Sara McMann to meet Invicta champion Lauren Murphy in Maine
Sara McMann's last fight was against Ronda Rousey. And her next one will also be against a champion.
McMann will meet now-former Invicta FC women's bantamweight champion Lauren Murphy at UFC Fight Night in Bangor, Maine on Aug. 16, the UFC announced Thursday morning.
McMann (7-1) lost to Rousey at UFC 170 in February when she was hit with a knee to the liver. Many felt like it was a quick stoppage by referee Herb Dean, but McMann didn't dispute it. The Olympic wrestling silver medalist was undefeated before that bout and thought to be one of the 135-pound women in the UFC with the most potential. McMann, 33, is No. 4 in the division in the UFC's official rankings.
Murphy (8-0) is the undefeated Invicta champion and will be making her UFC debut against McMann. She's coming off a TKO win over Miriam Nakamoto in December after Nakamoto tore her ACL. Murphy, a 30-year-old Alaska native, also has notable wins over Kaitlin Young and Sarah D'Alelio.
UFC Fight Night at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor is headlined by a light heavyweight bout between Ryan Bader and Ovince St. Preux. Brad Tavares and Tim Boetsch are also booked for a middleweight fight.
