BY JAMES BRYDON
sportsnet.ca

Alexis Davis was happy with her win in her Strikeforce debut in January. She was just a little disappointed with the performance.

The Port Colbourne, Ont., native won a three-round decision over Julie Kedzie at a July event outside Chicago. It was a second-straight victory for Davis (10-4) after alternating wins and losses for the previous two years.

Two of the three wins in 2009-10 for the jiu-jitsu black belt were by rear naked choke and she has five submissions overall in her career. So when the world's No. 5 ranked 135-pound woman fighter landed her first contract with a major organization, she was really hoping to make a statement.

"I was pretty happy obviously getting the win," Davis said. "But I was little disappointed I couldn't put on that big bang performance."

Davis, who takes on Brazilian Amanda Nunes (6-1) on the undercard of Saturday's Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov event in Cincinnati, expects the pace of her fight to be more conducive to fireworks.

"I think Amanda is going to be very aggressive, as opposed to Julie who just tried to create more angles and keep a little bit more distance," Davis said. "But we figure Amanda and I are going to meet in the middle and slug it out. She's like me. She's not one to back up, she's one to drive forward. So it should be pretty exciting."

Nunes, who now trains at AMA Fight Club in New Jersey, began her career with a submission loss, but has since won six straight fights by KO or TKO. Included in this is her Strikeforce debut in January, where she knocked out Julia Budd in just fourteen seconds.

Davis, who said she's been doing striking for longer than grappling but considers jiu-jitsu her "bread and butter" and what she's passionate about, expects a major challenge from Nunes. But the Canadian is ready to adapt.

"She usually fights at 145 and she's taller and is going to have a long reach, so I just have to keep within my range," Davis said.

In Davis's MMA debut in April 2007, she lost by TKO to fellow Canadian -- and former Strikeforce champion -- Victoria's Sarah Kaufman, who was 3-0 at the time. The latter has since racked up a nearly unbeaten record (apart from the loss last October in which she relinquished her belt to Marloes Coenen).

Davis said she would love a rematch against Kaufman, and perhaps that could come in the UFC. Despite what UFC president Dana White has repeatedly said about a women's division -- that there aren't enough top-level female fighters to sustain it -- she believes it's only a matter of time before we see it.

"Strikeforce has really been pumping up women's MMA and every time I hear they're signing more women so they're kind of getting women fighters' names out there," Davis said. "It's going to happen for the UFC. You can't stop us now. Look where we were a couple years ago. In a couple years, it will be exploding. Maybe it won't be a big division, but you could have a couple (female) fights here in there on cards.

"It's exciting. I hope it happens while I'm still in my prime."

NOTES: Davis is one of two Canadians on Saturday's undercard (which will air live on HDNet at 8 p.m. ET).

Lethbridge, Alta.'s Jordan Mein, who at 21 already has a pro record of 22-7, makes his anticipated Strikeforce debut in a welterweight bout against Evangelista (Cyborg) Santos.

On a recent conference call, CEO Scott Coker said he hadn't seen the Canadian phenom fight, but matchmaker Sean Shelby recommended they sign him and told him their bout will be an "action-packed fight."

"I think it's awesome that he says something about me like that," a flattered Mein said this week. "Now I have to do my best to live up to expectations. But my goal to have some fun in there."

Like Davis, he also lost his pro debut against a fellow Canadian who has since risen up the ranks to be one of Canada's best. In June 2006, Mein was submitted by B.C.'s Rory MacDonald, who is now a UFC contender and being touted as the next GSP.

Mein hopes to have something to say about that, especially if Strikeforce is eventually -- and some would say inevitably -- merged with the UFC.

"Absolutely it could happen with Rory, but I gotta keep winning," Mein said. "It's not about revenge, it's just always nice to get a win back."

...

All fighters made weight for the show, whose main card will begin at 10:30 p.m. on Super Channel in Canada. Full weigh-in results:

Main card

Josh Barnett (261) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (256.5)

Antonio Silva (264.5) vs. Daniel Cormier (247)

Champion Ronaldo Souza (185) vs. Luke Rockhold (185)

Roger Gracie (205) vs. Muhammed (King Mo) Lawal (205)

Maximo Blanco (155) vs. Pat Healy (155)

Preliminary card

Mike Kyle (205) vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima (205)

Rafael (Feijao) Cavalcante (205) vs. Yoel Romero (205)

Jordan Mein (170) vs. Evangelista (Cyborg) Santos (170)

Alexis Davis (135) vs. Amanda Nunes (134.5)

Chris Mierzwiak (185) vs. Dominique Steele (184.5)