From the early days of her career, Maverick has always profiled as an explosive athlete with strong grappling and developing striking, and that remains the case now as she readies to take on Andrea Lee this weekend in Anaheim. There is a physicality to Maverick that is somewhat unique for the division, and as she continues to learn how to tie that to her best weapons, it’s easy to see a path to her becoming a contender in the 125-pound weight class.
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Lee has become the veteran ascending fighters like Maverick need to beat in order to advance in the division, having logged her last two appearances against Barber and Natalia Silva, two of the weight class’ brightest young stars. While she’s dropped three straight and struggled since winning her first three UFC starts, the 34-year-old veteran remains a durable, dangerous test for anyone looking to use her as a steppingstone.
This feels like the fight that will tell us whether Maverick is, in fact, going to move forward and gain full membership in the growing pack of under-30 talents making waves in the division at the moment or remain a part-time member that teases with her skills in fits and starts. The upside is obvious, and a path forward is there — now it’s on Maverick to try and put everything together and make a push in the talent-rich flyweight ranks.