Sara McMann has sought out problem after problem all through her athletic profession. That pattern continued following her newest win over Karol Rosa at UFC Columbus this previous March 2022.
Rebounding off a 2021 loss to now-champion, Julianna Pena, after the win, McMann made it clear she needed to climb again up the rankings by taking up a former champion. Particularly, the previous Olympic silver medalist in wrestling set her sights on Germaine de Randamie, a feared striker whose final victory got here by way of submission over Pena (watch highlights).
“I known as her out after my combat and I don’t really feel like I used to be disrespectful in any respect,” McMann advised MMA Mania. “I used to be calling her out as a result of I simply was asking to combat her. She’s one of many top-ranked women and I even known as her out and I used to be like, ‘Hey, man, she’s a Muay Thai world champ, a former UFC champ,’ I need to combat the perfect. I don’t have eternally to combat, I would like the highest folks.
“I saved getting individuals who had been under my rating or proper at my rating,” she continued. “Man, I can’t enhance if I’m solely preventing near that. I would like the higher-ranked women. So actually, if she had been lower-ranked, I simply wouldn’t even have paid consideration to her.”
McMann, 41, didn’t get the combat with de Randamie and she or he was taken out of the official Final Preventing Championship (UFC) Bantamweight rankings on the finish of 2021. When requested the reasoning for her departure, UFC President, Dana White, gave no particular motive however famous it was private and that he didn’t really feel comfy talking on the matter.
In consequence, it led to hypothesis of retirement looming for “The Iron Woman.” Listening to rumblings of such, McMann took to Instagram to deal with the state of affairs earlier than de Randamie responded saying; “I’m not retired, cease the bulls—t.”
“I really requested one other fighter and I used to be like, ‘Hey, are you aware something about her?’ and she or he’s like, ‘Yeah, from what I perceive, she’s retired,” McMann mentioned. “So I wasn’t simply making issues up, I used to be like, ‘Okay. Dang, if she’s retired that is smart why I haven’t heard something.’ Individuals had been asking once I’m gonna combat Germaine. Nicely, I might however I simply assumed and left it as much as [UFC Matchmaker] Mick [Maynard] and them. So once I posted that, I posted it not in a technique to B.S. or provoke as a result of I genuinely believed that.
“To get her response it was like … don’t speak to me like I’m one in all these little women. I’m not. I’m a grown girl,” she continued. “I do know that I known as you out. You may say, ‘No, I don’t need to combat you or sure, I’ll combat you.’ However don’t now come and speak all large and unhealthy at any time when I mentioned one thing that was incorrect and I even posted to her, ‘Look, no one’s extra completely happy than me that you just’re not retired.’ (laughs) However I wasn’t attempting to begin no matter drama. I’ve a complete profession the place I’m not beginning drama so I believe that I ought to have a bit of bit extra leeway with regards to stuff like that however that’s simply what I had thought. I wasn’t the one one that thought that.”
Come October, it should have been a full two years since de Randamie’s final look towards Pena. Finally, McMann sees the entire ordeal as a technique by the inaugural UFC Featherweight titleholder.
“I believe she is actually simply sitting round ready whereas all of us combat one another then she simply desires to step in and combat Pena and I don’t suppose they need to try this,” McMann mentioned. “I don’t suppose that that’s proper. No, you possibly can combat a few of us and she or he mentioned she would combat me so, I suppose she will put her cash the place her mouth is.”
No matter how issues shake out atop the Bantamweight ranks, McMann continues to be hopeful she will dance with “GDR” sooner or later, it should simply have to return after her upcoming bout on Aug. 13, 2022, at UFC San Diego.
McMann is matched with a fellow proficient grappler, the No. 7-ranked Aspen Ladd, who’s one spot forward of her within the rankings. A win for the previous title challenger would get her again on a win streak for the primary time since 2017.
Regardless of her age, McMann has proven no indicators of slowing down or intent to retire, as evidenced by her final day out. She admits to having frequently mentioned “only a couple extra years” since she was 36, however at this stage, McMann simply intends to maintain preventing for so long as she bodily can or till the will fades.
“I believe it’s a extremely good combat,” McMann mentioned of Ladd. “I believe if I had my selection, I at all times want grapplers. I believe I identical to it in that space after which I do know that they like it in that space too so it’s more likely to go there. So, I’m a bit of bit extra excited to go towards grapplers than I’m strikers who will do what they will to maintain it from going there. It’s good to have extra of somebody keen to have interaction. As a result of once they simply type of maintain you and lock you down and type of hope for a stand-up, it’s more durable to essentially break the combat open. However when you have someone else who’s attacking from completely different positions, it provides you extra alternative as properly. So I’m completely happy concerning the match-up.”
