Things are looking up for the UFC’s struggling women’s featherweight division, as Megan Anderson has revealed that the promotion has signed some more 145lb’ers.
Wichita, Kansas — Before the first fight even got underway at UFC Wichita in Kansas on Saturday, featherweight Megan Anderson (9-3) joined reporters back stage. Anderson, who picked up her first UFC win against Cat Zingano at UFC 232 in December, is looking for a fight currently. She’s also still dealing with criticism about the ending of her last bout, which saw her toe lodge in Zingano’s eye. ‘Alpha’ was forced out of the bout, but it was ruled a legal kick. Ergo, a finish for Anderson.
With opponent Cat Zingano talking rule changes and appealing, Anderson told reporters including Cageside Press on Saturday that “it was kind of like a freak, one in a million thing. It was a head kick. Head kicks are not illegal. So there’s not really much you can change about that, unless you want to make head kicks illegal, which, some of the top ten knockouts in UFC history are coming from head kicks.”
Point taken, and not a move any fan of the sport is likely to get behind. Breaking down that finish, Anderson added that “I think it was just, the range was a little long, she was trying to back away, she was turning away. Kind of like a whole compound of circumstances that happened to be that specific finish.”
However, “head kicks are legal moves,” she reiterated. “That is a very common combination that I do, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise that that was going to happen.”
Anderson admits she was bothered a little by the criticism following the fight. “But no matter what people say, that’s still a win on my record. When you go to Sherdog, Tapology, or whatever it is, it doesn’t say ‘via kicking someone in the eye.’ It has a win next to your name. I got the win. No matter how it happened, it still happened.”
“I’ve been given some news, and they are finally starting to sign some featherweights.”
For her next fight, Anderson is campaigning to get on the UFC 238 card in Chicago, the same city in which she made her UFC debut. She’d love to go back. Even more important, however, the UFC might finally be building her division. Women’s featherweight, for the first while, was the Cris Cyborg show. When Amanda Nunes defeated Cyborg at UFC 232, a big question mark arose about the future of the weight class.
Saying she was excited, Anderson said that “I’ve been given some news, and they are finally starting to sign some featherweights.”
“I know they’ve signed Bea Malecki, I think she was on The Ultimate Fighter, but she’s wanting to drop to 135, which is sh*t,” Anderson revealed. However, the UFC, according to Anderson, has also “signed Felicia Spencer [Invicta FC champion]. They’ve signed a few other girls, and Mick [Maynard] is currently looking for a fight for me.”
For fans of women’s featherweight, that’s no doubt great news.
