No Cyborg? No problem. There is a legitimate contender for the soon to be formed UFC women's featherweight division and her name is Megan Anderson.
The Australian knockout artist put on a show in her Invicta 21 headliner against Charmaine Tweet for the interim featherweight strap on Saturday night.
Tweet entered the contest as a crafty veteran on a three-fight win-streak. She also belongs to an elite club of fighters who have fought both Cyborg and Ronda Rousey, albeit she was finished by both superstars. Despite having experience on her side, it was the raw power and technical prowess of her 26-year-old opponent that ended up being the decisive factor.
From the moment the opening buzzer sounded, Anderson fought like a champion, overwhelming tweet with vicious strikes and crunching haymakers. Although Tweet had some success on the feet, there was no doubt that the Aussie won round one and she continued this dominance in the second.
The finish came in the second stanza shortly after a clinch which Tweet emerged from bloodied. With that metallic smell filling her nostrils, Anderson went in for the kill. She had Tweet reeling backwards with a ferocious barrage of punches and the dazed Canadian resorted to wildly throwing spinning back punches in an effort to pull off a Hail Mary KO.
Anderson secured the finish with a forceful right hand followed by a head kick that caused Tweet to turn her back and face towards the cage with her head in her hands. The referee swiftly sprinted in to award Anderson the knockout win at the 2:05 mark of the second round.
The UFC are set to launch their women's featherweight division at UFC 208, where former women's bantamweight queen Holly Holm will duke it out against Germaine de Randamie to be newly -formed division's inaugural champion.
Anderson made sure the matchmakers would keep her in mind for the next crack at the belt following the first title fight with her brilliant post-victory interview.
"Hey Dana White, you tell Holly or Germaine to keep my belt warm because I'm fucking coming for it."
With Cyborg staring down the barrel of a suspension after f
ailing an out-of-competition drug test, Anderson could well be next in line to fight for the belt.
If the UFC need any more fresh contenders for 145, they might consider looking into signing 24-year-old Leah Letson, who knocked out former UFC fighter Elizabeth Phillips in the opening round of their bout at Invicta 21. She ended the contest with a brutal head kick that landed flush just 1:18 into the fight.
This could be the start of something wonderful, people.
