prime position for a contender’s bout.

Here is your early breakdown for this women’s bantamweight bout.

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UFC on Fox 7 Results: 5 Fights for Gilbert Melendez to Take Next

Gilbert Melendez put on a good performance in his attempt to wear UFC gold, but two of the three judges thought he came up just short in his bid.Melendez lost a split decision to champion Benson Henderson in the main event of UFC on Fox 7 on Saturday n…

Gilbert Melendez put on a good performance in his attempt to wear UFC gold, but two of the three judges thought he came up just short in his bid.

Melendez lost a split decision to champion Benson Henderson in the main event of UFC on Fox 7 on Saturday night.

If the former Strikeforce champion proved one thing, it is that he belongs in the UFC as an elite lightweight. Many casual fans of the sport were introduced to Melendez last night, and they got to see what all the fuss was about.

Now, the question is what to do with Melendez. At the post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White mentioned that the winner of Gray Maynard and TJ Grant was likely for the next title shot. So, where does that leave Melendez?

These are five fights that should be looked at for Melendez’s next trip inside the Octagon.

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UFC on Fox 7 Results: Top 10 Featherweights in the UFC

UFC on Fox 7 only featured one featherweight bout, but it involved the top contender in the division.Chad Mendes took on Darren Elkins in the final preliminary bout of the evening. Elkins was riding a 5-0 record in the featherweight division into …

UFC on Fox 7 only featured one featherweight bout, but it involved the top contender in the division.

Chad Mendes took on Darren Elkins in the final preliminary bout of the evening. Elkins was riding a 5-0 record in the featherweight division into the fight and was trying to make a case for being an elite 145-pounder.

Mendes had other ideas. He established himself as the top featherweight contender by finishing Elkins in just 68 seconds. Mendes has looked nothing short of fantastic since his title loss to Jose Aldo in 2012.

The rest of 2013 will feature stunning fights in the division.

This is a look at the top 10 featherweights inside the organization right now.

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UFC on Fox 7 Results: Post-Fight Stock Report

UFC on Fox 7 proved to be one of the best cards in recent memory with action from top to bottom.Benson Henderson retained his UFC Lightweight Championship in another tightly contested battle. The champion outpointed Gilbert Melendez over the course of …

UFC on Fox 7 proved to be one of the best cards in recent memory with action from top to bottom.

Benson Henderson retained his UFC Lightweight Championship in another tightly contested battle. The champion outpointed Gilbert Melendez over the course of 25 minutes. Henderson has yet to stop anyone in his UFC career.

With eight knockout finishes, the event tied UFC 92 for most on a single card. There were no submission finishes as the other four bouts all went to the scorecards.

UFC on Fox 7 delivered in a big way.

Here is your post-fight stock report after the UFC’s latest trip to the Bay Area.

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