3 Reasons Why WMMA Fans Will Want to Catch Sara McMann at UFC 159

Yes, the world will be tuning in Saturday night for the UFC 159 light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon “Bones” Jones and Chael Sonnen on pay-per-view.

The fans of women’s mixed martial arts should be tuning in much earlier, as the third fight in the newest division in the UFC—the women’s bantamweight division, that is—will be taking place on the FX channel prelims between Sara McMann and Sheila Gaff.

If the first two women’s fights inside the UFC are any barometer, then this one should be a surefire, can't-miss, early “fight of the night” candidate. 

The women, as of late, seem to be fighting with a fierceness that is reminiscent of the Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen.  The slightest difference heading into battle being four-ounce gloves in lieu of dragons. 

Here are three reasons WMMA fans will want to catch Sara McMann at UFC 159.

Pride for All the Women

Each woman that sets foot in the Octagon is not only fighting for themselves but for all women fighters.  They are eager to face the scrutiny that comes with fighting in a male-dominated sport and ready to prove they belong.

Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche set the bar fairly high in the first women’s fight in the UFC. Cat Zingano and Miesha Tate earned “Fight of the Night” honors and raised it.

McMann and her opponent—the No. 9-ranked women’s bantamweight in the UFC, Sheila Gaff—will have their chance at making history in the lone women’s fight of UFC 159 while trying to live up to the reputation of the first two. 

McMann is still relatively new to the sport and has yet to taste defeat at 6-0.  She passed her toughest test to date in her debut for Invicta FC, defeating Shayna Bazler in a hard-fought decision at Invicta FC 2 last July.

She will be in even more of a pressure cooker, as the lights get a little brighter and the moment just a bit bigger on the sport’s biggest and brightest stage in the UFC.

There's no question neither woman wants to turn in the first boring fight in the division's short UFC history, or lose a chance at a potential future shot at Ronda Rousey for the belt.  

Sounds like double the pressure.  How a fighter performs under it is indicative of their character and often makes or breaks their career.

In the only women’s division in the UFC, each fight has huge meaning, and this fight between McMann and Gaff could have immense impact.

This fight may be on the prelims, but every woman who has ever fought—whether bitter rivals or close friends—will be tuning in to watch and cheer for a great performance from both the combatants. 

Even though McMann and Gaff are fighting each other, they, like the four women who have fought in the UFC before them, are fighting for each other and all of WMMA.

That, my friends, is called pride.

Olympic-Level Wrestling

The words “world class” get tossed around a lot in the annals of MMA, but if using that superlative for Sara McMann in regard to her wrestling pedigree, then you are correct.

McMann was a silver medalist in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.  In addition to that, she has won a silver medal and two bronze medals competing in the World Games and also won two gold medals in the Pan American Games. 

She will be in a classic wrestler vs. striker matchup against Gaff and will have a huge advantage in the wrestling department.  She will also have a size advantage as Gaff will be moving up from flyweight.

McMann has wrestled most of her life and can use those skills whenever needed.  She knows the world of submission grappling as well, having two submission victories to her credit.

She showed great patience and resiliency in defending several of Shayna Bazler’s leg-lock attacks in her last fight that other fighters may have fallen victim to.

Gaff has a few submission victories also, but she's known for her penchant for pushing forward with strikes.  McMann has the advantage should the two wind up on the ground.

With the Olympic medalist’s strength and positioning skills, we could possibly see the second-ever submission in UFC women’s history.

Sheila 'The German Tank' Gaff

The Panzer V, the Tiger Tank, the K-Wagen and the Sturmpanzerwagen Oberschlesien were all former models of German war tanks.  McMann’s opponent Sheila Gaff is simply known as “The German Tank.” 

Gaff may not be as technologically advanced in striking as her country is in engineering, but she has heavy hands and is more of a tactician than McMann.

Six of Gaff’s 10 career wins have come by knockout or technical knockout.  The native of Eschwege, Germany’s last three combined victories came in under two minutes total time.  She has also been disqualified for an illegal knee to the head.

It’s more than safe to say she is aggressive and likes to stand and trade.

This could prove dangerous for McMann, who has shown a willingness to stand and trade despite her unpolished striking game.  McMann possesses power in her own right, but she does not have the edge here.

Shayna Bazler was able to land quite a bit on McMann in their encounter and she had her in seriously trouble, dropping her in the last minute of the final round of their battle at Invicta FC 2.

McMann will need to be smart and at the first sign of trouble, take the fight to the ground and work what she knows best.

How each adjusts throughout the fight to use their strengths will be exciting to watch.  McMann could get caught in the moment and throw caution to the wind to win over the fans, but she could be on the losing end if she isn’t careful. 

This fight isn’t shaping up to be the first women’s UFC fight to go to a decision.  Don’t be shocked if it fails to make it to the second round.