When the UFC added a women’s bantamweight division in early 2013, there was little question that Olympic wrestler Sara McMann would be one of the names to make the roster.
McMann, who won a silver medal in wrestling at the 2004 Athens Olympics, made her Octagon debut against Sheila Gaff at UFC 159.
In the fight, McMann proved that her wrestling is second to none. She shot for a quick double and took down “The German Tank” almost immediately. She controlled Gaff but didn’t really inflict any damage.
When the referee restarted the action, Gaff clinched with McMann and landed some hard knees; however, she couldn’t keep from getting put on her back again.
This time, McMann was able to improve her position, catching Gaff in a mounted crucifix. She then proceeded to hit Gaff in the face with a series of uncontested punches, forcing the ref to mercifully step in and end the fight.
The victory was a coming-out party for McMann and confirmed that the hype surrounding her was legitimate. She remains unbeaten in her MMA career, and it is likely that her next fight will be against top competition.
The women’s bantamweight division is still growing. There are only 12 fighters on the roster, which means that there are limited opponents for McMann, but a win over any of these fighters will put her one step closer to being considered one of the best female pound-for-pound mixed martial artists.