MMA Match Preview: Shauna Bannon (7-1) vs. Sam Hughes (10-6)
Venue & Event Details
Event: UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs. Borralho
Bout: Shauna Bannon (Ireland) vs. Sam Hughes (USA) – Women’s Strawweight (115 lbs)
Date: Saturday, September 6, 2025
Location: Accor Arena, Paris, France
Card Placement: Preliminary Card opener — the only women’s fight on the card
Broadcast:
USA: ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass
UK & Ireland: TNT Sports / discovery+
France: RMC Sport
Injury & Availability Report
Shauna Bannon: No reported injuries; full camp at Holohan Martial Arts in Dublin.
Sam Hughes: No reported injuries; camp at Fortis MMA in Dallas, Texas.
Medical Suspensions: None entering fight week.
Fighter Profiles & Matchup Breakdown
Shauna “Mama B” Bannon (7–1) – Ireland
Age: 31
Height/Reach: 5’5” / 65″ reach
Style: Taekwondo-based striker with developing grappling
UFC Record: 2–1
Key Strengths:
Fast, clean kicking technique — especially front and body kicks
Aggressive forward pressure when chasing rounds
Durable — never finished in her career
Recent Form:
W – Puja Tomar (SUB – armbar, R2) – earned Performance of the Night
W – Alice Ardelean (SD)
L – Bruna Brasil (UD) – UFC debut
Tactical Notes: Bannon’s best path is to keep the fight at range, use her kicks to disrupt Hughes’ entries, and create chaos in striking exchanges. Grappling defense remains a question mark against strong wrestlers.
Sam “Sampage” Hughes (10–6) – USA
Age: 33
Height/Reach: 5’5” / 64″ reach
Style: High-volume striker with strong wrestling and clinch control
UFC Record: 6–5
Key Strengths:
Chain wrestling and top control
Cardio to push a high pace for all three rounds
Grit and durability — rarely outworked over 15 minutes
Recent Form:
W – Stephanie Luciano (SD)
W – Jaqueline Amorim (UD)
L – Lupita Godinez (UD)
Tactical Notes: Hughes’ clearest path is to close distance, clinch, and work takedowns to neutralize Bannon’s kicking game. Her volume striking can also win rounds if she keeps Bannon on the back foot.
Fight History & Context
First Meeting: This is their first professional bout.
Career Trajectories:
Bannon: Ireland’s top female prospect, looking to break into the top 15 with a win over a gritty veteran.
Hughes: Resurgent after a rocky UFC start, now on a two-fight win streak and aiming to extend it to three.
Divisional Stakes: Winner could earn a ranked opponent next; loser risks falling into the crowded middle tier of the strawweight division.
Betting Trends
Bannon: 3 of last 4 wins by decision; 2 of 3 UFC fights have gone the distance.
Hughes: 7 of last 8 fights have gone to decision; 4–1 in last 5 bouts as a favorite.
Stylistic Trend: Wrestler-grapplers like Hughes have historically had success against taekwondo-based strikers in the UFC strawweight division.
FIGHT ODDS
Shauna Bannon +270
Sam Hughes -340
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, September 5, 2025
