A 110-pound title bout between veteran submission grappler Lisa Ellis and Muay Thai practitioner Amy “Lil’ Dynamite” Davis is in the works for United Combat Sports: “Caged Combat 6” on July 14th in Grand Ronde, Oregon. The targeted matchup was announced by Davis on Friday night.
Both fighters competed on the inaugural Invicta Fighting Championships card in April. Ellis engaged in a back-and-forth battle with Jessica Penne before succumbing to strikes midway through round three. Davis submitted Nicdali “The Night Queen” Rivera-Calanoc with a second-round Kimura.
Ellis (14-8-0) is one of the most experienced female fighters in the sport today and she has scored a number of big wins since her professional debut in late 2004. Competing between 105 and 135 pounds, Ellis has taken on all challengers, but she has recently kept her focus on the lighter weight classes. In 2010, Ellis picked up victories over Stephanie Frausto and the previously unbeaten Aisling Daly at 115 pounds. Losses to rivals Megumi Fujii and Jessica Aguilar led Ellis to drop back down to 105 for her Invicta FC debut, but a crushing knee from Penne opened a bad cut on Ellis’s nose in the final round and she was eventually stopped by strikes for the first time in her career. Now looking to get back on the winning track, Ellis will have a chance to collect another title belt in July.
Davis (3-2-0, 1 NC) gives up a wealth of experience to her opponent, but she has already faced some of MMA’s top talent in the 105-pound women’s division. After an upset win over Jennifer Berg in July 2010, Davis suffered back-to-back defeats to Penne and Japanese veteran Misaki Takimoto before the end of the year, though most observers felt that the Split Decision against Takimoto should have gone Davis’s way. Since then, Davis has rebounded with a pair of impressive stoppage victories. Though primarily known for her striking skills, Davis earned her first submission win in the bout with Rivera-Calanoc and showed marked improvement on the ground. She now faces another tough test on July 14th and has eyes on capturing her first mixed martial arts title with a win over Ellis.
United Combat Sports: “Caged Combat 6” takes place on July 14th at Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde, Oregon. The bout between Ellis and Davis will be contested for the UCS 110-pound professional women’s title.
(Photo Credit: Esther Lin, AllElbows.com)