The MMA Daily

The Women’s Strawweight division features a matchup against Elise Reed and UFC newcomer Melissa Martinez. Coming off a defeat to Sam Hughes less than four months ago, Reed will look to rebound in short order. Having seen momentum from a victory over Cory McKenna stalled, Reed finds herself in a position where a win would go a long way. Meanwhile, Martinez storms into the UFC with a perfect 7-0 record. A Combate Americas Strawweight Champion, Martinez brings forth exceptional talent and is undoubtedly, one of the best Strawweight prospects in mixed martial arts.

After seeing Reed get dismantled by Sam Hughes in her last fight, I’m not certain that she is going to do big things at Strawweight. Which is quite the opposite of how I feel about Martinez, who obviously I’m siding with in this fight. Known for her striking, Martinez is explosive and has top notch hand speed. All action, Martinez often looks to chop down her opponents with leg kicks and break them down over the course of the fight. Up to this point, it’s been a fairly successful formula, as she’s stopped five opponents thus far. Against Reed, who is a striker, I see Martinez looking absolutely spectacular in her UFC debut – winning via TKO.