TUF 24 Finale results: Sara McMann survives elbows, chokes out Alexis Davis in second

LAS VEGAS – Onetime title challenger Sara McMann survived a brutal flurry of elbows from Alexis Davis to exact revenge on the mat.

McMann (10-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) grounded Davis (17-7 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and locked in an arm-triangle choke that forced a tap.

The women’s bantamweight bout was part of the main card of today’s TUF 24 Finale event at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. It aired on FS1 following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

The fight was called at the 2:52 mark of the second frame, bringing McMann back-to-back wins after a decision over Jessica Eye in May. Davis, who took more than a year off with the birth of a child, goes back to the drawing board after a submission of Sarah Kaufman in her previous outing in April 2015.

The two opened the fight with a spirited exchange of fists, with McMann landing several hard right hands. But the Olympic silver medalist quickly ducked under Davis’ shots and executed a takedown. Things didn’t go as smoothly as she might have expected, however.

Davis took McMann’s best punches from bottom and used the threat of a triangle choke to land dozens of elbows. One of the shots badly hurt McMann, leading her to report between rounds that she couldn’t feel one side of her face.

Motivated to put the fight back into her comfort zone, McMann got a quick takedown. This time, she avoided major damage and began the slow work of advancing position. After fighting off Davis’ attempt to reverse, she locked her arms in position for an arm triangle and let her legs follow. A few adjustments, and the end was certain for Davis.

Up-to-the-minute TUF 24 Finale results include:

• Sara McMann def. Alexis Davis via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 2:52
• Brandon Moreno def. Ryan Benoit via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Ryan Hall def. Gray Maynard via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Rob Font def. Matt Schnell via TKO (knee, punches) – Round 1, 3:47
• “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim def. Brendan O’Reilly via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Jamie Moyle def. Kailin Curran via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Anthony Smith def. Elvis Mutapcic via TKO (elbow, punches) – Round 2, 3:27
• Devin Clark def. Josh Stansbury via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan contributed to this report on site in Las Vegas.)