Getty Images/UFC
Nathan Maness appears to be a growing problem for the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division.
Advertisement
Maness (16-3) outworked Jimmy Flick (17-8) in a flyweight attraction that felt much closer than the final scores indicated, or than the nearly 5-to-1 odds in Maness’ favor seemed to predict. Maness plied his huge frame for the division, working with his jab from the outset to keep dangerous submission artist Flick on the outside. Flick seemed more than willing to engage in a striking battle, throwing big punches and trying to close the distance. Maness defended Flick’s first real takedown attempt with a standing guillotine choke attempt, managing to stay upright. Flick secured a takedown later in the round, taking advantage of another guillotine attempt to set up a Von Flue choke, but the round expired before the sequence could play out. The second and third rounds followed a similar pattern, with Maness and Flick bo…