Sherdog Prospect Watch: Danyelle Wolf

Danyelle Wolf will make her long-awaited and hotly anticipated Ultimate Fighting Championship debut when the three-time United States National Boxing Championships gold medalist takes on Norma Dumont as part of the UFC 279 undercard this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. After leaving the boxing world behind, she picked up a victory with the four-ounce gloves in her first appearance as a professional mixed martial artist on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2020. Wolf’s combat sports experience makes her one of the most exciting additions to the UFC women’s featherweight division.

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Wolf carries a 30-14 record as an amateur boxer. She chased the dream of competing in the Olympics, but the 152-pound weight class in which she competed was not included in the Summer Games in 2012 or 2016. By the time the division was finally added, Wolf failed to qualify and opted to go in another direction.


Wolf landed a UFC contract after she defeated Taneisha Tennant on Week 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series nearly two years ago. Despite her lack of MMA experience, she showcased a solid grasp of the arts in multiple phases. Wolf showed off the polished boxing technique for which she has become known and wobbled Tennant early in the first round. Much to everyone’s surprise, she managed to hold her own in the grappling exchanges along the fence and largely neutralized the threat posed by Tennant’s kicks. Wolf had to overcome some difficulty in the second round, but once she regained her composure, she kept Tennant at bay with shots from range and even attempted a guillotine choke before the bout went to the judges. Ultimately, Wolf swept the scorecards with 29-28 marks across the board.

A York, Pennsylvania, native, Wolf was scheduled to face former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder Felicia Spencer at UFC Fight Night 188 in May 2021, but an injury forced her to withdraw. Now, she appears ready to finally compete in front of a UFC audience for the first time.