McMann taps Davis with arm-triangle choke in 2nd round
Sara McMann beat Alexis Davis at her own game on Saturday.
The 36-year-old submitted Davis with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their women's bantamweight contest at the TUF 24 finale in Las Vegas. The seventh-ranked McMann passed her fellow former title challenger's vaunted guard to secure the choke and notch her second straight victory - her first via submission since 2011.
Sarah McMann getting the submission win.#TUFFinale #MMA #UFC pic.twitter.com/7fYERlFrJ8
— Patrick (@patrickCwright) December 4, 2016
An Olympic silver medalist in freestyle wrestling, McMann's takedown-centric strategy was unsurprising, but proved a dangerous one just a few minutes into the fight. The Maryland native flashed improved boxing in the bout's early goings, but it was Davis who outlanded her with a steady stream of elbows from guard in Round 1.
An undeterred McMann would stick to the game plan in the second frame, once again putting Davis on her back, only this time, she'd work her way out of her foe's crafty guard before locking in the deciding choke from side control.
Davis, who hadn't fought since submitting Sarah Kaufman in April 2015, sees her first fight as a mother end with her first career loss by tapout. The 32-year-old's UFC record now stands at 4-2.