LAS VEGAS – Elise Reed was seeking Daniel Cormier’s approval after her win at UFC 279.
Reed (6-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) defeated octagon newcomer Melissa Martinez (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) by unanimous decision at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.
The former CFFC champion was able to show off her defensive wrestling, then landed a couple of takedowns herself. Reed, who was finished by Sam Hughes in her prior fight by ground and pound, had some words for wrestling standout Cormier at the commentary table.
“So obviously the fight before this one, the ground game is a huge thing that I can improve on, as well as the wrestling, and so I just said, ‘I’m getting better at wrestling a little bit,’” Reed told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the post-fight news conference. “So that’s it.
“No, I’m not mad at any of the commentators. I wouldn’t fight any of the commentators. I’m here to put on a show for everybody, and obviously, they’re commentating for a reason because they know what they’re looking at, and so I just wanted to be on the same page as them. That’s it.”
Reed has split her first four octagon appearances and now has fought out her UFC contract. Her debut against Sijara Eubanks didn’t come at her natural weight class, so after getting finished quickly, she knew she had to rebound against Cory McKenna. But after edging out McKenna, Reed was stopped by Hughes, making Saturday a must-win – a situation she’s already accustomed to.
“Going into the Cory fight was very similar. I came in at 125, which, by the way, will never happen again,” Reed said. “I’m not a 125er. I never have been. I don’t care how long I’m going to be fighting for. So going into Cory after Sijara was really similar where I kind of had to show that I was supposed to be at 115 and this one was something like that. So hopefully you get to see me again. I put on a show. Hopefully you get to see me again.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 279.