Alexis Davis and Rosi Sexton engaged in a hard fought, scrappy three round encounter at UFC 161 this evening, with Davis eventually coming out on top by unanimous decision.
The two ladies trade in close early and there’s no feeling out process with big blows coming thick and fast.
Davis clinches up and pushes Sexton against the cage and lands some good strikes in close. Davis looking for the takedown, but She’s finding it tough to get Sexton down and they break apart.
Sexton moving in and out with strikes, then tries to go in for a takedown, but Davis stuffs it and looks as if she’s going to end up on top. Bit of an awkward scramble and Sexton manages to take top control.
Davis catches her in triangle choke, but she’s pressed awkwardly against the cage which may be preventing her from really finishing the move. Sexton fires off some punches to her face while she attempts to fight it off.
The triangle’s really loosening off now and Sexton lands some more hard punches, then hammerfists too. Final 10 seconds and more ground and pound from Sexton before she walks back to her corner taking big, deep breaths.
Onto round two and Sexton again looks to close the distance and land strikes before darting back out again. Sexton looks for the clinch against the cage and then gets the takedown.
Davis looks for a leg lock and uses that to initiate a scramble and get on top in Sexton’s full guard. She postures up occasionally and lands some strikes. With two minutes to go in the round Davis starts to land a little more aggressively, and Sexton rolls onto her knees.
Davis gets onto her back and looks for a choke, but Sexton’s not tapping and she gives up on it. Davis is still firmly on her back though and manages to flatten her out and fires off repeated lefts and rights. The referee warns Sexton to fight back, but she’s just covering up and is lucky that there’s only seconds left to go and the referee gives her the benefit of the doubt. That could easily have been stopped.
Final round and Sexton’s back to moving in and out of range with punches. Davis landing the occasional counter though and she has the range advantage.
Davis moves in nicely for a takedown, but Sexton stuffs it. Awkward scramble ensues and Davis gets on top and then takes her back. She rolls her over as she locks in the body triangle and starts working for a choke.
Sexton manages to turn though and ends up on top in Davis’s full guard. She starts working light punches to the body and head, while Davis responds with a few short blows of her own from her back.
Davis tries to get up, but is met with a punch. Body work from Sexton and Davis is shifting her hips attempting to find room to do something. Sexton attempts to take her back, but doesn’t quite get it and Davis manages to get on top.
Davis looking to get some strikes going, but Sexton fends her off with her legs until the final bell.
And so it’s down to the judges to decide this one and they see it unanimously in Alexis Davis’s favour (29-28 x2, 29-27)
