Shauna Bannon Steals Victory from the Jaws of Defeat
Irish strawweight prospect Shauna Bannon turned in an excellent performance at UFC London. She submitted Indian opponent Puja Tomar via submission in Round 2 to earn her second straight UFC victory.
The first round was relatively even. Bannon largely spammed an unusual question-mark side-kick to manage distance and score some points. She also racked up some control time against the cage, landing some knees and punches. Tomar had her moments as well though, landing a head kick and several hard hooks to the head. Each woman landed a head kick, and Bannon connected a hard sidekick to the head. Overall, Tomar landed with more power and largely made up for the disparity in volume and octagon control.
The second saw Shauna Bannon come out a bit more aggressive, charging forward with a flurry of punches. She then pushed Puja Tomar to the cage, landing some knees and elbows. The Irishwoman continued to manage range with side kicks, in a round that looked very similar to the first.
However, the Indian southpaw uncorked a savage left head kick that connected flush with Bannon’s jaw. She crumpled to the mat, and Tomar pounced on top of her raining down punches looking for the finish. Bannon was able to stabilize the position and then locked on an armbar. Tomar held the submission at bay for a bit, but ultimately was rolled over and flattened out, and forced to tap to save her limbs.
A Big Win for Bannon
Shauna Bannon improves to 2-1 in the UFC with the win at UFC London. Tomar, conversely, falls to 1-1. It’s a big win for Bannon that generates some momentum, beginning a winning streak as she has emerged victorious in her past two bouts. The women’s divisions are historically a bit thin, so if she can continue to improve and keep the train rolling with another win or two, she could easily find herself in the top 15 and working toward a title shot. She will doubtlessly learn from the lapse that nearly got her knocked out and look to tighten up the defense moving forward. Whatever is next, the future seems bright for Bannon at 115 lbs.
Featured Image Credit via Embed from Getty Images
