Maness is an intriguing new addition to the flyweight ranks, moving down after a 3-1 run in the bantamweight division where his only setback came by decision against rising star Umar Nurmagomedov.
The 31-year-old Kentucky native arrived in the UFC with an 11-1 record, with his only loss coming against UFC vet Taylor Lapilus in a TKO bantamweight title fight, and swiftly posted consecutive victories over Johnny Munoz, Luke Sanders, and Tony Gravely. His victories over Sanders and Gravely, in particular, stood out, as there were moments in each contest where Maness was in trouble or behind, yet he still managed to not only rally to win, but find a finish, as well.
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Saturday night, Maness gets a chance to make an instant impression in his new weight class, stepping in with highly regarded Russian Tagir Ulanbekov in what should be an interesting litmus test for the divisional newcomer.
In addition to having success at bantamweight, Maness is an intriguing addition because of his size and proven finishing capabilities. Standing five-foot-10 and brandishing a 72-inch reach, he’s considerably taller than most of the athletes in the 125-pound weight class, and with eight of his 14 career victories coming inside the distance, it’s clear that “Mayhem” knows how to capitalize when he has opponents hurt.
Ulanbekov is a skilled grappler with a willingness to trade on the feet. He only recently fell out of the Top 15, so clearly, a victory on Saturday would show that Maness has the potential to be a factor in the flyweight division and get him moving in the right direction again.
