Strawweight prospect “Dynamite” Danielle Taylor picked up the biggest victory of her career tonight at UFC Fight Night 108: “Swanson vs Lobov” in Nashville, Tennessee. Taylor edged out former Invicta FC champion Jessica Penne in a closely-contested matchup on the preliminary card.

Also on tonight’s card, former UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger Alexis “Ally-Gator” Davis got back on the winning track with a narrow decision victory over grappling specialist Cindy “Battlecat” Dandois, who made her Octagon debut following a successful stint with Invicta FC.

Taylor (9-2-0) countered jabs from Penne (12-5-0) by lunging in with right hands and leg kicks early in round one. Penne established her jab again and she landed a kick to the liver that backed Taylor up, but Taylor closed the distance again and the fighters exchanged knees in a clinch. Taylor landed a one-two that seemed to anger Penne, who walked forward and fired off a combination of punches and a body kick, but Taylor caught the kick and responded with an overhand right. Both women landed punches in the final 20 seconds and Penne finished the round with a quick flurry.

Taylor opened round two with overhand punches in close and Penne countered with a knee. Taylor flurried again with punches and Penne responded with a right cross. She pawed out with lead left hooks and punished Taylor with knees to the ribs when Taylor clinched. Penne landed more knees and body kicks, followed by straight right hands. Taylor stunned her with two left hooks, and she followed with more punches in close, but Penne recovered and finished the round with a series of knees to the body.

Taylor circled on the outside and came up short with looping hooks in the final round. Penne scored with a one-two and looked to clinch, but Taylor punched her way free. She lunged in with more punches, but Penne hurt her with knees to the head and body. She took Taylor down and secured back control on the way up, but Taylor managed to break free from the clinch. Penne landed a kick-punch combo and she cracked Taylor with a right hand. After both women landed body kicks, Penne fought through Taylor’s punches in the final seconds and she took her down against the cage as time expired.

All three judges favoured Taylor’s striking and returned scores of 29-28 in her favour. She previously took a controversial Split Decision verdict at UFC Fight Night 101 against Seo Hee Ham in a bout that was marred by eye pokes that left Ham unable to see.

Winner: Danielle Taylor by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 9-2-0.

Davis (18-7-0) found herself on the mat after a Dandois (8-3-0) takedown in the opening seconds, but she countered with a high guard as she looked to set up a triangle choke. Dandois punched her way free and Davis switched to an armbar attempt. Dandois defended well by trapping Davis’s head between her legs, but Davis mounted her soon after and rained down punches. Dandois kicked Davis off of her and used a heel hook attempt to try to take top position, but Davis pushed her back down. She tried for a heel hook of her own late in the competitive round.

Davis easily outstruck Dandois on the feet in round two and she avoided a headlock throw attempt in a clinch against the cage. Davis flurried with punches and the fighters traded body kicks until Dandois failed with a headlock throw and wound up on the bottom. The fight returned to the feet and Davis repeatedly tagged Dandois with jabs and right hands. Dandois secured a much-needed takedown and struck from the top until time expired.

Dandois quickly took Davis down in the final round and landed short hammerfists from her guard until Davis kicked her off and stood back up. A nice body kick landed for Davis and Dandois responded by clinching against the cage. She threw Davis to the mat with a headlock takedown, but Davis battled back up again. One-twos and body kicks scored for Davis, but Dandois got her back down to the mat. Davis sunk in a tight triangle choke from her back in the final 30 seconds, but Dandois survived until the bell sounded to signify the end of the fight.

The cageside judges were united and all three had the bout 29-28 for Davis, who bounced back from a disappointing submission setback against Sara McMann at the TUF 24 Finale. The McMann defeat was Davis’s first fight back after taking a lengthy hiatus from fighting following the birth of her first child.

Winner: Alexis Davis by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 18-7-0.

(Photo Credit: UFC)