Why were they so high on Gaff in the first place? I just don't understand why they'd sign someone like her before a Baszler, Murphy, or Smith.
Gaff looks good on paper. And in certain situations she can do well. There were moments against McMann and Nunes* she did okay but her lack of high level technical skills costs her against people.
Baszler was on TUF and didn't come off looking all that good to most people. Murphy wanted into the UFC but didn't want to go the TUF route (addictive personality) fearing it would cause her to relapse. UFC, a big obsessed with records over substance sometimes, seemed to not be as interested in Smith due to her lukewarm record.
But Davis wasn't viewed that way early last year. She was just coming off a huge victory over Baszler in which she choked her out. Lots of people thought she was the woman to beat Rousey because of her BJJ background. Especially after Ronda gave up her back again just one month later. Then what happens?
I don't know what you're getting at with this. Davis ought to have fought Rousey instead of Carmouche.
The UFC sets up one of the most pointless fights for a top contender ever, and it backfires in their faces when Davis comes in looking uninspired.
Fights are fights and sometimes they don't end up being the fight people are expecting.
I think had her opponent been McMann instead (and there was a hint at a title shot with a win), a much better Davis would have showed up for that fight.
Maybe, maybe not. You don't know what will happen in a fight until it happens. I suspect Davis was off due to fighting in Canada, the pressure of her first UFC got to her there.
And the UFC didn't want to have two contenders fight one another. As things turned out they would have been in a worse situation then they are in for title contenders for Rousey with that matchup. Due to Rousey being out for a time this doesn't matter as much as it could.
That's why I wanted McMann to face someone like Davis for her first fight. So we could see where she truly stood in the division. The Gaff fight really told us nothing IMO, and was just a waste of time.
You don't know what will happen in a fight until it happens. I and many others suspected that McMann would win that fight but until it happens you don't know. You still have the issue of taking a contender out.
That's the thing. The UFC risked losing an even bigger contender when they set up Zingano/Tate. Remember they could have easily given Miesha a gimme fight, and promised her the next title shot with a win. But they instead had her fight a very dangerous opponent. So I don't see how Davis/McMann would be any different than that situation.
That was for TUF as much as a title contention. And time for people to fight one another to set up new challengers. Little did they know Zingano would get injured and McMann would take a vacation from MMA.
--
At one point Gaff had stunned Nunes in an exchange of punches, Nunes shot for a takedown, Gaff stuffed it, could have started raining in knees from side control (of which she had already hurt Nunes) but instead attempted to poorly take Nunes' back. Nunes shot up, reversed Gaff, and TKOed her with ground and pound. Gaff's own poor fight IQ and weak technical ground skills cost her a fight she had been wining. (Edit: Gaff also didn't have her coaches with her for that fight, they were held up for "Visa" issues by Brazilian authorities. That didn't help her either.)
