Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For one athlete, Saturday’s UFC on ABC 1 event marked that special moment in their career.
Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression she made on the sport’s biggest stage from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Joselyne Edwards
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Result: Joselyne Edwards def. Wu Yanan via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Record: 10-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC
Grade: B
Stepping in as a replacement fighter, Joselyne Edwards showcased plenty of promise as she claimed a clear unanimous decision victory over Wu Yanan to get her octagon career off to a winning start.
Edwards dominated proceedings through the first round as she threatened with an armbar to force the Chinese fighter to play defense for most of the opening five minutes. While she wasn’t successful in completing the submission, Edwards showed she’s more than happy to switch tactics, as she swapped submissions for strikes and rained down some heavy ground and pound in the final moments of the round.
The second round saw Edwards turn to her striking as she pushed forward looking to connect with shots. However, a lack of head movement saw her get caught by some straight shots from Wu, including one punch to the eye that had her backpedalling to buy herself time to recover. Despite Wu’s attempts to push the pace on her, Edwards showed excellent conditioning as she battled on equal terms with the Chinese athlete, and even scored with a big double up-kick off her back after a forward charge ended with her falling to the mat.
The final round was Edwards’ toughest of the fight, as Yanan pushed hard in an attempt to turn the fight in her favor. The short-notice call-up may have played its part, too, as Edwards found herself on the back foot for most of the round. But she still offered a threat with her strikes, though the speed and snap of the first two rounds understandably wasn’t quite there in the third.
The only caveat to her win was the fact that it came against a flyweight fighter who had moved up to 135 pounds, so it’ll be interesting to see how she fares against a natural bantamweight next time out. But, all things considered, Edwards’ display on short notice was an impressive one, and she looks like a strong addition to the UFC’s 135-pound division.