All Araujo did in her promotional debut was show up at UFC 237 on a couple days’ notice, fighting up two divisions, and delivering a blistering striking performance that culminated with her clocking Talita Bernardo and collecting a third-round stoppage win. This weekend, the Cerrado MMA representative returns to action and 125 pounds in a flyweight showdown with Davis.
Araujo looked outstanding in her debut ¬— her fluid striking, quick movements and vast speed advantage were on display from the outset as she bounced around the cage putting together combinations and taking the fight to Bernardo. That effort set the bar pretty high for the promising 32-year-old, who pushed her winning streak to four with the victory, but now she gets the opportunity to move to the 125-pound weight class after putting in a full camp and make an immediate impression there if she can hand the Canadian a third straight loss.
Born and raised in the Niagara Region, Davis has been a fixture in the UFC since the bantamweight ranks were added to the fold and remains a tough out in the middle of the flyweight division. Though she’s dropped her last two outings by decision, she also kicked off her run at 125 pounds with a close win over Liz Carmouche, who is set to challenge for the title later this summer.
Needless to say, if Araujo can go into the cage and replicate her debut performance against a durable, battle-tested veteran like Davis who has gone the distance with a trio of Top 15 fighters since the division’s inception, it will vault the Brazilian into the thick of the title chase and position her for an even bigger assignment next time out.
