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Claudia Gadelha focuses on Invicta champ Carla Esparza, not potential UFC future

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claudia-gadelha-invicta-fc-6Claudia Gadelha faces one of the world’s other top strawweights, champion Carla Esparza, on Saturday at Invicta FC 7. In a division that’ll soon be in the UFC, Gadelha knows the 115-pound title fight could be a showcase. She just prefers to ignore that fact.

Gadelha (11-0) looks to dethrone Esparza (9-2), whom she was slated to fight in early 2013 before an accidental head-butt and broken nose sidelined her. During Gadelha’s recovery and a few subsequent wins, the stakes for the latest Gadelha vs. Esparza booking have been raised significantly.

UFC President Dana White recently said the organization plans to add a 115-pound women’s division, though a time table hasn’t been set. Although Gadelha would love to join Nova Uniao training partners and UFC champs Jose Aldo and Renan Barao on the roster, she knows she can’t focus on it.

“I already discussed the possibility with coach (Andre) Pederneiras,” she told MMAjunkie. “But I’m not worried about it. I have another task in front of me. I don’t need any extra pressure that could make me lose focus. I’ll think about it after I fight for the belt.”

In the latest Unified Women’s MMA Rankings, Gadelha is ranked No. 3 at strawweight. Her opponent, Esparza, is ranked No. 2. The winner of Saturday’s bout, which airs on pay-per-view from Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City in Missouri, could be one of the most marketable 115-pounders in the sport.

Sure, it brings some pressure, but Gadelha said Nova Uniao fighters wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I always train with Jose Aldo and Renan Barao, and all told, there are 13 Nova Uniao athletes in the UFC,” she said. “In that environment, it’s hard to set your goals low. You see the other athletes achieve success, and you want that for yourself. Since after my injury, I refocused myself, and I’m glad to have this opportunity to fight for the belt again, represent Brazil, and hopefully make my dream come true, especially since I fight on my 25th birthday.”

In fact, her birthday is an important thing to keep in mind. Gadelha has long explained that she plans to fight until she’s 30, and then she plans to move into a legal career and leave fighting behind. She has five years left to achieve her lofty goals, and it all starts with an Invicta FC title.

She’ll have her hands full on Saturday when she meets Esparza, a longtime wrestler with one of MMA’s better ground games. However, the jiu-jitsu-oriented Gadelha expects the fight to play out standing since she predicts Esparza won’t take risks on the ground.

“I expect that, as a wrestler, she has good submission defense,” Gadelha said. “But my ground game is something different. I’m a three-time world jiu-jitsu champion, and seven times the champion in Brazil. If she tries to take me down, it will be dangerous for her. My ground game is better.

“Carla lost to Jessica Aguilar, whom I’ve beaten in both gi and no-gi submission grappling at NAGA in Dallas. I don’t see much danger from her on the ground. I think the fight will be decided on the feet.”

For more in Invicta FC 7, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.


Filed under: News, UFC

Illness knocks Claudia Gadelha from tonight's Invicta FC 7 strawweight title fight

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claudia-gadelha.jpgSomething must be in the MMA air lately. Invicta Fighting Championships is the latest promotion to suffer a title-fight loss within hours of the card.

Claudia Gadelha (11-0) was scheduled to meet champion Carla Esparza (9-2) for the strawweight title in the co-main event of tonight’s Invicta FC 7 card. But illness has knocked Gadelha from the event. Promotion officials made the announcement on Saturday.

The bout was one of three scheduled title fights on the show, so the card now goes on with two championship bouts. In the main event, flyweight champ Barb Honchak defends her title against Leslie Smith. A fight between Lauren Murphy and Miriam Nakamoto for the promotion’s inaugural bantamweight belt now moves up into the co-main event slot.

Invicta FC 7 takes place tonight at Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. The card, which now features eight fights, airs on online pay-per-view, or through select cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

“Claudia ran a high fever late Friday evening and went to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with a bacterial infection in her intestines,” Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp stated. “We know Claudia wanted this title opportunity more than anything, and all of us at Invicta wish her a speedy recovery. Tonight’s pay-per-view will go on as planned with two world championship fights and a stacked undercard.”

Gadelha, from Brazil, won her Invicta debut in June with a third-round TKO of Ayaka Hamasaki at Invicta FC 6. That kept her unbeaten in her pro career, which has included eight stoppage wins in her 11 fights. It also wound up earning her a title shot that now is put on hold.

With the removal, tonight’s Invicta FC 7 card now includes:

  • Barb Honchak vs. Leslie Smith – for flyweight title
  • Lauren Murphy vs. Miriam Nakamoto – for inaugural bantamweight title
  • Felice Herrig vs. Tecia Torres
  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Katja Kankaanpaa
  • Julia Budd vs. Charmaine Tweet
  • Zoila Frausto Gurgel vs. Vanessa Porto
  • Sarah D’Alelio vs. Tonya Evinger
  • Nina Ansaroff vs. Munah Holland

For the latest on Invicta FC 7, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Claudia Gadelha)


Filed under: News

UFC acquires 11 fighters from Invicta FC, launches women's strawweight division with 'TUF 20'

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felice-herrig.jpgOne month after signaling an interest to open a new UFC women’s division, the promotion has gone all in on strawweights.

UFC President Dana White today announced the promotion has acquired the contracts of 11 Invicta FC fighters, who will compete on the first all-women season of “The Ultimate Fighter” for the inaugural UFC strawweight title.

Filming for the show kicks off May 18 and features Carla Esparza (9-2), Alex Chambers (4-1), Claudia Gadelha (11-0), Felice Herrig (9-5), Bec Hyatt (5-3), Emily Kagan (3-1), Juliana Lima (6-1), Rose Namajunas (2-1), Tecia Torres (4-0), Paige VanZant (3-1) and Joanne Calderwood (8-0). A debut date for the first episode wasn’t immediately announced.

White told MMAjunkie that the participants likely will be coached by men, but isn’t ruling out female coaches. He added that a date and location for the show’s finale and title fight has yet to be determined.

“The fans like it, I’m thrilled with it, and we’re going to dive into the 115-pound division,” White said. “We’re invested, we’re in, as far as the women go.”

White said the UFC will continue to work with Invicta, which he said would rebuild its strawweight division.

“We’ll continue to work with them and other promoters,” he said.

Approximately one year ago, White signed Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey to a contract when a broadcast deal with the promotion’s television partner, Showtime, failed to materialize. Rousey became the UFC bantamweight’s champion as the promotion built out a 135-pound division.

Women made their debut in the octagon when Rousey headlined UFC 157 opposite Liz Carmouche.

In March, the UFC recruited male and female bantamweights as contestants on “The Ultimate Fighter 18,” which featured Rousey and ex-Strikeforce champ Miesha Tate as coaches.

White said the success of the co-ed season opened the door for the first all-women season of the show.

(Pictured: Felice Herrig)


Filed under: MMA Rumors, News, UFC

Women’s MMA Report: UFC adds strawweight division, Invicta FC crowns new champ

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carla-esparza-invicta-fc-7The MMA landscape is set to change once again when the UFC adds a second women’s weight class – the talent-rich 115-pound strawweight division – to its roster in 2014. UFC President Dana White announced the news on Dec. 11 and confirmed the division will launch during “The Ultimate Fighter 20,” which begins filming in May.

Unlike in past seasons of the long-running show in which winners earned trophies and six-figure contracts with the UFC, the “TUF 20” victor will be crowned  the first UFC women’s strawweight champion. A total of 16 women will compete on the show, and 11 have already been named. All 11 fighters come to the UFC after having their contracts transferred from Invicta FC.

The star-studded lineup includes many of the top female fighters in the 115-pound weight class. Among them is Invicta FC strawweight champion Carla Esparza (9-2), who captured the title in January. Esparza has tasted defeat just once in her past seven fights and now looks to add another prestigious championship to her mantle.

Also confirmed for “TUF 20” is unbeaten Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Claudia Gadelha (11-0), who was  scheduled to challenge for Esparza’s Invicta FC title earlier this month before an illness canceled the fight. Fast-rising star Tecia Torres (4-0) is seen by many as a potential “TUF 20″ finalist thanks to her three impressive victories this year. Highly touted Scottish striker Joanne Calderwood (8-0) will also compete on the show.

The remainder of the cast currently features Felice Herrig (9-5), Bec Hyatt (5-3), Juliana Lima Carneiro (6-1), Alexandra Chambers (4-1), Emily Kagan (3-1), Rose Namajunas (2-1) and Paige VanZant (3-1).

Notable exclusions from the roster include Japanese teen prodigy Mizuki Inoue (7-1), Finnish standout Katja Kankaanpaa (8-1-1) and St. Louis police officer Ashley Cummins (3-2). Inoue was offered a spot on the show, but title fight obligations in Japan and an obvious language barrier prompted her to decline the offer. She is expected to be a key factor in the Invicta FC title picture next year in light of Esparza’s departure.

With five spots remaining on the cast roster, tryouts will be held next year to determine the final 16-woman lineup. Filming for “TUF 20” begins in May, but a date for the show’s premiere episode has not yet been confirmed. In a unique move, the UFC has announced that all 11 fighters currently signed to the show will be paid not to fight prior to filming in an effort to limit injuries and last-minute changes. Invicta FC champion Esparza receives $40,000 to sit out while the remaining contestants each receive $32,000 apiece.

Honchak retains flyweight title, Murphy wins bantamweight belt at Invicta FC 7

barb-honchak-leslie-smith-invicta-fc-7Invicta FC returned with its seventh all-female fight card on Dec. 7 at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City in Missouri. The event was originally set to feature a trio of title fights, but only two championship bouts proceeded as planned.

In the Invicta FC 7 main event, flyweight champion Barb Honchak (9-2) showed once again why she is the sport’s premier 125-pound female fighter by defeating popular challenger Leslie Smith (6-4-1) in an entertaining five-round battle. Honchak scored with a series of punching combinations in the early goings, but Smith thwarted her attempts to take the fight to the ground until late in the round. Honchak tried for a rear-naked choke and an arm-triangle choke before time expired.

Honchak once again controlled the action in Round 2 with quick strikes on the feet and a takedown into mount, but Smith rallied in Round 3 and threw a series of head kicks. Honchak secured a takedown late in the round, but Smith countered with an omoplata attempt and used it to sweep into top position.

From that point forward, the champion regained her momentum and  put together combinations of punches and kicks that kept Smith guessing. Honchak scored more takedowns in each of the final two rounds and landed some solid ground and pound just before the bell sounded to end the fight. All three judges scored the bout 49-46 for Honchak, who retained her title with the unanimous decision win. The bout was named “Fight of the Night,” and both fighters took home an extra $1,500 for their performances.

The Invicta FC 7 co-main event featured a much-anticipated bout between unbeaten rising star Lauren Murphy (8-0) and multi-time muay Thai world champion Miriam Nakamoto (2-1) for the inaugural Invicta FC bantamweight title. Although the bout ended in disappointing fashion, both fighters put on strong showings in what proved to be one of the better fights on the card.

Nakamoto punished Murphy with chopping leg kicks and stiff jabs in the opening round, and she followed with knees and slashing elbows to take an early lead on the scorecards. It was more of the same from Nakamoto early in Round 2, but Murphy began to find her range as the round progressed and landed some nice knees of her own in close.

Murphy worked for takedowns throughout the third round until she was finally able to get Nakamoto to the mat. Nakamoto twisted her knee on the way down and appeared to be in pain as Murphy closed out the round with punches from the top. The fight continued on, but Nakamoto’s knee gave out on her, and Murphy was awarded a title-winning TKO victory at the 23-second mark of Round 4.

Following the bout, new champion Murphy received considerable praise for her compassion and sportsmanship after Nakamoto collapsed as a result of her injury. Nakamoto has since undergone surgery on her knee and has started back on the road to recovery.

Invicta FC strawweight champion Carla Esparza was also set to defend her title on the Invicta FC 7 card, but her planned fight against Claudia Gadelha was canceled for the third time when Gadelha fell ill following the pre-fight weigh-ins. Gadelha was diagnosed with a bacterial infection and was pulled from the card on fewer than 24 hours’ notice. A disappointed Esparza watched from the sidelines as the event proceeded with two championship bouts.

Tecia Torres shines in victory at Invicta FC 7

At just 24 years of age, Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (4-0) is arguably the top female prospect in North America today. After going 7-0 as an amateur and winning three straight fights for Invicta FC – all in a span of fewer than 22 months – Torres faced her toughest test to date in veteran strawweight contender Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig (9-5) at Invicta FC 7. Torres passed the test with flying colors en route to a dominant unanimous-decision victory.

From the outset, Torres was a step ahead of Herrig in the striking exchanges and repeatedly scored with flurries of punches and a variety of kicks. She continued to outstrike Herrig in Round 2 by mixing in front kicks and side kicks that kept Herrig on the defensive. In Round 3, Torres threw ax kicks early on and fought off Herrig’s takedown attempts. Torres eventually secured a takedown of her own, and the fighters battled back and forth on the ground. Herrig finished the round on top, but it wasn’t enough to steal back the fight.

All three judges scored the bout 30-27 for Torres, who will next compete on “TUF 20” in May. Following the fight, Esparza, Herrig’s best friend and part-time training partner, entered the cage to challenge Torres to a future fight. That bout will not take place inside the Invicta FC cage, but could play out during “TUF 20” next year.

Calderwood, Budd among winners in Invicta FC 7 feature bouts

joanne-calderwood-1.jpgJoanne “JoJo” Calderwood (8-0) stayed unbeaten with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Katja “Killer Bunny” Kankaanpaa (8-1-1) in a featured strawweight bout at Invicta FC 7. The opening round was a cautious one as the fighters pawed with jabs. Kankaanpaa eventually secured a takedown, but Calderwood reversed into top position and landed ground and pound before the bell.

Kankaanpaa scored two takedowns in Round 2 and she threatened with a rear-naked choke and an arm-triangle choke on the ground. In Round 3, Calderwood appeared to hold a slight edge in the striking exchanges, but Kankaanpaa clinched and took her back against the cage. Calderwood broke free and secured a late takedown that likely sealed the round and the fight in her favor. All three judges scored the close fight 29-28 for Calderwood, who will next join Esparza, Torres and the remaining strawweights on the “TUF 20” roster.

Featherweight contender Julia Budd (6-2) posted her fourth straight victory by outpointing fellow Canadian Charmaine Tweet (4-4) in the lone 145-pound bout on the Invicta FC 7 card. Budd took Tweet down in all three rounds and controlled the action with punches, elbows and occasional keylock and armbar attempts. Tweet was active from her back, but she never came close to securing a submission, and Budd cruised to a unanimous-decision win with scores of 30-27 thrice.

Former Invicta FC flyweight title challenger Vanessa Porto (16-6) got back on the winning track with a commanding unanimous-decision win over Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-4). Gurgel landed knees and some solid right hands early on, and she finished Round 1 with a vicious head kick. It was all Porto from that point forward, however, and the Brazilian repeatedly scored with one-two combinations. She took Gurgel down and landed ground and pound from the top en route to victory with scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice.

Tonya Evinger (12-6) overcame a late opponent change and picked up one of the biggest victories of her career in a bantamweight battle on the preliminary card. Evinger showcased her excellent boxing and wrestling skills and defeated Sarah D’Alelio (7-5) via a well-deserved unanimous decision. D’Alelio took an early lead on the scorecards by landing some hard punches and elbows on the ground in Round 1, but Evinger scored takedowns of her own in Round 2 and then rocked D’Alelio with a big right hook. Evinger seized control in Round 3 with another takedown and a prolonged rear-naked choke attempt. All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for the local fighter, who has won four straight fights.

Opening up the card, flyweight prospect Nina Ansaroff (6-3) earned “Knockout of the Night” honors for her second-round stoppage of former Bellator fighter Munah Holland (5-3) in a catchweight bout. Ansaroff landed quick kicks and punches in Round 1, and she took Holland down late in the opening stanza. In Round 2, Ansaroff fought off an armbar attempt and floored Holland with a four-punch combination. Ansaroff rushed in with follow-up punches, and the bout was stopped at the 3:54 mark of the second round. Ansaroff pocketed an extra $1,000 for the KO win, and she’s now stopped five straight opponents.

Julie Kedzie retires from fighting, named new Invicta FC matchmaker

On Dec. 7, MMA veteran Julie Kedzie (16-13) competed for the final time when she dropped a narrow split decision to unbeaten Brazilian prospect Bethe “Pitbull” Correia (7-0) at “UFC Fight Night 33: Hunt vs. Bigfoot” in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. However, the newly retired fighter quickly found a new role as the matchmaker for Invicta FC.

In the fight itself, Kedzie and Correia battled back and forth on the feet throughout the first two rounds. Both women landed punching flurries and a variety of kicks. The bout was even on the scorecards after 10 minutes, but Correia pressured Kedzie with right hooks and body kicks early in Round 3. She took Kedzie down and remained the aggressor until the end of the round. One judge saw the close fight 29-28 for Kedzie while the remaining two had it 29-28 for Correia.

For Correia, who stepped into the fight on short notice, the victory solidified her position as one of MMA’s premier female bantamweights. Kedzie, however, was left in a difficult spot. Having dropped four straight fights – two via split decision and one submission loss in a bout she was winning – and likely on the verge of being cut from the UFC, Kedzie announced her retirement from active competition. This past week, she found a new job.

Since its inception in April 2012, Kedzie has provided color commentary and handled in-cage fighter interviews for Invicta FC. The promotion was recently left without a matchmaker when Janet Martin departed the company amidst allegations of financial improprieties and other damaging actions. On Dec. 16, just nine days after her final MMA fight, Kedzie was announced as the new Invicta FC matchmaker. Her expanded duties with the promotion begin in 2014.

Kedzie’s new role could prove to be a challenging one in light of the UFC’s recent acquisition of much of Invicta FC’s top female talent at 115 pounds (and 135 pounds this year). However, Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp has remained optimistic about her company’s future in 2014, and she and Kedzie intend to sign up a new wave of talent to develop into title contenders.

Julianna Pena becomes first female ‘TUF’ winner

julianna-pena-tuf-18-finaleThe month of November concluded with a historic season finale to “The Ultimate Fighter 18: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate” on Nov. 30 in Las Vegas. For the first time in the show’s lengthy history, a female “TUF” winner was crowned in bantamweight Julianna Pena (5-2), who earned a six-figure contract with the UFC.

Throughout the season, Pena was portrayed as a social outcast amongst her fellow fighters, but she was undeterred by critics and advanced to the tournament final by defeating Gina Mazany, Shayna Baszler and Sarah Moras in succession. Her opponent, former boxing champion and perennial underdog Jessica Rakoczy (1-4), defeated Revelina Berto, Roxanne Modafferi and Raquel Pennington to earn her spot in the final.

Pena wasted no time in taking the fight to Rakoczy and scored a takedown very early in Round 1. Rakoczy got back to her feet, but Pena quickly tripped her to the mat again and passed to mount. She rained down punches and elbows until the one-sided fight was finally stopped at the 4:59 mark of the first round.

With the impressive TKO win, Pena ensured that she will be a part of the UFC roster for the foreseeable future. The 24-year-old has finished her opponents in all five of her pro wins.

Earlier on the TUF 18 Finale card, highly touted prospect Jessamyn Duke (3-0) earned her first UFC victory by defeating Peggy Morgan (2-1) in a battle between two of MMA’s tallest female fighters.

Duke dominated the opening 10 minutes with triangle-choke attempts and a barrage of strikes on the feet. A failed bulldog choke attempt from Duke led Morgan to take her back in the final round, but Duke escaped from the choke attempts and walked away with a unanimous-decision win. Scores were 30-27 across the board for Duke, who remains perfect as a pro.

Opening up the main card, Raquel Pennington (4-3) posted a close unanimous-decision win over veteran Roxanne Modafferi (15-11). Pennington started slowly, and Modafferi mixed up her strikes well in the opening round. In Round 2, Pennington was much more aggressive with her striking and fought off a Modafferi armbar attempt with ground and pound. The fighters traded power punches in Round 3, and Pennington took Modafferi down with a guillotine choke into mount. Modafferi narrowly held on until the bell, but Pennington took home the win with scores of 29-28 and 30-27 twice.

Larissa Moreira Pacheco stops Irene Aldana, wins Jungle Fight title

This past Saturday night, 19-year-old Larissa Moreira Pacheco (9-0) became the first Jungle Fight women’s bantamweight champion at Jungle Fight 63 in Belem, Para, Brazil. The well-rounded rising star captured the inaugural title by stopping Mexican knockout artist Irene Aldana (3-1) in Round 3 of one of the best female fights of 2013.

Both women landed hard body kicks, knees and punches early in the championship fight. Pacheco began to back up Aldana with her strikes, and she caught a kick late in the round. She tripped her opponent to the ground and worked for an armbar, but Aldana scrambled free. In Round 2, Aldana immediately pulled half-guard with a guillotine choke, and Pacheco countered by taking mount. The fighters scrambled on the ground, and Pacheco escaped an inverted triangle choke. She attempted a keylock and a guillotine, but Aldana took top position and scored with ground and pound. The fight briefly returned to the feet, and Pacheco tried for a late armbar.

As Round 3 began, Aldana’s right eye was noticeably swollen from the force of Pacheco’s punches. Pacheco forced her to backpedal by landing more punches early in the round. A right uppercut, followed by a one-two combination, badly staggered Aldana, and Pacheco dropped her to her knees with a final left hook. The referee intervened to stop the fight at the 1:50 mark of Round 3, giving Pacheco a big TKO victory.

All nine of Pacheco’s career wins have ended inside the distance, and she will likely move on to join the UFC women’s bantamweight roster in 2014.

Jessica Aguilar vs. Alida Gray title bout booked for WSOF 8

jessica-aguilar-2.jpgTop-ranked strawweight Jessica Aguilar (16-4) is set to begin the new year with a championship fight in her World Series of Fighting debut. Aguilar meets unbeaten prospect Alida Gray (4-0) at “WSOF 8: Gaethje vs. Gonzalez” on Jan. 18 in Hollywood, Fla.

Aguilar has won seven straight fights, but each of her past three bouts has ended in controversial fashion. In May 2012, Aguilar narrowly outpointed MMA legend Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii at Bellator 69. Ten months later, she posted a split-decision victory over “Little” Patricia Vidonic at Bellator 94 in a bout that was almost universally scored in Vidonic’s favor by onlookers. Aguilar’s most recent fight, a rematch with Fujii at Vale Tudo Japan 3rd on Oct. 5, also ended in disappointing fashion when Fujii was unable to continue as a result of injuries sustained from two accidental eye-pokes.

As the women’s strawweight division continues to explode in popularity, due in part to the UFC’s recent addition of the weight class, Aguilar looks to prove that she is still MMA’s premier female fighter at 115 pounds when she steps into the WSOF cage for the first time.

Aguilar’s opponent, Gray, has quietly made a name for herself with four stoppage wins this year. In her pro debut in June, Gray captured the Sugar Creek Showdown women’s strawweight title by submitting Vidonic in the second round of their championship fight. The loss marked the first time that Vidonic had ever been finished in her career. Gray has since gone on to score three more wins, including a highlight-reel KO of Soannia Tiem in October. She most recently retained her SCS title with a second-round TKO win this past month.

WSOF 8 takes place on Jan. 18 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The Aguilar-Gray title fight will be a part of the featured main card.

Rousey vs. Tate grudge rematch set for Saturday at UFC 168

On Saturday night, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey (7-0) and bitter rival Miesha Tate (13-4) face off for a second time at “UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva II” in Las Vegas. The much-anticipated grudge rematch will be contested for Rousey’s UFC title and comes on the heels of “The Ultimate Fighter 18,” on which  the fighters served as opposing coaches after Rousey’s original adversary, “Alpha” Cat Zingano, withdrew due to a knee injury.

Rousey and Tate first faced off in March 2012 for Tate’s Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title. The fighters battled back and forth on the ground, and Tate far surpassed the expectations of some pundits who predicted that she would be submitted inside of the first minute. However, Rousey eventually locked on a vicious armbar that forced Tate to submit at the 4:27 mark of Round 1.

Although never friends, Rousey and Tate became more cordial with one another following the initial fight, but things changed when Tate showed up unannounced at the beginning of filming for “TUF 18” earlier this year. Over the course of the season, Tate continued to push Rousey’s buttons in an effort to get the champion off of her game. Rousey became more and more upset with Tate and vowed to break her arm for a second time in the rematch.

With title contenders lining up in hopes of facing the Rousey-Tate winner, their rematch is one of the UFC’s most important fights of the year. A win for Rousey solidifies her spot as the top female fighter in MMA today, but a loss would put an end to her meteoric rise in the sport for the time being. For Tate, a victory would both confirm that she’s still one of the best 135-pound female fighters in the world and also exact revenge against her most heated rival. A loss, however, would likely remove Tate from the title picture.

UFC 168 takes place on Dec. 28 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The Rousey-Tate rematch serves as the co-main event on the PPV main card.

Quick results

Elizabeth Phillips (2-1) def. Kristin Stenzel (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 49-second mark of Round 1 at Conquest of the Cage 14 on Nov. 20 in Airway Heights, Wash. Stenzel stepped into the fight on very short notice in place of Phillips’ original opponent, Priscilla White. Phillips has earned finishes in both of her wins this year.

Linn “La Machine” Wennergren (2-1) def. Angelica Babbi (0-2) via KO (punches) at the 1:10 mark of Round 1 at “Superior Challenge 9: Gothenburg” on Nov. 23 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Since dropping her pro debut in April, Wennergren has rebounded with back-to-back wins.

Marina Moroz (1-0) def. Yana Kuzioma (1-1) via submission (armbar) at the 1:12 mark of Round 2 at Oplot Challenge 89 on Nov. 23 in Kharkov, Ukraine. Moroz secured her first professional win with the submission victory.

On the same Oplot Challenge 89 card, Anastasia Zayac (1-1) def. Oksana Shuvalova (0-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 3:06 mark of Round 2. Zayac also earned her first pro win in the fight after dropping her debut in November 2012.

Jessica Suelem (1-3) def. Helaine Ribeiro (0-2) via TKO (punches) in Round 1 at “B33 Fight 10: In The Cage” on Nov. 23 in Ponta Grossa, Parana, Brazil. Suelem scored her first pro win in the fight after suffering three losses against top-ranked Brazilian opponents.

Cassie Crisano (1-1) def. Ana Paula “Mutante” Oliveira (1-3) via submission (inverted armbar) at the 4:50 mark of Round 3 at Olimpia Fight 2013 on Nov. 23 in Olimpia, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Crisano posted her first professional victory in the fight.

Carolina Karasek (2-0) def. Betina Baino (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 2:11 mark of Round 1 at Mega Fight 8.0 on Nov. 23 in Bento Goncalves, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Karasek has finished both of her opponents since making her pro debut in October.

Carina “Barbie” Damm (21-10) def. Roberta “Marreta” Pereira da Silva Gomes (0-2) via TKO (punches) at the 58-second mark of Round 1 at MMA Super Heroes 2 on Nov. 23 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Damm overwhelmed the much less experienced Gomes with strikes from mount en route to the quick stoppage victory.

On the same MMA Super Heroes 2 card, Kalindra Faria (12-3-1) def. Hellen Bastos (1-1) via TKO (knee and punches) at the 4:13 mark of Round 2. As the fighters scrambled up from the ground, Faria landed a vicious knee that hurt Bastos, and she finished her off with punches for the main event victory. The win earned Faria the inaugural MMA Super Heroes women’s flyweight title.

Herica Tiburcio (7-2) def. Chayen Aline Gaspar (1-2) via submission (armbar) at the 1:57 mark of Round 1 at “Talent MMA Circuit 5: Etapa Campinas 2013” on Nov. 23 in Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Tiburcio is one of the top female strawweight prospects in Brazil and she has secured back-to-back wins via armbar submission.

Also at Talent MMA Circuit 5, Camila “Camilinha Pitbull” Lima (8-4) def. Bianca Reis (1-2) via submission (arm-triangle choke) at the 4:36 mark of Round 2. With the win, Lima rebounded from her shocking upset loss to Mylla Souza Torres in July.

Rounding out the female portion of the Talent MMA Circuit 5 card, Vanessa Melo (2-2) def. Suelen Pereira (1-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 3:37 mark of Round 1. Melo got back on track with the win following a loss to Julianna Werner in July.

Alida Gray (4-0) def. Katie Klimansky-Casimir (1-2) via TKO (punches) at the 2:15 mark of Round 2 at “Sugar Creek Showdown 20: Vinte” on Nov. 23 in Hinton, Okla. Gray successfully retained her SCS women’s strawweight title with the impressive stoppage victory. She has finished all four of her opponents this year and next meets Jessica Aguilar at WSOF 8 in January.

On the same Sugar Creek Showdown 20 card, Latoya Walker (2-0) def. Gabrielle “Gabanator” Holloway (3-1) via unanimous decision after five rounds. Walker was competing for the first time in more than two years. The win earned her the SCS women’s featherweight title.

Amber “The Apex Predator” Stautzenberger (4-1) def. Lacey “The Ladie” Schuckman (9-7) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at Xtreme Knockout 20 on Nov. 23 in Arlington, Texas. Stautzenberger controlled the fight with knees on the feet and elbows from side control on the ground en route to her biggest win to date. She is one of the strawweight division’s fastest rising prospects, and she returns to action in January.

On the same Xtreme Knockout 20 card, Sabrina Garcia (2-0) def. Alice Smith Yauger (0-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). Garcia has won both of her pro fights for XKO this year and spoiled the MMA debut of former pro boxer Yauger.

Shizuka Sugiyama (10-3-1) and Ji Yun Kim (0-0-1) fought to a majority draw (20-19, 19-19, 19-19) at “Deep: Cage Impact 2013” on Nov. 24 in Tokyo. The popular Sugiyama got off to a strong start in the fight, but she began to tire in Round 2 and Kim took advantage by stealing back the round to earn a draw on the scorecards.

Luly “La Vampiresa” Silva (1-1) def. Gloria Bravo (1-1) via TKO (punches) at the 3:14 mark of Round 1 at Cage MMA Night League on Nov. 29 in Maipu, Mendoza, Argentina. Silva earned her first pro win in the fight after dropping her debut in August.

Priscila de Souza (2-0) def. Cristina Mejia (1-2) via submission (armbar) at the 4:20 mark of Round 1 at Peru Fighting Championship 15 on Nov. 29 in Pueblo Libre, Lima, Peru. De Souza has submitted both of her professional opponents with armbars this year.

Carina “Barbie” Damm (21-10) def. Daiane “Dai Fox” Firmino (1-1) via unanimous decision at Standout Fighting Tournament 2 on Nov. 29 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Competing for the second time in six days, Damm picked up the win over another much less experienced opponent.

Christina “Ratatat” Tatnell (3-1) def. Amy “Ace” Adam (1-3) via KO (knee) at the 1:15 mark of Round 1 at “Valor Fight 6: Validation” on Nov. 30 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. Tatnell has won all three of her fights this year since losing to Bec Hyatt in October 2012.

Chelsea Bailey (1-0) def. Juliana “Xitara” Costa (1-2) via submission (armbar) at the 2:44 mark of Round 2 at Haidar Capixaba Combat 14 on Nov. 30 in Vitoria, Espirito Santo, Brazil. Bailey made a successful pro debut in the fight following a brief stint as an amateur.

On the same Haidar Capixaba Combat 14 card, Emanuela “Manu” Silva Ferreira (1-0) def. Valeria da Silva (1-1) via unanimous decision. Ferreira was competing just four days after her 18th birthday and picked up her first MMA victory.

Marciea “Black Widow” Allen (3-1) def. Brenda “The Southern Queen” Rodriguez (0-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at “Dynasty Combat Sports 5: Season’s Beatings” on Dec. 6 in Lincoln, Neb. Allen has won back-to-back fights this year.

Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm (6-0) def. Angela “Hollywood” Hayes (6-7) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at “Fresquez Productions: Havoc” on Dec. 6 in Albuquerque, N.M. Former multi-time boxing champ Holm dominated the fight on the feet en route to a one-sided decision win. She next faces Juliana Werner for inaugural Legacy FC women’s bantamweight title.

Agnieszka “Kuma” Niedzwiedz (5-0) def. Kerry “Rocksteady” Hughes (1-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at Cage Warriors 62 on Dec. 7 in Newcastle, England. The 18-year-old Niedzwiedz kept her unbeaten record intact with the victory over former amateur standout Hughes, who tasted defeat for the first time.

On the same Cage Warriors 62 card, Laura “Hot Head” Howarth (1-0) def. Emma “Heavy D” Delaney (0-1) via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29). Howarth made a successful pro debut following a recent stint on “TUF 18.”

Talita “Treta” Nogueira (6-0) def. Michelle “Miih” Oliveira (0-1) via submission (arm-triangle choke) at the 3:52 mark of Round 1 at Taboao Fight Championship on Dec. 7 in Taboao da Serra, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Nogueira has finished all six of her pro opponents to date.

Tabatha Ricci (1-0) def. Danielle “Dani” Cunha (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 2:30 mark of Round 1 at “Fight Masters Combat 1: Macaco vs. Galeto” on Dec. 7 in Sao Paulo. Ricci made a successful pro debut with the quick win.

Debora Ferreira (1-0) def. Fernanda “Nanda” Gadea (1-1) via TKO (punches) at the 2:13 mark of Round 1 at “Duelo de Titans: Gladiadores do MMA” on Dec. 7 in Constantina, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Ferreira picked up her first win as a pro in the brief fight.

Amy “The Resurrection” Cadwell (3-0) def. Jessica “Black” Doerner (5-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 4:51 mark of Round 1 at CageSport 28 on Dec. 7 in Tacoma, Wash. After a lengthy amateur career, Cadwell has amassed three straight wins this year against formidable opposition, and she is now one of the flyweight division’s newest rising stars.

Silvana “La Malvada” Gomez Juarez (2-0) def. Susana Diaz (0-1) via KO (punch) at the 3:15 mark of Round 1 at Knock Out Club Productions 12 on Dec. 13 in Salta, Argentina. Gomez Juarez has finished both of her professional opponents via a form of knockout.

Lily Kazak (1-2-1) def. Lena “Hunter” Ovchynnikova (9-3) via TKO (punch) at the 21-second mark of Round 2 at Oplot Challenge 92 on Dec. 14 in Kharkov, Ukraine. Following a competitive first round, Kazak dropped Ovchynnikova with a looping right hook early in Round 2, and the referee quickly intervened to stop the fight.

Steff Schmidt (1-0) def. Sylvia Nagel (0-1) via unanimous decision at “Free Fight Association Germany: We Love MMA 6” on Dec. 14 in Berlin. Schmidt made a successful pro debut with the two-round decision victory.

Aline Sattelmayer (5-4) def. Vanessa “Vanessinha” Guimaraes (2-2) via unanimous decision at Real Fight 10 on Dec. 14 in Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Sattelmayer has fought seven times in 2013 and has won three of her past four fights.

Andressa “Meg” Araujo Rocha (4-1) def. Beatriz Desiro (0-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 1:51 mark of Round 2 at Evolution MMA 3 on Dec. 14 in Assis, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Araujo Rocha rebounded after suffering her first pro loss in August.

Liana “Li” Ferreira Pirosin (1-0) def. Helaine Ribeiro (0-2) via TKO (shoulder injury) at the 2:06 mark of Round 1 at Armagedom MMA Fight on Dec. 14 in Colombo, Parana, Brazil. Pirosin landed a head kick and a flurry of punches that forced Ribeiro to retreat to the cage in pain, and the referee intervened to stop the fight due to an injury to Ribeiro’s left shoulder.

Livia Renata “Livinha” Souza (5-0) def. Bianca Reis (1-2) via submission (triangle choke) at the 42-second mark of Round 1 at MMA Costa Combat on Dec. 14 in Anhembi, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Souza has submitted four of her five opponents to date.

Isabelly Varela (1-0) def. Chayen Aline Gaspar (1-2) via TKO (punches) in Round 2 at Circuito Invictus de MMA 2 on Dec. 14 in Rio das Ostras, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Varela made a successful pro debut with the second-round stoppage win.

Ashleigh Heustis (2-0) def. LeAnn “Lights Out” Amundson (0-2) via TKO (punches) at the 1:32 mark of Round 1 at Impact Fighting Championship 11 on Dec. 14 in Bismarck, N.D. Heustis has knocked out both of her pro opponents this year in exactly 92 seconds apiece.

Annalisa “No Fear” Bucci (6-2) def. Minerva Montero (1-1) via unanimous decision at KOTC Italy on Dec. 15 in Rimini, Italy. Bucci has won five straight fights.

Aline Serio (6-4) def. Tamara “Buh” Ferreira de Sousa (0-2) via KO (punches) at the 3:29 mark of Round 1 at Gringo Super Fight 8 on Dec. 15 in Rio de Janeiro. Serio swarmed on de Sousa with a barrage of punches against the cage until the 20-year-old collapsed to the mat.

Maria Elisabete “Beth” Tavares (5-4-1) def. Jessica Medeiros de Andrade (1-1) via unanimous decision at The Gladiator King on Dec. 15 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Tavares got back on track after dropping fights to Brazilian standouts Kalindra Faria and Ana Maria.

Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko (2-1) def. Priscila Orellana (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 50-second mark of Round 1 at Fusion Fighting Championship 5 on Dec. 18 in Lima, Peru. Shevchenko was competing for the first time since she suffered her lone career defeat against Liz Carmouche in September 2010.

Luciana dos Passos Pereira (4-3) def. Paula Baack (0-1) via unanimous decision at Shooto Brazil 45 on Dec. 20 in Rio de Janeiro. Pereira has won three of her past four fights, with the lone defeat coming against current UFC fighter Jessica Andrade.

Tomo Maesawa (2-3) def. Yasuko “Pink Spider” Mogi (3-10) via TKO (punches) at the 2:19 mark of Round 1 at “Deep: 64 Impact” on Dec. 22 in Tokyo. After starting her career with three tough losses, Maesawa has earned back-to-back first-round finishes this year.

(Pictured: Carla Esparza)


Filed under: News, UFC, WSOF

MMAjunkie Q&A with Nova Uniao head coach Andre Pederneiras

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After two of his elite fighters defended their UFC titles this past weekend, esteemed Nova Uniao coach Andre Pederneiras spoke to MMAjunkie about their fights as well as what’s coming up for his team.

Check out the Q&A with “Dede” below, who talks about Jose Aldo‘s defense of the UFC featherweight title against Ricardo Lamas and Renan Barao‘s defense of the bantamweight belt against Urijah Faber.

What would you like to share about Jose Aldo and Renan Barao’s fights (on Saturday)?
We prepared for two difficult fights, as always. I think what happened is what we expected. Lamas was able to take a lot of punishment. “Junior” tried to knock him out a few times, but couldn’t manage to do it. And regarding Faber and Barao, Barao was able to land a good punch and follow up to finish the fight. So, for us it was excellent.

Faber has always had bad luck against Nova Uniao. Why is that? Did you analyze him well?
I think Faber is a great fighter. Maybe his game doesn’t match up well against our athletes. But, without a doubt, after Barao, who is the champion, I don’t see anyone better in the weight class.

You gave B.J. Penn his black belt. For his recent visit to your academy in Rio de Janeiro, how long did he stay and what did he bring to the table?
He stayed with us around 20 days. He arrived around Jan. 6 or 7, and left on Jan. 27. We have a great exchange of information. B.J., being such an experienced fighter, is able to point out things to us that we may miss amongst ourselves. And we also showed him some things he had not seen before.

Was that also the case with Gray Maynard?
No doubt. Gray Maynard is a great friend of ours. Whenever he visits Brazil, it’s really good, since we learn a lot from him.

Barao was the interim champion for a long time while Cruz kept promising to return, which hasn’t happened yet. After Barao received the regular belt, some fans still need to see him defend that to solidify him as the true champion. And even though he beat Faber, it wasn’t without controversy since Faber claimed he was OK after the stoppage. Is the stigma behind Barao now?
I think that’s more of a question for Faber. Barao took advantage of the moment and hit Faber as much as possible until the referee stopped it. And even if it didn’t happen at that moment, it was coming very soon. From the first significant strike, Barao had the upper hand and the means to get the stoppage. And that’s what happened.

Claudia Gadelha recently moved to San Jose and said she might train with AKA before going on “The Ultimate Fighter.” Any thoughts?
Claudia has an American boyfriend. So she came to California to spend a month and a half getting to know his family and also learning English. (Editor’s note: Pederneiras said his fighters tend to avoid English classes even when he pays for them.)

Jussier Formiga is 1-2 in the UFC. But he remains well-ranked. Is this because the UFC believes in his potential or because he only lost to top talent?
Right. He only lost to top opponents. Both guys who beat him also fought for the belt. So, without a doubt, he’s there because the UFC believes he deserves to be in the top 10.

What do you think of Thales Leites‘ comeback after being out of the UFC for so long, now that his knee is healed?
He came back in great shape. He’s actively training to be ready for the next opportunity, and to keep himself in the UFC.

Will he fight for the belt again?
For sure, but it won’t be so soon. There are several other Brazilians ranked above him now.

Eduardo Dantas has voiced unhappiness over idle time from Bellator MMA and lack of sponsorship. Your thoughts?
These things happen. “Dudu” is expected to fight at least three times this year.

Anything else you’d like to share?
As seen this past weekend, anyone who is booked against a Nova Uniao fighter should expect to face a very well-prepared opponent.

For complete coverage of UFC 169, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.


Filed under: Bellator, News, UFC

Strawweight women invited to tryouts for 'TUF 20' in April in Las Vegas

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Open fighter tryouts for Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter” are slated for April 28 in Las Vegas, with women’s strawweights invited.

Las Vegas’ Palace Station Hotel & Casino (2411 W. Sahara Ave.) will host the tryouts for the show, which is expected to begin filming in May for a broadcast starting in September on FOX Sports 1.

“TUF 20″ will be the first all-women’s season of the show, which is set to be coached by lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez. The two then will fight for Pettis’ lightweight title after the show finishes airing.

UFC officials today released the details for the open tryout session. Registration begins at 8 a.m. PT local time on the day of the tryouts, which will take place in Palace Station’s Grand Ballroom. Fighters will be expected to go through grappling sessions and hit pads, and are asked to bring appropriate gear for both activities. Candidates must be female and between the ages of 21 and 34. In addition, they must be legally able to live and work in the United States and have a verifiable winning professional MMA record.

Fighters should complete an application in advance, which is to be brought to the tryouts. Applications can be found at ufc.com/tuf20.

Fighters who are selected to take part in the casting finals process will be expected to remain in Las Vegas until May 1. Questions can be directed to tufcasting@ufc.com.

In December, the UFC picked up nearly a dozen fighters from Invicta Fighting Championship in anticipation of opening up its 115-pound division after “TUF 20.” Currently, the UFC only features a 135-pound division for women. The 11 fighters the UFC signed for its inaugural strawweight class all are expected to be part of “TUF 20,” which means 11 spots likely already are filled before the open tryouts.

The two finalists from “TUF 20″ are expected to fight for the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight title. The 11 women already under contract are Carla Esparza (9-2), Alex Chambers (4-1), Claudia Gadelha (11-0), Felice Herrig (9-5), Bec Hyatt (5-3), Emily Kagan (3-1), Juliana Lima (6-1), Rose Namajunas (2-1), Tecia Torres (4-0), Paige VanZant (3-1) and Joanne Calderwood (8-0).

“The fans like it, I’m thrilled with it, and we’re going to dive into the 115-pound division,” UFC President Dana White said in December. “We’re invested, we’re in, as far as the women go.”

In March 2013, the UFC recruited male and female bantamweights as contestants on “The Ultimate Fighter 18,” which featured women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and ex-Strikeforce champ Miesha Tate as coaches. White said the success of the co-ed season opened the door for the first all-women season of the show.

(Pictured: Joanne Calderwood)


Filed under: MMA Rumors, News, UFC

Here are the 36 female fighters trying out for 'The Ultimate Fighter 20' today

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tuf-20-tryoutsLAS VEGAS – A total of 36 fighters are today trying out for the upcoming 20th season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which is the second to feature female competitors.

MMAjunkie is at today’s tryouts, which take place at Palace Station Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

As previously announced, “TUF 20″ debuts Sept. 20 on FOX Sports 1, and the upcoming installment of the long-running reality show will crown the UFC’s inaugural 115-pound strawweight champion. This past year, “TUF 18″ featured 135-pounders and was the first to feature female cast members.

Part of the cast is already set. Back in December, the UFC acquired the contracts of 11 Invicta FC fighters with plans to feature them on “TUF 20″: Carla Esparza (9-2), Alex Chambers (4-1), Claudia Gadelha (11-0), Felice Herrig (9-5), Bec Hyatt (5-3), Emily Kagan (3-1), Juliana Lima (6-1), Rose Namajunas (2-1), Tecia Torres (4-0), Paige VanZant (3-1) and Joanne Calderwood (8-0).

However, VanZant, Gadelha and Lima are no longer expected to be part of the cast. VanZant wasn’t the mandatory minimum age of 21, Gadelha determined she can’t continually make the 115-pound limit, and Lima lack of English ruled her out, UFC President Dana White told MMAjunkie. However, all three will receive UFC contracts and will be booked for non-“TUF” UFC bouts.

That means eight slots are open for “TUF 20.” The show won’t have an elimination round of fights (meaning all 16 fighters chosen for the show will become official cast members). Filming begins July 1 and ends in mid-August.

The fighters trying out today for those open spots include:

Lightweight champ Anthony Pettis and contender Gilbert Melendez will serve as head coaches on the show. The eventual tournament winner will join bantamweight titleholder Ronda Rousey as the UFC’s only female titleholders.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.


Filed under: Featured, MMA Rumors, News, UFC

UFC works to build women's strawweight roster at 'TUF 20' tryouts

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(This story first appeared in Tuesday’s USA TODAY.)

LAS VEGAS — The UFC in July begins filming the first all-female season of its stalwart reality franchise, The Ultimate Fighter, and several notables will vie not only for a contract with the mixed martial arts leader, but a title.

“It’s a really cool season,” UFC President Dana White told USA TODAY Sports. “These girls are going to be so fired up, and the girls are way meaner than the men are.”

Half of the 16 spots on the show’s cast for The Ultimate Fighter 20, however, were up for grabs Monday after three announced participants were instead signed to contracts, UFC officials told USA TODAY Sports.

“One didn’t speak English, one couldn’t make the weight, and one was too young,” White said in Las Vegas, where 32 women’s strawweights converged on a local casino hoping to secure one of eight open spots.

“Not only do we need eight more girls, but we also need two alternates,” White added. “What makes this season different than any we’ve ever done is they’ll be fighting for a title, so we have to be fair and make sure they have enough experience. Some of these girls look very, very good.”

The UFC this week expects to finalize the roster for the show, which serves as the introduction of the women’s strawweight division (115 pounds) to the UFC. For the first time, it also will crown a champion at its conclusion in December in Las Vegas.

Currently, the women’s bantamweight division, led by champ Ronda Rousey, is the UFC’s only women’s weight class. Based on Rousey’s smashing success, and a need to fill an ever-growing slate of fight cards, the promotion in December announced the addition of the 115-pound class, bringing to 10 the weight classes featured in the octagon.

Among those at the tryout was former Invicta FC atomweight champ Jessica Penne, who would move up from the 105-pound division. “I’m really happy and excited to be here,” said Penne, who lost her title a year ago, but rebounded in July with a first-round submission win. “I hope to be a part of the next season.”

Invicta and Bellator MMA vets Lisa EllisAisling Daly and Michelle Ould also auditioned for UFC execs, as well as the undefeated Justine Kish, who trains out of Black House, a gym affiliated with ex-middleweight champ Anderson Silva.

Already set to participate in the reality show tournament are Carla Esparza, Alex ChambersFelice Herrig (9-5), Bec Hyatt (5-3), Emily Kagan (3-1) Rose Namajunas (2-1), Tecia Torres (4-0), and Joanne Calderwood (8-0).

Meanwhile, Claudia GadelhaJuliana Lima (6-1) and Paige VanZant (3-1) will bypass the show and proceed straight to the UFC. Officials said fans can expect to see strawweight fights even before the conclusion of TUF 20, so the new champ should have a contender waiting for her.

– John Morgan contributed to this report from Las Vegas.

(Pictured: Dana White, Miesha Tate, Chalsea Bailey)

 


Filed under: News, UFC

Women's MMA Report: Correia tops Duke at UFC 172, 36 women try out for 'TUF 20'

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MMA: UFC 172- Duke vs Correia

Brazilian rising star Bethe Correia kept her undefeated record intact with a well-deserved victory on Saturday night at “UFC 172: Jones vs. Teixeira” in Baltimore. Correia outstruck “TUF 18″ quarterfinalist Jessamyn Duke en route to a unanimous decision win in a bantamweight bout on the televised preliminary card.

Leading up to Saturday’s fight, some questioned whether Correia (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) would be able to contend with Duke’s (3-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) significant height and reach advantage in the striking exchanges. Correia proved her doubters wrong and she repeatedly scored with leg kicks and right hands throughout the three-round bout.

In the opening round, Correia landed a series of kicks that turned Duke’s lead leg a dark shade of red. She mixed up her strikes well with quick punching combinations and more kicks. When Duke secured a Thai clinch and threw knees in close, Correia countered and broke free. Duke took her down very briefly, but Correia returned to her feet and the fighters exchanged punches. Correia closed out the competitive first round with more hard leg kicks.

Round 2 was more of the same early on and Correia had success with combinations of leg kicks and right hooks. Duke scored a takedown and she worked for a guillotine choke in a scramble, but Correia escaped and she wound up on top in side control. Duke gave up her back and returned to her feet soon after. She took Correia down once more, but she could not keep her down for long and Correia finished the round strong with kicks and overhand rights.

Early in the final round, Correia scored at will with flurries of punches as Duke appeared to be struggling to find her range. Correia landed more leg kicks and a four-punch combination that allowed her to break free from a clinch. She backed Duke up with more punches, but Duke countered with a takedown. Correia escaped out the back and worked from Duke’s guard. The fighters were stood up and Correia stuffed a late takedown attempt.

After 15 minutes of action, the cageside judges returned a unanimous verdict. Scores were 29-28 and 30-27 twice for Correia, whose stock continued to rise with the victory. Duke, who recently joined up with UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler and Marina Shafir to form a powerful stable known as “The Four Horsewomen,” suffered her first official loss as a professional.

Correia appears to have her sights set on conquering the four-woman stable one by one. After defeating Duke, she held up four fingers to symbolize the sign of “The Four Horsewomen,” then put one finger down as if to say, “One down, three to go.”

Baszler, who is currently recovering from an injury, took exception to Correia’s taunts. A bout between Correia and the veteran submission specialist could prove to be an intriguing fight should the UFC choose to match the fighters up later this year.

“TUF 20″ tryouts attract 36 hopefuls for all-female season
On Monday, 36 of MMA’s top female fighters converged in Las Vegas in hopes of earning a spot on the upcoming 20th season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” For the first time in the show’s lengthy history, “TUF 20″ will feature an all-female cast and the winner of the grueling competition will become the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight champion.

“TUF 20″ is set to feature a cast of 16 strawweights plus two alternates. UFC officials initially announced a partial cast of 11 fighters in December, but only eight from the original group will compete on the show. Confirmed participants are Invicta FC women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza (9-2), Joanne Calderwood (8-0), Tecia Torres (4-0), Felice Herrig (9-5), Bec Hyatt (5-3), Alex Chambers (4-1), Emily Kagan (3-1) and Rose Namajunas (2-1).

Undefeated BJJ black belt Claudia Gadelha (11-0) will no longer compete on “TUF 20″ due to concerns over her ability to make 115 pounds multiple times during the show. Gadelha’s Brazilian compatriot, Juliana de Lima Carneiro (6-1), was removed from the show’s cast due to her accent and limited English. Rounding out the omissions, 20-year-old Paige VanZant (3-1) did not meet the minimum age requirement in order to participate. All three fighters are expected to bypass “TUF 20″ and move straight into the UFC.

Monday’s tryouts attracted a wealth of talent as champions, veterans and prospects alike all traveled to Las Vegas in hopes of earning a spot on the show, which begins filming on July 1 and concludes in mid-August.

The list of tryout hopefuls included former Invicta FC atomweight champion Jessica Penne (11-2), NAAFS women’s flyweight champion Aisling Daly (14-5), skilled grapplers Lisa Ellis (15-8) and Randa Markos (4-1), Invicta FC veterans Nina Ansaroff (6-3) and Sarah Schneider-Chance (6-6), and long-time contenders Angela Magana (11-6) and Michelle Ould (7-3). Top young prospects in the atomweight, strawweight and flyweight divisions also took part in the tryouts in hopes of becoming the first-ever UFC women’s champion at 115 pounds.

“TUF 20″ hopefuls took part in striking, grappling and interviews during the tryout process as UFC officials and FOX Sports producers looked for the best candidates for the show. A final list of 16 cast members, plus two alternates, will be determined shortly and that list will be announced in the coming months.

The two women who fight their way to the tournament final will then square off for the UFC women’s strawweight title at the TUF 20 Finale.

Kalindra Faria dominates Sanja Sucevic at XFC International 4
One of Brazil’s fastest-rising female stars, Kalindra Faria (15-3-1), posted her 11th straight victory on Saturday night at XFC International 4 in Osasco, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The hometown favorite earned a lopsided unanimous decision win over Serbian prospect Sanja Sucevic (4-3) in the strawweight co-main event.

Faria recently signed a new contract with XFC and she made a statement to the rest of the promotion’s 115-pound women’s division with Saturday’s impressive performance. Early in the fight, Faria scored a takedown and she landed some vicious right hands while standing over her fallen foe. She mounted Sucevic soon after and continued to batter her with punches, but Sucevic weathered the storm. Faria trapped her in two tight armbars, but Sucevic refused to submit and she slammed her way free shortly before the bell.

The fighters traded punches in Round 2 and Faria took Sucevic back down. She avoided a guillotine choke and worked from the top in Sucevic’s guard. With just over one minute remaining in the round, Faria mounted Sucevic again and she landed elbows that cut the Serbian fighter below the left eye and above the right. She closed out the round with more strikes from the top and nearly finished the fight in the process.

Faria did not let up in Round 3 and she scored another quick takedown. Sucevic returned to her feet and Faria landed some hard knees to the body. She countered kicks from Sucevic by taking her down once more. Faria punished her with numerous elbows from the top and transitioned to another tight armbar just before time expired.

None of the cageside judges awarded any 10-8 rounds to Faria, but all three scored the one-sided bout in her favor. Scores were 30-27 across the board for Faria, who has now won 11 straight fights. She has not lost since March 2011 when she was submitted by recent Invicta FC flyweight title challenger Vanessa Porto.

Princesses of Pain books round-robin tournament for May 3
New Zealand’s Princesses of Pain promotion returns with another all-female fight card on Saturday night that includes both a 60-kilogram round-robin tournament and a 55-kilogram single-elimination grand prix. The event features a total of 10 women’s bouts and takes place in Panmure, Auckland, New Zealand.

The A-Class professional portion of the card is comprised of a three-woman round-robin tournament that will determine a champion at 60 kilograms (132 pounds). In the first fight in the round-robin, Desiree-Ann Maaka (0-0) makes her pro debut against Charlene Watt (0-0). The fighters first faced off in the quarterfinal round of Princesses of Pain’s amateur women’s bantamweight tournament in September. Watt earned a third-round submission victory in the pair’s first fight and she advanced on to the finals of the one-night tournament before dropping a unanimous decision to Dawn Chalmers.

In the second round-robin fight, Maaka faces off against jiu-jitsu specialist Kate Da Silva (5-1), who is no stranger to tournament competition. In August, Da Silva moved up in weight in order to take part in the Storm MMA women’s featherweight title tournament. She submitted back-to-back opponents before suffering her first career defeat against recent Invicta FC signee Faith Van Duin in the championship final.

The third and final bout in the round-robin tournament pits Da Silva against Watt. The fighter with the best record at the end of the three-fight tournament will be crowned as the new Princesses of Pain 60-kilogram champion.

Saturday’s card also includes an amateur title tournament at 55 kilograms (121 pounds) that will use a single-elimination format. In the first of two semifinals, Tairi Ford faces off against Hera Tamati. The second semifinal pits Ursula Nicole Marshall-Steele against Serina Cole. Winners of the semifinals will compete later in the night to determine a tournament champion.

In non-tournament action, Missy Laxon faces Tracey Burns, Gabriella Marsters takes on Sabrina Compton, Barbara Verlinden battles Bente Hollen and Lizzie Warner meets Krissy Pettman.

Quick results
Angela Hill (1-0) def. Stephanie Skinner (2-5) via TKO (punches) at the 1:35 mark of Round 2 at “US Freedom Fighter Championship 18: Metal and Mayhem” on April 26 in Winston-Salem, N.C. Hill, a decorated Muay Thai fighter, made a successful pro MMA debut with the stoppage victory. She was one of 36 fighters who tried out for “TUF 20″ on Monday.

Mariah Prussia (3-0) def. Shannon Gunville (2-1) via submission (punches) at the 1:20 mark of Round 2 at “Dakota FC 18: Spring Brawl 2014″ on April 26 in Fargo, N.D. Prussia overwhelmed Gunville with ground and pound en route to the verbal submission victory. She has finished all three of her opponents with strikes and none of her fights have made it past the second round.

Shannon Sinn (1-0) def. Courtney Himes (0-2) via submission (armbar) at the 51-second mark of Round 1 at “Sparta Combat League: Army vs. Marines 5″ on April 26 in Loveland, Colo. Sinn followed up on her stellar 5-1 amateur career by winning her pro debut in impressive fashion.

Also on the Sparta Combat League card, Amanda Bell (1-2) def. Brittney Elkin (1-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 3:48 mark of Round 2. Invicta FC veteran Bell picked up her first professional victory with the second-round tapout win. She notably stopped current UFC fighter Jessamyn Duke in a November 2011 amateur fight.

Aline Serio (9-5) def. Paula Baack (1-3) via split decision at Gringo Super Fight 10 on April 27 in Sao Jose dos Pinhais, Parana, Brazil. Serio has won three of her four fights in 2014 and her lone defeat this year came via a competitive decision against Kalindra Faria.

Upcoming fights
Aya Saeid Saber(2-3) faces Ana Julaton (0-0) at “One FC 15: Rise of Heroes” on May 2 in Manila, Philippines. Saber put an end to a three-fight losing skid by earning a first-round submission victory this past month. She makes a quick return to action to face Julaton, a highly-skilled striker who makes her much-anticipated pro MMA debut. Julaton sports a 13-4-1 boxing record that included WBO and IBA super bantamweight title reigns.

Also on the One FC 15 card, Jeet Toshi (2-1) faces Jujeath Nagaowa (0-0). Toshi most recently earned a first-round submission win in October. She returns to One FC to face local Filipina favorite Nagaowa, who makes her pro debut.

Lynnell House (2-1) faces Stephanie Essensa (1-0) at Havoc Fighting Championship 5 on May 2 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. House looks to rebound from her first professional defeat against “TUF 20″ hopeful Randa Markos in a strawweight title fight this past month. She had previously earned back-to-back first-round knockout wins. Essensa made a successful pro debut for Havoc FC in January when she choked out Jennifer Stumborg.

Pannie Kianzad (4-0) faces Annalisa Bucci (6-2) at “Superior Challenge 10: Helsingborg” on May 3 in Helsingborg, Sweden. Kianzad is one of Europe’s top female prospects and she is coming off of a big win over Russian standout Milana Dudieva in October. She competes in front of hometown supporters against Italy’s Bucci, who is riding a five-fight winning streak.

Betina Baino (0-2) faces Claudia Vasconcellos (0-0) at Samurai Combate 5 on May 3 in Gravatai, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Baino looks for her first pro win when she faces off against Vasconcellos, who makes her professional debut on the card.

Cassie Crisano (1-1) faces Glauciele Silva (0-0) at “Strike Fight Combat: Olimpia Fight 2″ on May 3 in Olimpia, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Crisano picked up her first pro victory in November when she submitted Ana Paula Oliveira. She will make a very quick return to action following the bout with pro debutant Silva and next faces Beatriz Zambonini on May 11.

Reagan Benedetti (1-0) faces Katie Howard (1-1) at CageSport 30 on May 3 in Tacoma, Wash. Benedetti followed up on her unbeaten amateur career by choking out Invicta FC veteran Cheryl Chan in her February pro debut. Howard is coming off of a razor-thin split decision loss to Glena Avila earlier this month.

MMAjunkie.com publishes the Women’s MMA Report every few weeks. Its author, Robert Sargent, is a veteran MMA journalist who also runs MMARising.com. Feel free to email us at news [AT] mmajunkie.com with any questions, news tips or suggestions.


Filed under: News, UFC

Claudia Gadelha, Tina Lahdemaki meet in UFC's first 115-pound women's bout

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The first-ever UFC women’s 115-pound is set for next month’s UFC Fight Night 45 event.

UFC officials today announced via FOXSports.com that strawweights Claudia Gadelha (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Tina Lahdemaki (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) have verbally agreed to meet at the event.

UFC Fight Night 45 takes place July 16 at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J. Most of the card is expected to air on FOX Sports 1 following a few prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

It’s not clear where Gadelha vs. Lahdemaki will be placed on the lineup.

The two UFC newcomers officially kick off the UFC’s second and latest women’s division. After launching a 135-pound bantamweight division in 2013, UFC officials announced plans for the 115-pounders. Although most of the top prospects will compete on “The Ultimate Fighter 20,” which kicks off this fall and will crown an inaugural champion, some other bouts will be booked in the interim.

Gadelha, in fact, was originally targeted as a “TUF 20″ cast member, but she ultimately opted against it when she determined it’d be too difficult to make weight so many times in such a short timeframe.

Prior to her UFC deal, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt submitted or knocked out seven of 10 opponents in her home country of Brazil. She then made her Invicta debut in July 2013, and the 25-year-old Nova Uniao fighter scored a third-round TKO win over Ayaka Hamasaki. However, a subsequent title fight with champ Carla Esparza was scrapped on the eve of the fight due to Gadelha’s bout of gastroenteritis.

She now meets undefeated Finish fighter Lahdemaki, who turned pro in 2010 and has posted stoppages in three of her five career wins. Although she’s been competing at 125 pounds, she’ll drop to the strawweight division for her first fight since November, when she choked out Cage Warriors and Super Fight League vet Karla Benitez (11-7) at Cage 24.

The latest UFC Fight Night 45 card includes:

  • Donald Cerrone vs. Jim Miller
  • John Lineker vs. Alptekin Ozkilic
  • John Howard vs. Rick Story
  • Pat Healy vs. Gleison Tibau
  • Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham
  • Jim Alers vs. Lucas Martins
  • Aljamain Sterling vs. Hugo Viana
  • Joe Proctor vs. Justin Salas
  • Jessamyn Duke vs. Leslie Smith
  • Claudia Gadelha vs. Tina Lahdemaki

For more on UFC Fight Night 45, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Claudia Gadelha)


Filed under: MMA Rumors, News, UFC

Women's MMA Report: Letourneau wins UFC debut, Invicta FC heads to Fight Pass

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French Canadian striker Valerie Letourneau made the most of a short-notice opportunity and picked up her first UFC victory on June 14 at “UFC 174: Johnson vs. Bagautinov” in Vancouver. Letourneau outpointed fellow late replacement Elizabeth Phillips in a closely contested standup battle during the televised preliminary card.

UFC 174 was originally set to feature a women’s bantamweight bout between Germaine de Randamie and Milana Dudieva, but the fighters were forced to withdraw from the event due to injuries and visa issues, respectively. Letourneau (6-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Phillips (4-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who were both fresh off of wins days earlier in regional competition, stepped in as late additions to the UFC 174 card and engaged in one of the night’s most action-packed fights.

Phillips got off to a strong start in the opening round and she damaged Letourneau’s left eye with jabs and right hooks. Letourneau’s eye swelled up and Phillips kept her on the defensive with more punching combinations. Late in the round, Letourneau stunned Phillips with a head kick and the fighters traded big shots until the bell.

Letourneau began to take control of the striking exchanges in Round 2 by countering Phillips’ aggression with uppercuts in close. Phillips slowed down and that allowed Letourneau to put together combinations of leg kicks and punches. She backed Phillips up with a lengthy flurry and landed a head kick and a nice knee before the end of the round.

Early in Round 3, Letourneau stuffed a takedown and she countered with quick punches and a body kick. She followed with uppercuts and knees as Phillips held her against the cage. As the round progressed, Letourneau landed more crisp punches and body kicks and she easily avoided most of Phillips’ wild strikes.

One judge scored the close fight 29-28 for Phillips, but the remaining two both saw it 29-28 for Letourneau, who took a well-deserved split decision victory. An emotional Letourneau stated after the fight that it was a dream come true to win a fight in the UFC.

Invicta FC inks deal with UFC Fight Pass

A date and location have still yet to be announced for the long-awaited Invicta Fighting Championships 8 card, but fans around the world will be able to watch the event online when it ultimately does take place later this year.

Earlier this month, Invicta FC officials announced a partnership with the UFC that will bring Invicta FC events to UFC Fight Pass, the online subscription-based streaming service that provides access to live and archived UFC events and content, as well as access to other cards from promotions now owned by Zuffa.

Since its inception, Invicta FC president Shannon Knapp has sought out the best broadcasting deal possible for her all-female promotion. Initial talks pointed towards potential deals with Showtime, HBO or Spike TV, but none came to fruition and the promotion instead turned to online pay-per-view for its events. Issues with stream quality and payment processing forced Invicta FC to give away PPV events for free on multiple occasions, but things did improve in December when the company added televised PPV as a purchasing option for Invicta FC 7.

Following months of negotiations this year, Knapp partnered with the UFC in order to bring past and future Invicta FC events to Fight Pass. The deal will lead new fans to Invicta FC who may not have been exposed to the promotion in the past. For Invicta FC’s young prospects, many of whom previously competed in front of a few hundred people on local fight cards, they will now have an opportunity to showcase their skills for tens or hundreds of thousands of fans.

While the new deal is largely a positive one, some concerns do remain. The UFC has already twice poached the majority of the top Invicta FC stars in order to build its own women’s divisions at 135 and 115 pounds. Invicta FC contenders in the 125-pound flyweight and 105-pound atomweight divisions will likely transition over to the UFC and move up or down in weight once they have fought on Fight Pass and added to their existing star power.

A second concern is that Invicta FC 8, which was originally planned for April, still does not have an announced date or location. Numerous Invicta FC competitors have been forced to take fights outside of the promotion in order to stay busy while the lengthy negotiations between Knapp and potential broadcast partners have played out. Invicta FC has staged just one event in the past 11 months and the promotion’s momentum grinds to a screeching halt each time there is a lengthy delay between shows.

Invicta FC 8, now rumored for August or September, is expected to feature a featherweight title fight between champion Cristiane Justino and Ediane Gomes. Invicta FC atomweight champion Michelle Waterson is also likely to defend her title on the card.

UFC books three female fights, including strawweight debut

History will be made once again next month when the UFC officially debuts its 115-pound women’s strawweight division at UFC Fight Night 45 in Atlantic City, N.J. The event takes place on July 16 and features two female fights. In one, decorated BJJ black belt Claudia Gadelha (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) takes on unbeaten Finnish prospect Tina Lahdemaki (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in the UFC’s inaugural women’s strawweight bout.

Gadelha, who is one of the most skilled female grapplers in MMA, was originally scheduled to be a part of “The Ultimate Fighter 20,” which begins filming next month. The winner of “TUF 20″ will be crowned as the first UFC women’s strawweight champion. However, concerns over Gadelha’s ability to repeatedly make the cut to 115 pounds led to her removal from the show.

During her time with Invicta FC, Gadelha was twice scheduled to compete for the promotion’s strawweight title. A broken nose and a last-minute illness forced her out of both fights, but she did put on one of her most impressive performances to date in her lone Invicta FC bout that proceeded as planned. At Invicta FC 6 in July, Gadelha mauled previously undefeated Jewels champion Ayaka Hamasaki en route to a third-round TKO victory. Gadelha cut a significant amount of weight for the fight and she was advised not to compete on “TUF 20″ due to the fact that she would be required to cut down to 115 pounds multiple times in short succession.

Lahdemaki has quietly made a name for herself in Europe, where she has won all 11 of her pro and amateur fights. This past year, she racked up three straight professional victories including a first-round technical submission win over Spanish prospect Karla Benitez. Lahdemaki is no slouch on the ground in her own right, and she is skilled at using ground and pound and scrambles to set up transitions to submissions. Lahdemaki will provide a solid test for Gadelha next month and she looks to potentially earn a title shot by upsetting the Brazilian.

Also on the UFC Fight Night 45 card, Leslie Smith (6-5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Jessamyn Duke (3-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) square off in a bantamweight bout. Smith made her UFC debut on short notice in April at the TUF Nations Finale and engaged in an entertaining rematch with Sarah Kaufman, but ultimately came up short on the scorecards. Now armed with a full training camp, Smith looks for her first octagon victory next month.

Duke remains a highly-touted prospect in the 135-pound women’s division, but she may find herself in a must-win situation against Smith after dropping a decision in her most recent fight. After a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter 18,” Duke made her official UFC debut in November and outpointed castmate Peggy Morgan. She took a step up in competition to face Bethe Correia at UFC 172 in April, but it was Correia who prevailed on the scorecards after 15 minutes.

The UFC is set to return to Saitama, Japan, on Sept. 21 and female fighters will be featured prominently on the card. UFC Fight Night 52 includes a bout between former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate (14-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) and reigning bantamweight Queen of Pancrase Rin Nakai (16-0-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who makes her long-awaited octagon debut.

Tate put an end to a two-fight losing skid with a much-needed victory in her most recent fight against former UFC title challenger Liz Carmouche at UFC on FOX 11 in April. The close decision win got Tate back on track following stoppage losses to Cat Zingano and reigning UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in a December rematch.

Nakai was once seen as little more than a sideshow due to her flamboyant outfits and bizarre behavior, but the grappling specialist has developed into a legitimate contender during the past year and she has racked up four straight wins against American opponents. After capturing the Queen of Pancrase title with a win over Danielle West in late 2012, Nakai has since gone on to defeat Brenda Gonzales, Tara LaRosa and Sarah D’Alelio in succession.

The bout between Tate and Nakai is an interesting clash between two fighters with similar fighting styles. Both women have made improvements to their striking during the past year, but both are strongest when working from top position on the ground. A victory for Tate would move her one step closer to getting back into UFC title contention, while a win for Nakai would establish her as a legitimate top-10 competitor in the 135-pound division.

Deep Jewels 5 set for Aug. 9, top stars return

Japan’s all-female Deep Jewels promotion returns with its fifth event on Aug. 9 at Shinjuku Face in Tokyo. Two marquee matchups have already been announced for the Deep Jewels 5 card including a featherweight (48-kilogram/105.6-pound) bout between former Jewels champions Ayaka Hamasaki (9-1) and Naho Sugiyama (10-3). Hamasaki drops down to the Deep Jewels featherweight division for the first time and returns from a lengthy injury hiatus.

On July 13, then-Jewels lightweight queen champion Hamasaki traveled back to the U.S. to make her second appearance for Invicta FC. However, the judoka was overwhelmed by a much larger Claudia Gadelha and ultimately suffered a lopsided third-round TKO defeat to the Brazilian in a featured bout on the Invicta FC 6 card. Hamasaki opted to take time off to recover from nagging injuries and she relinquished her Jewels title during her absence. She has never lost in Japan and holds two wins over Deep Jewels featherweight champion Seo Hee Ham.

Sugiyama, much like Hamasaki, also suffered her first career defeat under the Invicta FC banner. After winning her first eight fights and capturing the Jewels featherweight queen title along the way, Sugiyama made her U.S. debut against Jessica Penne in the inaugural Invicta FC atomweight championship bout at Invicta FC 3. Penne prevailed via second-round submission and Sugiyama subsequently lost two more fights in Japan. She dropped her Jewels title to Ham in the process. Under the newly-formed Deep Jewels banner, however, Sugiyama has rebounded with two straight wins and she looks to make it three-for-three in August.

Elsewhere on the Deep Jewels 5 card, interim lightweight champion Emi Tomimatsu (7-7) faces teen prodigy Mizuki Inoue(7-2) in a rematch for the undisputed Deep Jewels lightweight championship. Tomimatsu and Inoue were scheduled to compete for the inaugural title in February, but Inoue missed weight for the fight and Tomimatsu was declared the interim champion. Additional restrictions prevented Inoue from winning the fight on the official record. The bout itself was a competitive one and Inoue prevailed via third-round technical submission due to an armbar. However, she was disqualified for missing weight and officially lost the fight.

Due to the controversial nature of the first bout, Deep Jewels officials opted to book a rematch between Tomimatsu and Inoue to determine a true champion. Inoue is currently signed to Invicta FC, but she may explore other options if she is able to defeat Tomimatsu in the rematch. Inoue has been rumored as a possible participant on the UFC Fight Night 52 card in Japan on Sept. 21, but she must first capture the Deep Jewels title that eluded her in February.

Rosi Sexton retires following Cage Warriors 69 defeat

Rosi Sexton (13-5), one of the pioneers of women’s MMA, announced her retirement from the sport this week following a 12-year career that included fights all over the world. On June 7, Sexton returned home to England to compete at “Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 69: Super Saturday” against unbeaten Polish striker Joanna Jedrzejczyk (6-0), but a second-round knockout loss left the 36-year-old Sexton with a choice to make about her future.

Jedrzejczyk appeared to be in complete control of the flyweight bout with Sexton from start to finish and she easily stuffed takedown attempts in the opening round. Jedrzejczyk repeatedly scored with overhand rights and she dropped Sexton with a powerful hook late in the round. Sexton survived an onslaught of punches on the ground and returned to her feet, but Jedrzejczyk was clearly ahead on the scorecards after five minutes of action.

In Round 2, Jedrzejczyk was aggressive with punching combinations and she thwarted more takedown attempts from Sexton, who eventually resorted to pulling half-guard. Jedrzejczyk stood back up and the fight returned to the feet. Soon after, Jedrzejczyk floored Sexton with a massive right hook. A barely-conscious Sexton fell forward on the mat and the fight was waved off at the 2:36 mark of the second round.

Sexton, who previously made two appearances for the UFC as a bantamweight and took upcoming UFC title challenger Alexis Davis to a close three-round decision, suffered her third straight defeat in the bout with Jedrzejczyk. The loss prompted the veteran contender to retire from active competition, though Sexton did state that she would remain involved with MMA in some capacity. Sexton’s storied career includes wins over some of the sport’s top female names and she unquestionably paved the way for other female MMA competitors all over Europe.

On the Cage Warriors 69 preliminary card, Kerry Hughes (2-1) notched the biggest win of her young pro career by stopping Amanda Kelly (1-2) late in the second round. Hughes held Kelly against the fence for prolonged stretches in Round 1, but Kelly showcased much-improved takedown defense. In Round 2, Kelly was the aggressor with punches and a variety of kicks early on, but Hughes fired back with some nice right hands. Kelly hurt her with leg kicks and Hughes began to limp, but she had enough power left to land a big overhand right that sent Kelly careening to the canvas. Hughes dove in with more punches for an impressive TKO victory at the 4:56 mark of Round 2.

Elaine Albuquerque upsets Carina Damm, wins Iron Girl Fight title

Brazilian rising star Elaine Albuquerque (9-3) posted a huge title-winning victory on June 14 at Iron Girl Fight in Belem, Para, Brazil. Albuquerque earned a five-round unanimous decision victory over veteran contender Carina Damm (22-11) in the main event on the all-female card.

In the early rounds, Albuquerque racked up points on the feet by outstriking Damm with crisp combinations. She used her reach to keep Damm at bay and fought off Damm’s takedown attempts. Later on, Damm finally managed to get the fight to the ground and she landed some decent strikes from the top, but Albuquerque defended well. After 25 minutes of action, the fight went to the scorecards and all three judges scored the fight 49-46 in Albuquerque’s favor.

With the win, Albuquerque captured the Iron Girl Fight bantamweight title. She has won back-to-back fights this year and five of her career victories have come inside the distance. Damm, meanwhile, continues to struggle against opponents with any measure of experience. Her last victory over an opponent with more than one prior fight came back in September 2009 when she defeated Kalindra Faria (2-0 at the time). Faria submitted Damm in the pair’s July rematch.

Iron Fight Girl results:

  • Elaine Albuquerque (9-3) def. Carina Damm (22-11) via unanimous decision
  • Rayanne Nunes Melo (1-2) def. Joseane Tolosa de Souza (0-1) via TKO – Round 1
  • Gisele Campos (1-0) def. Helena Cristina Figueredo de Lima (0-1) via unanimous decision
  • Deize Mayelem de Lima Araujo (4-3) def. Alenice Correa Costa (3-4) via TKO – Round 3
  • Carla Bianca Almeida (1-0) def. Kesia Santos de Souza (0-1) via TKO – Round 1
  • Edileusa Correa (1-1) def. Pamela Barros (0-1) via TKO – Round 3
  • Leticia Lima (1-0) def. Hanna Silva Ribeiro (0-1) via KO – Round 1
  • Laura Goncalves Pacheco (1-1) def. Kayra Ruzzarin Teixeira (0-1) via split decision

Quick results

Marilia Santos (2-0) def. Chayani Mendes (1-3) via TKO (punches and knees) at the 3:09 mark of Round 1 at Iron Fight Combat 7 on May 30 in Bahia, Brazil. Santos has finished both of her pro opponents with strikes inside the first round.

Renata Baldan (3-0) def. Maristela Costa (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 2:10 mark of Round 1 at MMA Super Heroes 4 on May 30 in Sao Paulo. Baldan, who won the one-night MMA Super Heroes women’s strawweight grand prix in March, earned another impressive victory with the quick stoppage of Costa.

On the same MMA Super Heroes 4 card, Daiane Firmino (2-1) def. Karina Santana de Oliveira (1-1) via submission (armbar) at the 3:00 mark of Round 1. Firmino rebounded from her lone career defeat against Carina Damm with the victory.

Elizabeth Phillips (4-2) def. Katie Howard (2-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at Conquest of the Cage 16 on May 30 in Airway Heights, Wash. Phillips held a significant size and strength advantage over the smaller Howard. Her decision victory earned her a short-notice opportunity to compete for the UFC and she made her octagon debut two weeks later.

Also at COTC 16, Stevie VanAssche (1-1) def. Kristen Stenzel (0-2) via TKO (punches and kicks) at the 42-second mark of Round 1. VanAssche rebounded from a third-round TKO defeat against Elizabeth Phillips this past year with the quick stoppage victory.

Karina Rodriguez (3-1) def. Vydalia Ramos (1-1) via TKO (punches) at the 1:17 mark of Round 1 at Xtreme Kombat 23 on May 31 in Naucalpan de Juarez, Mexico. Flyweight prospect Rodriguez has fought exclusively for Xtreme Kombat as a professional, winning three of her four bouts to date. Her lone defeat came via competitive decision against Invicta FC signee Alexa Grasso.

Raquel Magdaleno (2-0) def. Rachael Smith (0-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at “North American Fighting Championship: Mega Brawl” on May 31 in Milwaukee. Magdaleno has won back-to-back fights for NAFC this year since turning pro in January.

Heather Bassett (2-1) def. Carolyn Biskup (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 42-second mark of Round 1 at “King of the Cage: Viewers Discretion” on May 31 in Keshena, Wis. Bassett got back on track with the quick victory after suffering her first pro loss to Fallon Fox in March.

Elsewhere on the KOTC card, Calie Cutler (1-0) def. Brittany Dugas (0-2) via submission (armbar) at the 49-second mark of Round 3. Cutler kicked off her pro career with a big win over Dugas, who has struggled since turning pro after a stellar 7-0 run as an amateur.

Tyra Parker (4-4) def. Lisa Marie Lamb (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 1:03 mark of Round 1 at “Gladiator Challenge: Backlash” on May 31 in El Cajon, Calif. The quick victory earned Parker the Gladiator Challenge women’s flyweight title. She has won four of her past six bouts.

Gisele Moreira (2-1) def. Ariane Lipski (1-1) via unanimous decision at Nitrix Champion Fight 21 on June 1 in Sao Jose, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Moreira has won both of her fights this year since suffering a vicious knockout loss in her October pro debut.

Andria Wawro (3-1) def. Jessica Miele (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 19-second mark of Round 1 at “Reality Fighting: Mohegan Sun” on June 6 in Uncasville, Conn. Wawro has posted back-to-back wins since her lone pro defeat two years ago. She previously defeated Cassie Crisano in March 2013.

Rosa Acevedo (2-1) def. Kyra Batara (1-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at RFA 15 on June 6 in Culver City, Calif. Acevedo has maintained an active fighting schedule since turning pro in March and she bounced back from a loss in April by handing the highly-touted Batara her first professional defeat.

Viviane Pereira (5-0) def. Poliana Botelho (2-1) via unanimous decision at Bitetti Combat 20 on June 7 in Rio de Janeiro. The impressive win earned Pereira the Bitetti Combat women’s flyweight title. She remains one of Brazil’s top female prospects.

Also at Bitetti Combat 20, Ilara Joanne (1-2) def. Yelka Torres Gallegos (1-3) via TKO (punches) at the 1:57 mark of Round 1. Joanne secured her first pro win with the first-round finish.

Jaqueline Santana (1-0) def. Jessica Suelem Doelle (2-4) via unanimous decision at Barracao Fight Championship 3 on June 7 in Ponta Grossa, Parana, Brazil. Santana picked up her first professional victory in the three-round bout following a brief stint as an amateur.

Polyana Viana (4-0) def. Debora Silva (1-1) via TKO (punches) at the 1:09 mark of Round 1 at Talento Uruara Fight 1 on June 7 in Uruara, Para, Brazil. Viana Mota has knocked out or submitted all four of her pro opponents to date and only one fight has made it to Round 2.

Silvana Gomez Juarez (4-0) def. Mayerlin Rivas (1-1) via submission (armbar) at the 2:55 mark of Round 3 at XFC International 5 on June 7 in Osasco, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Rivas badly damaged Juarez’s nose in the opening 10 minutes and she appeared to be well ahead on the scorecards. A bloodied Juarez did not give up, however, and she locked on an armbar from the bottom for the comeback victory midway through the final round. The win earned her the XFC women’s flyweight tournament championship.

Nikki Smith (1-0) def. Chrissie Daniels (1-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 4:53 mark of Round 1 at “Shamrock Promotions: Devastation” on June 7 in St. Louis, Mo. Smith made a successful pro debut with the first-round tapout win.

Sarah Schneider-Chance (7-6) def. Amber Stautzenberger (4-3) via unanimous decision at “Extreme Beatdown: Beatdown at 4 Bears 11″ on June 7 in New Town, N.D. Schneider returned to the cage for the first time since her July 2012 loss to Invicta FC champion Carla Esparza and earned one of her biggest wins to date. Stautzenberger has suffered defeats in back-to-back fights.

In other action at “Beatdown at 4 Bears 11,” Delaney Owen (2-0) def. Shannon Gunville (2-2) via submission (armbar) at the 2:39 mark of Round 1. At 21 years of age, Owen, who captured the Sugar Creek Showdown women’s flyweight title in her January pro debut, is one of the top young prospects in the 125-pound women’s division.

Agnieszka Niedzwiedz (7-0) def. Julia Stoliarenko (1-1-1) via TKO (elbows) at the 2:51 mark of Round 3 at Fighters Arena 9 on June 8 in Jozefow, Poland. Niedzwiedz has finished six of her seven opponents to date. The 19-year-old is one of the fastest rising female stars in Europe.

Reyna Cordoba (6-0) def. Diana Reyes (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 2:06 mark of Round 3 at Center Real Fights 11 on June 12 in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cordoba had not fought since her June 2012 victory over Kelly Warren. She previously outpointed Molly Helsel in November 2010 and has earned finishes in five of her six pro wins.

Jessy Rose Clark (4-1) def. Kate Da Silva (7-2) via TKO (punches) at the 4:07 mark of Round 2 at Xtreme Fighting Championship 21 on June 14 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The victory was Clark’s biggest to date and she has now won back-to-back fights this year.

Desi Rahayu (1-0) def. Ella Tang (0-2) via unanimous decision at “One FC 17: Era of Champions” on June 14 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Rahayu put on an impressive performance in victory in her pro MMA debut. Tang remains in search of her first victory.

Karine Silva (5-0) def. Geisyele Nascimento (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 2:11 mark of Round 1 at Aspera Fighting Championship 8 on June 14 in Paranagua, Parana, Brazil. Silva has knocked out all five of her pro opponents to date and only one of her bouts has made it past the first round. She is one of the hardest hitters in the women’s bantamweight division.

Graziele Ricotta (1-1-1) def. Carolina Raposo (0-1) via KO (punch) at the 47-second mark of Round 1 at Strong Fight Combat on June 14 in Taubate, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Ricotta picked up her first professional victory with the crushing first-round stoppage.

Also at Strong Fight Combat, Fernanda Silva (1-0) def. Renata Ferreira (0-1) via unanimous decision. Silva made a successful pro debut with the win.

Bobbi Jo Dalziel (1-0) def. Tamikka Brents (2-1) via TKO (knees) at the 42-second mark of Round 3 at Pro Fighting Series 3 on June 14 in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. Hometown favorite Dalziel scored a huge victory by upsetting Invicta FC veteran Brents, who had never before tasted defeat in 15 amateur and professional MMA fights.

Natalie Roy (2-0) def. Brittany Horton (0-2) via TKO (punches) at the 32-second mark of Round 1 at “Triple A MMA 7: Rock Stars” on June 14 in Santa Fe, N.M. Roy has finished both of her pro fights under the Triple A MMA banner in a combined time of just 2:12.

Celine Haga (6-12) def. Natasha Creger (1-2) via submission (armbar) at the 1:00 mark of Round 1 at “Global Knockout: The Return” on June 14 in Jackson, Calif. Haga, who recently began training with Jackson’s MMA after moving to the U.S., has won five of her past six fights. Her lone defeat during that time came via a razor-thin split decision against recent Deep Jewels title challenger Sadae Numata.

Elen Torres (1-0) def. Claudiana dos Santos (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 4:20 mark of Round 1 at “Arena Pesadelo: Dutra vs. Correia” on June 15 in Paranagua, Parana, Brazil. Torres kicked off her pro career with a strong performance in victory.

MMAjunkie.com publishes the Women’s MMA Report every few weeks. Its author, Robert Sargent, is a veteran MMA journalist who also runs MMARising.com. Feel free to email us at news [AT] mmajunkie.com with any questions, news tips or suggestions.


Filed under: AXS TV Fights, Cage Warriors, MMA Rumors, News, UFC

Full 'TUF 20' cast revealed, includes eight new additions

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LAS VEGAS – The full cast for “The Ultimate Fighter 20″ has been revealed, and eight new names are on the list.

The new additions to the cast include Heather Jo Clark (6-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Aisling Daly (14-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Lisa Ellis (15-8 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Angela Hill (1-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Justine Kish (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Angela Magana (11-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Randa Markos (4-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Jessica Penne (11-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

Those eight fighters join previously announced competitors Joanne Calderwood (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Alex Chambers (4-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Carla Esparza (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Felice Herrig (9-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Bec Rawlings (5-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Emily Peters Kagan (3-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Rose Namajunas (2-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Tecia Torres (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

As previously announced three competitors originally expected to be part of the cast – Claudia Gadelha (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Juliana Lima (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Paige VanZant (3-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) – will not take part in “TUF 19″ but were given UFC contracts.

Gadelha has already been announced for a UFC Fight Night 45 showdown with Tina Lahdemaki, while Lima meets Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC on FOX 12. VanZant is expected to be booked in the near future.

Featuring 16 women’s strawweight competitors, “The Ultimate Fighter 20″ is currently filming in Las Vegas. UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and top contender and former Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez serve as coaches.

(Pictured: Angela Magana)


Filed under: News, UFC

Women's MMA Report: Rousey retains UFC title in 16 seconds, 'TUF 20' cast revealed

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UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey successfully retained her title with another quick and dominant victory on Saturday night at “UFC 175: Weidman vs. Machida” in Las Vegas.

Rousey made short work of top contender Alexis Davis, knocking the Canadian challenger out in just 16 seconds in the UFC 175 co-main event.

Leading up to the title bout, Rousey (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) was expected to be tested if Davis (16-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC), a highly skilled BJJ black belt, could get the fight to the ground. Instead, just as she has done in the majority of her pro bouts to date, Rousey completely nullified her opponent’s offense, then knocked Davis out after throwing her on her head.

In the opening seconds of the brief fight, Davis landed two stiff jabs and an overhand right. Rousey, who has been working diligently on her striking throughout the past year, immediately answered back with a big right hook and a knee that appeared to daze the challenger. She latched on to Davis’ neck and whipped her to the mat with a slightly modified koshi guruma (kubi nage) judo throw.

A dazed Davis landed on the side of her head and Rousey unloaded with unanswered right hands from the scarf hold position. Davis went limp as Rousey blasted her with punches and referee Yves Lavigne jumped in to stop the fight at the 16-second mark of Round 1.

The emphatic knockout victory was Rousey’s quickest win to date and she continues to dispatch of all challengers with ease. Only two women, former UFC title challengers Liz Carmouche and Miesha Tate (twice), have survived for longer than 66 seconds with the Olympic bronze medal-winning judoka. Even more impressively, Rousey is developing her skills at a rapid rate in spite of a hectic schedule that includes countless interviews and two recent movie shoots.

UFC officials had hoped that Rousey could be ready to make a quick turnaround and compete again at the now-canceled UFC 176 event next month. However, it was revealed this week that Rousey suffered a broken hand in the bout with Davis and she plans to go ahead with a minor knee surgery to repair a nagging injury. As such, she is expected to be out of action for at least two months, but a return to the Octagon later this year remains a definite possibility.

With Rousey standing tall atop the 135-pound women’s division, some now wonder whether any female bantamweight will ever be able to dethrone the gifted judoka. Rousey’s next challenger may be undefeated powerhouse Cat Zingano, who has held the top contender spot since she knocked out Miesha Tate in April 2013. Zingano has since been sidelined due to a knee injury and the tragic death of her husband, but she plans to compete in September and will reportedly face Amanda Nunes at UFC 178 in Las Vegas.

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Sarah Moras edges out Alexis Dufresne at TUF 19 Finale

“TUF 18″ semifinalist Sarah Moras (4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) overcame a size and weight disadvantage and earned her first official UFC win on Sunday night at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale in Las Vegas. Moras narrowly outpointed UFC newcomer Alexis Dufresne (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who missed weight by eight pounds for what was intended to be a bantamweight bout.

Dufresne countered an early combination from Moras by taking the Canadian down and she spent the remainder of the opening round in top position. However, Moras was the more active fighter on the ground and she attacked with elbows and submission attempts from the bottom throughout the round. Dufresne nearly passed to mount on one occasion, but Moras regained guard. She landed more elbows and an upkick, then tried for an armbar before time expired.

In Round 2, Moras scored again with punches on the feet and Dufresne took her back down. Moras threw hammerfists from the bottom as a fatigued Dufresne’s offense slowed down. The fighters were stood up and Moras secured a takedown of her own, but it was short-lived and referee Yves Lavigne called for another standup. Dufresne reversed a takedown, but Moras swept into top position and she landed punches from the top before the bell.

Dufresne immediately took Moras down in the final round and she wound up in side control following a brief scramble. She bloodied Moras’ nose with punches and targeted the body with more strikes. Moras fought back to guard and worked for a triangle choke and an armbar, but Dufresne battled free and she kept Moras pinned down. Moras transitioned from an armbar back to another triangle choke attempt late in the fight, but Dufresne escaped again.

The competitive bout went to the scorecards and Moras was rewarded for her activity from the bottom. Scores were 30-27 and 29-28 twice for Moras, who picked up a big win and secured her spot on the UFC roster. A tired Dufresne, who had to be propped up by her teammates following the fight, expressed a look of shock when the decision was read. The bout marked the first time that Dufresne had ever been outside of the first round in her brief pro career.

“TUF 20″ filming begins, full cast revealed

Filming is now underway for Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show competition and the full cast for the all-female edition was officially revealed this past week. For the first time in the show’s history, the winner of “TUF 20″ will earn both a UFC contract and also the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight championship.

Eight of the 16 women who are competing on the show were already announced in late 2013. The initial group is comprised of Invicta FC strawweight champion Carla Esparza (9-2), Joanne Calderwood (8-0), Tecia Torres (4-0), Felice Herrig (9-5), Bec Rawlings (5-3), Alex Chambers (4-1), Emily Kagan (3-1) and Rose Namajunas (2-1). All eight women signed on for the competition when their contracts were transferred over to the UFC from Invicta FC.

Joining the original eight are former Invicta FC atomweight champion Jessica Penne (11-2), veterans Lisa Ellis (15-8) and Aisling Daly (14-5), bitter rivals Heather Clark (6-4) and Angela Magana (11-6), and prospects Justine Kish (4-0), Randa Markos (4-1) and Angela Hill (1-0).

As many had expected, it did not take long for tempers to flare and UFC President Dana White confirmed that a fight broke out during the first day of filming. The brawl reportedly involved Herrig, who has publicly feuded with both Clark and Magana for years. Herrig and Clark were involved in a post-fight altercation following their bout at Bellator 94 in March 2013 that ultimately played a key factor in the promotion’s decision to dissolve its women’s divisions.

“TUF 20″ is currently slated to premiere on Sept. 10 on FOX Sports 1 in the U.S. and Sportsnet 360 in Canada. A date has not yet been announced for this season’s finale, when one woman will be crowned as the first ever UFC women’s strawweight champion.

UFC announces two more female fights for upcoming cards

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s second women’s strawweight bout is set to take place on July 26 at “UFC on FOX 12: Lawler vs. Brown” in San Jose, Calif. Polish striking sensation Joanna Jedrzejczyk (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes her Octagon debut against fellow UFC newcomer Juliana de Lima Carneiro (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in a featured 115-pound matchup on the card.

Jedrzejczyk signed on with Invicta FC earlier this year, but the promotion’s eighth event has been repeatedly delayed and Jedrzejczyk has been forced to take fights outside of the organization in order to stay busy. This past month, she knocked out MMA pioneer Rosi Sexton at Cage Warriors 69 in England and the crushing victory earned Jedrzejczyk a call from the UFC. The 26-year-old striker, who has competed in close to 100 kickboxing matches, now leaves her Invicta FC deal in the past and makes her UFC debut later this month.

Lima is also an experienced striker who has competed extensively in Muay Thai. The 32-year-old Brazilian opened her MMA career with five straight wins that included a key victory over highly-touted prospect Kinberly Novaes. In her lone Invicta FC bout in April 2013, Lima suffered her first career defeat when she was outpointed by Finnish standout Katja Kankaanpaa. She rebounded with a quick TKO win in October and was rumored to be competing on “TUF 20,” but concerns over Lima’s accent and ability to speak English led to her removal from the show.

The winner of the Jedrzejczyk-Lima bout could find herself on a short list of title contenders for the newly-created UFC women’s strawweight championship, which will be awarded to the “TUF 20″ tournament winner later this year.

A second intriguing women’s bout has also been booked for next month. Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who challenged unsuccessfully for UFC title gold in February, faces Invicta FC bantamweight champion Lauren Murphy (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at “UFC Fight Night 47: Bader vs. St. Preux” on Aug. 16 in Bangor, Maine.

McMann kicked off her pro career in May 2011 and she went on to score dominant victories in each of her first five pro bouts. That stretch included notable wins over fellow wrestler Tonya Evinger and submission specialist Hitomi Akano. In July 2012, McMann headlined Invicta FC’s second event and she narrowly outpointed Shayna Baszler in a closely-contested bout. She transitioned to the UFC this past year and mauled Sheila Gaff en route to a first-round TKO triumph at UFC 159. However, McMann’s most recent fight against Rousey at UFC 170 ended in a disappointing defeat when she was stopped by a knee to the body early in the first round.

Murphy has gradually climbed up the women’s bantamweight rankings since she dropped down to the 135-pound division this past year. She brought a perfect 5-0 record into her Invicta FC debut in April 2013 and posted back-to-back wins over Kaitlin Young and Sarah D’Alelio to earn a shot at the inaugural Invicta FC bantamweight title. In December, Murphy got off to a slow start against world-renowned striker Miriam Nakamoto at Invicta FC 7, but she weathered the storm and ultimately emerged victorious when Nakamoto sustained a knee injury that prevented her from continuing on.

Like many others on the Invicta FC roster, Murphy has been left without a fight this year due to repeated delays in scheduling the promotion’s eighth event. She has sat and watched as the UFC has signed other female bantamweights who possess far less experience – and arguably far less skill – but Murphy’s opportunity to shine will come next month when she steps into the Octagon against an Olympic medalist and former UFC title challenger.

Gadelha vs. Lahdemaki, Duke vs. Smith set for next Wednesday

History will be made on Wednesday night when the UFC stages its first 115-pound female fight at “UFC Fight Night 45: Cerrone vs. Miller” in Atlantic City, N.J. Decorated BJJ black belt Claudia Gadelha (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes her much-anticipated Octagon debut against Finnish rising star Tina Lahdemaki (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight bout.

The fight between Gadelha and Lahdemaki is a pivotal one and already has major title implications. Gadelha, who was twice scheduled to compete for Invicta FC gold before injuries and illness knocked her out of both bouts, is expected to challenge the winner of “TUF 20″ for the UFC women’s strawweight championship if she is able to get past Lahdemaki on Wednesday. Thus far, Gadelha has dominated most of her opponents in MMA, including former Jewels champion Ayaka Hamasaki at Invicta FC 6, but she will face a solid test in her UFC debut.

Lahdemaki enters the bout with Gadelha as an underdog, but the talented 26-year-old is looking to score the biggest win of her career by upsetting the Brazilian and a win over Gadelha could potentially earn Lahdemaki a UFC title shot in early 2015. In 11 pro and amateur MMA bouts, Lahdemaki has yet to taste defeat, and she holds key wins over Strikeforce tournament veteran Maiju Kujala and Spanish prospect Karla Benitez. The well-rounded Finn is skilled on the feet and also on the ground.

Joining the Gadelha-Lahdemaki fight on the UFC Fight Night 45 card is a women’s bantamweight bout between “TUF 18″ quarterfinalist Jessamyn Duke (3-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and former Invicta FC flyweight title challenger Leslie Smith (6-5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC).

Duke was seen by some as an early favorite to advance to the “TUF 18″ final, but a close decision loss in a thrilling bout with Raquel Pennington during the quarterfinal round dashed Duke’s hopes of winning the show. She won her official UFC debut at the TUF 18 Finale in November and now looks to rebound from her first career defeat against unbeaten Brazilian rising star Bethe Correia in April. A second straight loss could potentially end Duke’s tenure in the UFC, but a victory over Smith would vault her up the 135-pound women’s rankings.

Smith also finds herself in a potential must-win situation after dropping her short-notice UFC debut to rival Sarah Kaufman in April. The battle-tested veteran previously dropped down to 125 pounds for a brief run in the Invicta FC flyweight division that culminated with a competitive decision loss to reigning champion Barb Honchak in December. Smith has already faced many of the sport’s top female fighters during her career and she brings a significant experience advantage into the fight with Duke next week.

Both women’s bouts will be featured on the UFC Fight Night 45 preliminary card.

MMAjunkie.com publishes the Women’s MMA Report every few weeks. Its author, Robert Sargent, is a veteran MMA journalist who also runs MMARising.com. Feel free to email us at news [AT] mmajunkie.com with any questions, news tips or suggestions.


Filed under: News, UFC

UFC's first 115-pounders don't expect Ronda Rousey-like dominant champ

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ATLANTIC CITY – Just three short years ago, UFC President Dana White infamously claimed women would “never” fight in his promotion’s famed octagon.

However, with UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey now firmly entrenched as one of the biggest superstars in all of MMA, the organization welcomes a second women’s division to its ranks on Wednesday.

“I always dreamed of fighting in the UFC, but it was so hard to think of the women’s division in the UFC,” Claudia Gadelha told MMAjunkie. “But they opened the door for us, and I’m very happy to be opening the strawweight division.”

Brazilian prospect Gadelha (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meets fellow undefeated strawweight Tina Lahdemaki (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in the very first fight of Wednesday’s “UFC Fight Night 45: Cerrone vs. Miller” event, which takes place at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. Gadelha vs. Lahdemaki streams live on UFC Fight Pass (6:30 p.m. ET) while the night’s remaining 10 fights – including a Donald Cerrone vs. Jim Miller headliner – air live on FOX Sports 1 (7 p.m. ET).

The curtain-jerker serves as the first 115-pound contest in UFC history, with the new division supplementing the 135-pound division in which Rousey currently reigns supreme.

While Rousey’s impressive fighting skills have taken the world by storm, the 115-pound division currently boasts a deeper roster of talented athletes, meaning the weight class may quickly provide some memorable affairs.

“We all have that same talent and technique and skills and everything, but the 115-pounders have a little bit more speed than the 135-pounders, so I think that’s something that might make it a little bit more exciting,” Lahdemaki said.

The women’s strawweight division will really take flight later this fall. Sixteen of the world’s top 115-pounders are currently in Las Vegas filming “The Ultimate Fighter 20,” which debuts on FOX Sports 1 later this year. The women will be divided into two teams, with UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and top contender Gilbert Melendez serving as coaches. The winner of the 16-woman tournament will be crowned the UFC women’s strawweight champion.

Gadelha was actually selected to compete on the show and was one of the early favorites to win the tournament. However, Gadelha routinely walks around at about 140 pounds, and the prospect of making the 115-pound limit three times in six weeks of filming seemed dire, so she elected to pass on the reality show. The 25-year-old “Claudinha” admits it was a difficult choice, but she is now thankful for the historic opportunity she’s been given.

“I was kind of sad because I’m not going there, but the UFC gave me that present to make the first strawwight fight in UFC history, so I’m very happy about that,” Gadelha said.

Lahdemaki’s arrival in the promotion was a bit more surprising, even for her. “Jelly Bean” felt she might be garnering interest from outside her native Finland but didn’t necessarily expect it would come from the world’s largest MMA promotion.

tina-lahdemaki-pre-ufc-fight-night-45“It was a pretty big shock for me,” Lahdemaki said. “I was expecting that I would get a contract somewhere outside of Finland, but this was so unreal. I didn’t see this one coming, but I’m happy it did.

“I was a little bit nervous before I came here, but everybody is just so nice and everything has been handled so great that I’m just excited and can’t wait to fight.”

And so the two imports will face off at Wednesday’s event and make history as the first 115-pound fighters to step into the UFC’s famed octagon. If Rousey’s fast ride to superstardom is any indication, a real opportunity for a breakout performance could follow. It’s a possibility not lost on Gadelha, who is anxious to usher in a new era for women in the UFC.

“I think the strawweight division will impress everybody,” Gadelha said. “All the girls there are very talented. The strawweights make very good fights. It’s faster. It’s exciting.

“I want to be the champ. That’s why I’m here. I came here to stay, and nothing and nobody will take that away from me.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 45, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Claudia Gadelha, top, and Tina Lahdemaki, bottom)


Filed under: Featured, News, UFC

UFC Fight Night 45 results: Claudia Gadelha tops Tina Lahdemaki in historic bout

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ATLANTIC CITY – Claudia Gadelha (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) outworked and overpowered a game but overmatched Tina Lahdemaki (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), rolling to a unanimous decision victory (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) in the UFC’s first-ever women’s 115-pound bout.

The women’s strawweight bout kicked off today’s UFC Fight Night 45 event at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass prior to the FOX Sports 1 broadcast.

Gadelha seemed to be in for an easy night of work in the opening round. She used her strength advantage in the Thai clinch to rag-doll her opponent to the mat before later seizing full mount and then taking Lahdemaki’s back with almost two full minutes still to go in the frame. But while Gadelha mixed punches in with choke and neck-crank attempts, Lahdemaki defended well and weathered the storm, somehow lasting to the end of the round.

Lahdemaki’s toughness was on full display throughout the next two rounds as she proved perfectly willing to take a punch in order to land one of her own. But every time she got any momentum at all going, Gadelha managed to put her on her back and exploit a considerable advantage on the mat, both in power and experience.

In the end, it proved to be a spirited performance in defeat for Lahdemaki, but an easy call for the judges after a largely one-sided showing from Gadelha.

With the win, the Nova Uniao fighter Gadelha maintains her perfect record as a professional. Lahdemaki suffers the first defeat of her career with the loss.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 45 results include:

  • Claudia Gadelha def. Tina Lahdemaki via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

For more on UFC Fight Night 45, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

(John Morgan contributed to this report on site in Atlantic City)


Filed under: News, UFC

Women's MMA Report: Gadelha, Jedrzejczyk win UFC debuts, title eliminator planned

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History was made in July with the inception of the UFC’s newly-formed 115-pound women’s strawweight division and two fighters have already established themselves as top contenders for a shot at the UFC women’s strawweight championship in 2015.

On July 16, in the UFC’s first women’s strawweight fight, decorated BJJ black belt Claudia Gadelha (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made a successful octagon debut by defeating Finnish prospect Tina Lahdemaki (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in an entertaining three-round battle at “UFC Fight Night 45: Cerrone vs. Miller” in Atlantic City, N.J. The fight took place on the untelevised preliminary card, but it nevertheless drew high praise from UFC President Dana White.

As expected, Lahdemaki proved to be a solid test for Gadelha on the feet and on the mat, but the Brazilian’s ability to control the fight from top position ultimately propelled her to victory.

Following a striking exchange early in Round 1, Gadelha slammed Lahdemaki to the mat and she used ground and pound to set up a move to mount. Lahdemaki was forced to give up her back and Gadelha attempted a pair of neck cranks late in the round, but Lahdemaki defended well and made it to the bell.

Gadelha scored more takedowns in Rounds 2 and 3, but Lahdemaki was active off of her back and she landed some solid strikes on the feet that cut Gadelha on the bridge of the nose in the middle stanza. Just as Lahdemaki began to build some momentum with right hooks late in the final round, Gadelha took her back down and she kept her there until the end of the bout.

After three hard-fought rounds of action, the judges returned a unanimous verdict in favor of Gadelha with scores of 30-26 and 30-27 twice. The talented 25-year-old has yet to taste defeat in her career and she is unquestionably one MMA’s premier female fighters at 115 pounds.

Thanks to her impressive performance in her UFC debut, Gadelha looks to be in line for a strawweight title eliminator bout before the end of the year. Lahdemaki, who did well in defeat, is hoping to land a spot on the upcoming UFC card in Stockholm, Sweden on Oct. 4.

Also on the UFC Fight Night 45 preliminary card, popular bantamweight Leslie Smith (7-5-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) notched her first UFC victory with a commanding first-round stoppage of “TUF 18″ quarterfinalist Jessamyn Duke (3-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC).

Smith opened the brief fight with lead left hooks and right hands that backed Duke up. Duke fired back with an uppercut and she caught one of Smith’s kicks, but Smith freed her leg and unloaded with punches, knees and a head kick. She continued to attack with knees and more punches to the liver until Duke finally collapsed to the canvas and the fight was stopped. The official time of Smith’s TKO victory came at the 2:24 mark of Round 1.

Ten days after Gadelha and Lahdemaki took part in the UFC’s first 115-pound female fight, the strawweights returned to the cage at “UFC on FOX 12: Lawler vs. Brown” in San Jose, Calif. Polish striking sensation Joanna Jedrzejczyk (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) kicked off her UFC career with a unanimous decision victory over Brazil’s Juliana Lima (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC).

Jedrzejczyk was taken down very briefly in the early stages of Round 1, but she quickly returned to her feet and her takedown defense was solid from that point forward. Lima worked to get the fight back down to the ground throughout the opening five minutes, but Jedrzejczyk stayed on her feet against the cage and she landed some nice left and right hooks before time expired.

Round 2 easily went to the Polish fighter, who continued to mix up her strikes with overhand rights and left hooks to the body while thwarting Lima’s takedown attempts. As the round progressed, Jedrzejczyk landed body kicks, knees and a standing elbow. Lima tried for another takedown, but Jedrzejczyk stuffed it and scored with a front kick to the face.

Jedrzejczyk remained very aggressive with her strikes in Round 3 and it was clear that she was not content to coast to a decision victory. She landed more overhand rights, but Lima finally managed to secure a body-lock takedown and she got the fight back down to the ground. From there, Lima transitioned from side control to a top-side guillotine choke attempt. Jedrzejczyk escaped to her feet and she landed short knees in close before the final bell sounded.

Lima’s late-fight rally was not enough to steal back the fight, and the judges returned scores of 29-28 and 30-27 twice for Jedrzejczyk, who took the unanimous decision win.

The 26-year-old striker may not have long to savor her victory, however, as the UFC is currently targeting a strawweight title eliminator bout between Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha for later this year. An exact date has not yet been established for the proposed bout, but it could take place as early as November. The winner of the Gadelha-Jedrzejczyk fight would then move on to challenge the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 20″ for the UFC women’s strawweight title.

UFC adds three women’s bantamweight bouts to upcoming cards

cat-zingano-tuf-17-finaleWhile the female strawweights have recently taken center stage in the UFC, the promotion has not forgotten about its women’s bantamweight division. Three 135-pound female fights have been added to the upcoming UFC event schedule including a likely title eliminator between Cat Zingano (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Brazilian knockout artist Amanda Nunes (9-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC), who is coming off of back-to-back first-round stoppage wins. The fight takes place at “UFC 178: Jones vs. Cormier” on Sept. 27 in Las Vegas.

Zingano became the number one contender for the UFC women’s bantamweight championship this past year following a third-round stoppage of Miesha Tate at the TUF 17 Finale, but a serious knee injury and the tragic death of her husband have since kept Zingano on the sidelines. Now fully healed, she looks to regain her contender status with a win over Nunes.

Zingano and Nunes are known as two of the most aggressive fighters in the women’s bantamweight division and the pair has combined to earn 16 wins inside the distance. In Zingano’s April 2013 UFC debut, she overcame a slow start against Tate and finished the former Strikeforce champion with a series of knees and a vicious elbow midway through Round 3.

Nunes enjoyed a rapid rise to stardom while competing for Strikeforce in 2011, but convincing losses in two of her next three fights against Alexis Davis and Sarah D’Alelio left Nunes in need of a big victory in order to remain in bantamweight title contention. Since debuting for the UFC this past August, Nunes has returned to the form that led her to dominant wins in six of her first seven fights. She easily dispatched of Sheila Gaff at UFC 163 and made it two-for-two inside the octagon by stopping Germaine de Randamie in November.

Before Zingano and Nunes square off in September, Russian standout Milana Dudieva (10-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will make her long-awaited UFC debut against Elizabeth Phillips (4-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at “UFC Fight Night 48: Bisping vs. Le” on Aug. 23 in Cotai, Macau. Dudieva was set to compete at UFC 174 this past month, but visa issues forced her off of the card and she was ultimately replaced by Phillips, who dropped a split decision to Valerie Letourneau.

Dudieva found herself one win away from a UFC contract in April 2013, but back-to-back losses to current UFC rising star Jessica Andrade and Swedish prospect Pannie Kianzad delayed the Russian’s journey to the octagon. She rebounded with a pair of quick submission wins this year and, with visa problems hopefully in the past, now makes her UFC debut next month.

Phillips bounced back from a one-sided TKO loss to Miriam Nakamoto in her pro debut by racking up four straight victories for the Conquest of the Cage promotion including three wins inside the distance. Her May 30 victory over Katie Howard earned her a short-notice opportunity with the UFC and she stepped in to challenge fellow late replacement Letourneau at UFC 174. Though she started strong, Phillips began to tire and slow down as the fight progressed, and Letourneau took advantage with precise striking en route to victory.

Last but not least, the aforementioned Jessica Andrade (11-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Valerie Letourneau (6-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) are set to square off at “UFC Fight Night 51: Bigfoot vs. Arlovski” on Sept. 13 in Brasilia, Brazil. Andrade was viewed by some as an unlikely contender at bantamweight due to her small stature, but she has proven many critics wrong during her brief UFC career with wins in two of her three bouts. The 22-year-old is coming off of triumphs over Rosi Sexton and Raquel Pennington and looks to continue her climb up the rankings.

Letourneau initially planned to earn a contract with the UFC by winning “The Ultimate Fighter 18,” but those hopes were dashed when she was submitted by Roxanne Modafferi in the elimination round. She remained on the sidelines until May when she returned to action and quickly defeated a vastly overmatched Jordan Moore. Letourneau then stepped in on short notice to make her UFC debut in her home country of Canada at UFC 174 and showcased her technical striking skills in victory over Elizabeth Phillips.

Invicta FC 8 announced for Sept. 6, streams on UFC Fight Pass

michelle-waterson-2-featured.jpgFollowing many months of delays, Invicta Fighting Championships 8 has at last received a date and location. The all-female fight card takes place on Sept. 6 at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., and features a pair of championship fights.

Invicta FC atomweight champion Michelle Waterson (11-3), who has not fought since she won the title in April 2013, returns to the cage to defend against former Valkyrie champion Yasuko Tamada (15-8-3) in the 105-pound main event.

Waterson became the second Invicta FC atomweight titleholder when she submitted heavily-favored champion Jessica Penne in the Invicta FC 5 headliner. She has won nine of her past 10 fights and is 3-0 at atomweight since returning to the sport in 2012 following the birth of her daughter. Waterson was originally in talks to face reigning Deep Jewels featherweight champ Seo Hee Ham at Invicta FC 8, but Ham’s team requested a non-title fight before challenging Waterson for the championship in order to first build up a fan base with Invicta FC. Ham will likely make her debut against another member of the Invicta FC roster later this year.

Tamada brings a wealth of experience into her Invicta FC debut and she has already battled many of the sport’s top female fighters in the lighter weight classes. In June 2010, Tamada became the first and only Valkyrie flyweight champion at 100 pounds, but she struggled after Valkyrie’s collapse and dropped four straight fights in succession. She has fared much better in recent bouts, however, and has put together a solid three-fight winning streak. Tamada has never been stopped in her career, but she has only finished two opponents thus far.

The newly vacant Invicta FC strawweight championship will also be up for grabs at Invicta FC 8 when former XFC champion Stephanie Eggink (4-1) makes her promotional debut against Finnish standout Katja Kankaanpaa (9-1-1) in the co-main event.

Eggink has established herself as a rising star in the 115-pound women’s division thanks to three straight victories over formidable opponents. She captured the XFC women’s strawweight title in September by submitting current “TUF 20″ cast member Angela Magana with a second-round triangle choke. When XFC lost its U.S. TV deal, Eggink received her release and signed on with Invicta FC. She looks to add a second championship title to her collection in September.

Kankaanpaa is no stranger to Invicta FC fans and she has already engaged in a pair of three-round contests for the promotion. At Invicta FC 5, Kankaanpaa handed recent UFC signee Juliana de Lima Carneiro her first loss, but it was Kankaanpaa who tasted defeat for the first time when she returned to Invicta FC in December. At Invicta FC 7, she was narrowly outpointed by Joanne Calderwood, who is now viewed as one of the favorites to win “TUF 20.” Kankaanpaa bounced back with a win over Ukrainian prospect Alyona Rassohyna in May and she returns to Invicta FC in search of one of her biggest victories to date.

Elsewhere on the card, Ediane Gomes (10-2), who was originally slated to challenge Invicta FC featherweight champion Cristiane Justino, instead drops down to 135 pounds to face hard-hitting wrestler Tonya Evinger (14-5) in what will likely serve as a title eliminator for the recently vacated Invicta FC bantamweight title. Gomes is 2-0 under the Invicta FC banner and she has not lost a fight since she was submitted by reigning UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in March 2011. Evinger is currently riding a four-fight winning streak that includes key victories over Carina Damm and Sarah D’Alelio. Of her 14 career wins, 11 have come inside the distance, and she put on an excellent performance in her Invicta FC debut.

Long-time friends and in-cage rivals Roxanne Modafferi (15-11) and Tara LaRosa (21-4) will face off for a third time in a featured flyweight bout at Invicta FC 8. LaRosa won the pair’s first meeting in March 2006 and Modafferi evened the score in the May 2010 rematch. However, Modafferi has suffered six straight defeats since then, while LaRosa is coming off of back-to-back setbacks. The trilogy fight won’t determine an immediate title contender in the Invicta FC flyweight division, but fans of the veteran fighters are nevertheless interested in seeing a third and deciding bout between the two pioneers of the sport.

In other action at Invicta FC 8, Michelle Ould (7-3) looks to extend her winning streak to four when she takes on rising star DeAnna Bennett (4-0) in a flyweight bout. Ould earned her biggest win to date when she defeated fellow Invicta FC fighter Munah Holland at Bellator 74 in September 2012, but the collapse of Bellator’s women’s divisions and subsequent injuries have kept Ould out of action since then. Bennett has finished three of her four pro opponents and she holds wins over “TUF 18″ winner Julianna Pena and Colleen Schneider, who also tried out for the show. The Utah native is one of the flyweight division’s brightest prospects.

Xtreme Kombat champions Irene Aldana (3-1) and Alexa Grasso (4-0) will both make their Invicta FC debuts in September. The Mexican teammates are slated to face Peggy Morgan (2-1) and Ashley Cummins (3-2), respectively, in bantamweight and strawweight bouts.

Aldana opened her pro career with three devastating highlight-reel knockout victories – all inside the first minute of Round 1 – and she captured the Xtreme Kombat women’s bantamweight title in October. In her most recent bout, she was stopped by unbeaten Jungle Fights champion Larissa Moreira Pacheco. Morgan, a former featherweight who holds a key win over Revelina Berto, dropped down to 135 pounds in order to compete on “TUF 18,” but she was unable to advance past the quarterfinal round. She most recently took part in the TUF 18 Finale in November, but dropped a unanimous decision to fellow castmate Jessamyn Duke.

Grasso, much like her teammate Aldana, has also knocked out three opponents to date inside the first minute. She became the Xtreme Kombat women’s flyweight champion in August and now drops down in weight to 115 pounds for her U.S. debut. Her opponent, Cummins, was once one of the strawweight division’s top prospects, but a vicious loss to Joanne Calderwood and a controversial decision defeat against “TUF 20″ cast member Emily Kagan have served as setbacks. The St. Louis police officer now looks to return to her winning ways in September.

Rounding out the card, Jodie Esquibel (3-1) takes on Sugar Creek Showdown women’s atomweight champion Jinh Yu Frey (2-0) at 105 pounds. In the inaugural Invicta FC lightweight bout, knockout artist Veronica Rothenhausler (1-0), who was pulled from the Invicta FC 6 card after collapsing while cutting weight, looks for a fresh start in a new division when she takes on Charmaine Tweet (5-4). Multi-time amateur champion J.J. Aldrich (7-4 amateur, 0-0 pro) makes her 115-pound pro debut against Sugar Creek Showdown women’s flyweight champion Delaney Owen (7-2 amateur, 2-0 pro), who has posted submission wins in both of her pro bouts to date.

For the first time, Invicta FC 8 will stream live on UFC Fight Pass as part of an agreement between Zuffa and Invicta FC officials. The move was made in hopes of attracting greater exposure for the fighters on the Invicta FC roster before some move on to compete in the UFC.

Holly Holm signs with UFC, fall debut possible

holly-holm-bellator-91Former pound-for-pound boxing queen Holly Holm (7-0 MMA, 33-2-3 boxing) has at last found her way to the UFC octagon. The elite striker signed with the UFC in July and may make her promotional debut before the end of 2014.

Talks between Holm’s management and UFC brass broke down earlier this year when the two sides could not come to a financial agreement. However, with few top contenders left to challenge UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, the two sides re-entered talks and a deal was struck to bring Holm to the UFC. The reigning Legacy FC women’s bantamweight champion has thus far torn through the competition since her MMA debut in March 2011. She has knocked out six opponents to date – five of them with kicks – and scored her biggest victory in April when she stopped Brazilian kickboxer Juliana Werner at Legacy FC 30.

Holm’s striking skills are matched by extremely few women in the world and she is unquestionably one of the very best female strikers competing in MMA today. Her ground game remains a complete mystery, however, and the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division includes a number of highly skilled grapplers. Not the least of whom is Rousey, who has destroyed most of her opponents in a matter of seconds including Alexis Davis at UFC 175.

While Holm may not be ready for an immediate title shot, the UFC clearly hopes that the Albuquerque native will be able to fight her way up the ranks for a future superfight against Rousey. A date and opponent for Holm’s much-anticipated UFC debut have not yet been set.

Nine bouts set for Deep Jewels 5 card

A total of nine bouts are now set for Deep Jewels 5, which takes place on Aug. 9 in Tokyo. The all-female fight card is headlined by a Deep Jewels lightweight (52-kilogram/114.4-pound) championship rematch between interim champ Emi Tomimatsu and teen prodigy Mizuki Inoue.

Tomimatsu (7-7) and Inoue (7-2) first faced off at Deep Jewels 3 in February in what was intended to be a championship fight. However, Inoue’s inability to make weight resulted in a disqualification loss even though she ultimately submitted Tomimatsu in the bout itself. Tomimatsu, who was named as the Deep Jewels interim lightweight champion prior to Deep Jewels 3, has stated that she is not content to hold the interim belt and she wants to prove that she is the real champion by defeating Inoue in the rematch.

In spite of her controversial loss in February, Inoue remains one of the brightest female prospects to ever come out of Japan. In addition to her success in MMA, Inoue is also a two-time winner of the 53.5-kilogram division of the prestigious Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup tournament, and she is renowned for her technical striking skills. This past July, Inoue made her Invicta FC debut and defeated current “TUF 20″ competitor Bec Rawlings. Inoue remains signed to Invicta FC, but it is believed that she will move on to the UFC if she is able to capture the Deep Jewels title from Tomimatsu next month.

In other featured MMA action at Deep Jewels 5, former Jewels champions collide when ex-lightweight champ Ayaka Hamasaki (9-1) takes on one-time featherweight titleholder Naho Sugiyama (10-3). The bout will be contested in the Deep Jewels featherweight (48-kilogram/105.6-pound) division and is Hamasaki’s first fight back since she took a year off from fighting to nurse injuries that were aggravated in her Invicta FC 6 loss to Claudia Gadelha.

Hamasaki has already defeated many of Asia’s best female fighters including Mizuki Inoue, Yuka Tsuji and reigning Deep Jewels featherweight champion Seo Hee Ham (twice). Having conquered one division, she now moves down in weight in hopes of setting up a third fight with Ham for the Deep Jewels title next year. She must first get past Sugiyama, who has also totaled key wins during her career in Japan. Her most notable victories came against Misaki Takimoto (twice) and upcoming Invicta FC title challenger Yasuko Tamada (twice), and she is 2-0 under the Deep Jewels banner. A victory over Hamasaki could earn Sugiyama a rematch with Ham, who narrowly defeated her for the Jewels featherweight queen championship in May 2013.

Deep Jewels poster girl Shizuka Sugiyama (11-4-1) also seeks a fresh start in a new division at Deep Jewels 5. Sugiyama, who was stopped by Takayo Hashi in a middleweight (61.2-kilogram/134.6-pound) title fight at Deep Jewels 4, drops down to the newly-formed Deep Jewels welterweight (56.7-kilogram/124.7-pound) division to face South Korean striker Hyo Kyung Song (1-4), who picked up her first MMA win this past weekend. Sugiyama’s six-fight unbeaten streak was snapped by the loss to Hashi, but she could find herself back in title contention in a new division if she can defeat Song next month.

Rounding out the MMA portion of Deep Jewels 5, grappling specialist Yuko Oya (7-3) faces Sachiko Fujimori (3-0), Masako Yoshida (18-19-5) battles Mina Kurobe (2-0), and Miyoko Kusaka (4-8-1) takes on Tamaki Usui (1-0). The event also features three grappling matches pitting Saori Ishioka against Yukiko Seki, Satomi Takano against Ayaka Miura, and Yoshiko Kimata against Sayuri Yamaguchi.

Carew retains pinweight title, Rose Clark captures bantamweight crown at Roshambo MMA 3

Roshambo women’s pinweight champion Shauna Carew successfully defended her 100-pound title with a quick submission victory on July 26 at Roshambo MMA 3 in Chandler, Queensland, Australia. The once-beaten Carew (4-1) finished Ginny Connors (1-3) with a first-round rear-naked choke in one of two female title fights on the card.

Carew cut Connors with an early flurry of punches and she followed with more strikes on the ground after taking Connors down. Connors was forced to give up her back as Carew rained down punches and Carew locked on a rear-naked choke for the tapout win at the 2:08 mark of Round 1. Carew has won three straight fights since suffering her lone career defeat in February 2013 and she is now 2-0 under the Roshambo MMA banner.

Rising star Jessy Rose Clark (5-1) captured the vacant Roshambo women’s bantamweight title with a five-round unanimous decision victory over last-minute replacement opponent Rhiannon Thompson (4-1), who moved up in weight and took the fight on one day’s notice when Clark’s original opponent, Lana Kate, withdrew from the card.

Clark controlled the fight with takedowns in all five rounds and she threatened with submission attempts and ground and pound on the mat. Thompson landed some nice strikes on the feet and she stuffed some of Clark’s takedowns in the later rounds, but Clark’s wrestling proved to be the deciding factor and she kept Thompson pinned on the mat throughout much of Round 5. All three judges scored the bout for Clark, who has won three straight title fights.

In other action at Roshambo MMA 3, Megan Anderson (2-1) overcame a point deduction and took a three-round majority decision victory over Kerry Barrett (1-2).

Quick results

Taila Santos (3-0) def. Geisyele Nascimento (0-2) via KO (head kick) at the 30-second mark of Round 1 at University of Champions on July 5 in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil. Santos has knocked out back-to-back opponents this year.

Betina Baino (2-2) def. Kelly Katiussy (0-1) via split decision at Adrenalina Fighting Panambi on July 12 in Panambi, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Baino has earned decision victories in each of her past two fights. Katiussy looks to rebound from the loss when she competes again on Aug. 10.

Alice Smith Yauger (1-2) def. Shannon Sinn (1-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at “Sparta Combat League: Heat” on July 18 in Castle Rock, Colo. The action-packed fight was contested almost entirely on the feet and both women landed hard punches that damaged each other’s eyes. Smith Yauger scored her first pro win with a strong performance.

Jessica Medeiros de Andrade (2-1) def. Nayara Hemily (0-2) via unanimous decision at Coliseu Fight Championship 2 on July 19 in Rio de Janeiro. Medeiros de Andrade got back on the winning track with the three-round victory after suffering her first pro loss in December.

Adriana Del Vigna (1-0) def. Vanessa Goes (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 2:48 mark of Round 1 at Imbituba MMA Fight 2014 on July 19 in Imbituba, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Del Vigna, an experienced Muay Thai striker, made a successful pro MMA debut with the quick stoppage win.

Tania Pereda (2-0) def. Karina Gonzalez (0-1-1) via submission (armbar) at the 4:19 mark of Round 1 at Xtreme Kombat 24 on July 19 in Naucalpan de Juarez, Mexico. Pereda has earned key wins in both of her fights this year. She upset Anely Jimenez at Xtreme Kombat 22 in March.

Rebecca Gullet (2-0) def. Mandy Polk (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 3:39 mark of Round 1 at “Shamrock Promotions: Collision” on July 19 in St. Louis. Gullet overwhelmed Polk with strikes throughout the opening round en route to the standing TKO victory.

Kristi Lopez (2-0) def. Katie Castro (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 26-second mark of Round 1 at “Xplode Fight Series: Cerebral” on July 19 in Valley Center, Calif. Lopez scored a takedown very early in the fight and she flurried with punches from the top for the quick TKO win. The 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu fighter, who went 3-1 as an amateur, remains perfect in her young pro career.

Also on the Xplode Fight Series card, Sharon Jacobson (1-1) def. Aleeta Munion (0-1) via TKO (slam and punches) at the 44-second mark of Round 1. Jacobson teed off with punches right away, but Munion weathered the storm and remained on her feet. Jacobson then slammed her to the ground and landed a final barrage of punches for the stoppage win.

Tatiana Padilla Suarez (1-0) def. Tyra Parker (4-5) via unanimous decision at “Gladiator Challenge: Night of the Champions” on July 19 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Padilla Suarez, a two-time world team medalist in women’s freestyle wrestling, outgrappled Parker throughout the 15-minute fight. Parker attempted submissions from her back, but Padilla Suarez held dominant positions in all three rounds and took home the Gladiator Challenge women’s flyweight title.

Katie Howard (3-2) def. Amy Montenegro (3-1) via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) at CageSport 31 on July 19 in Tacoma, Wash. Howard rebounded from her loss to a much larger Elizabeth Phillips in late May by handing Cadwell Montenegro her first professional defeat.

Also at CageSport 31, Emily Corso (3-0) def. Hadley Griffith (1-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 1:52 mark of Round 1. Corso has submitted all three of her pro opponents inside the first round and only one of her fights has lasted longer than two minutes.

Marion Reneau (4-1) def. Maureen Riordon (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 4:15 mark of Round 1 at “Resurrection Fighting Alliance 16: Copeland vs. Jorgensen” on July 25 in Broomfield, Colo. Reneau has finished three straight opponents in the first round.

Hyo Kyung Song (1-4) def. Hazuki Kimura (0-1) via TKO (corner stoppage) at the 2:10 mark of Round 2 at Road Fighting Championship 16 on July 26 in Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. Song mauled her smaller opponent with ground and pound and submission attempts throughout the fight until Kimura’s corner was forced to throw in the towel in the second round. Song will next face Shizuka Sugiyama at Deep Jewels 5 on Aug. 9.

Lacie Jackson (2-2) def. Rena Pena (0-2) via submission (armbar) in Round 1 at Global Fighting Alliance 26 on July 26 in Alexandria, La. This bout marked Jackson’s first fight back since her one-sided knockout loss to Tonya Evinger more than two years ago. The 21-year-old earned her first finish with the submission victory.

Holly Cline (2-0) def. Jordan Moore (0-2) via submission (arm-triangle choke) at the 1:45 mark of Round 1 at “Extreme Combat Challenge: Fireworks” on July 26 in Indianapolis. Cline has won back-to-back fights under the ECC banner this year. In her March pro debut, she defeated former amateur champion Jen Aniano.

MMAjunkie.com publishes the Women’s MMA Report every few weeks. Its author, Robert Sargent, is a veteran MMA journalist who also runs MMARising.com. Feel free to email us at news [AT] mmajunkie.com with any questions, news tips or suggestions.


Filed under: MMA Rumors, News, UFC

Claudia Gadelha vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk slated for UFC on FOX 13

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A women’s strawweight bout with potential title implications is on tap for UFC on FOX 13.

Contenders Claudia Gadelha (12-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) have agreed to meet at the December event. UFC officials today announced the fight following an initial report from Polish MMA site www.mmanews.pl.

UFC on FOX 13 takes place Dec. 13 at Phoenix’s U.S. Airways Center. Following the FOX main card, FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass carry the prelims.

Gadelha vs. Jedrzejczyk will likely be part of the prelims.

Gadelha carries an undefeated record into the fight. The 25-year-old Brazilian began her pro career in her home country, where she went 11-0 with eight stoppages. After signing with the UFC, the submission specialist then earned a decision victory over Tina Lahdemaki in her July promotional debut.

She takes on Jedrzejczyk, an undefeated Polish fighter who started her career in Europe with a 6-0 mark and three stoppages. After signing with the UFC, the 27-year-old muay Thai vet then picked up a decision victory over Juliana de Lima Carneiro in her July promotional debut.

The latest UFC on FOX 13 card includes:

  • Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic
  • Nate Diaz vs. Rafael dos Anjos
  • Alistair Overeem vs. Stefan Struve
  • Drew Dober vs. Jamie Varner
  • Derek Brunson vs. Ed Herman
  • Bryan Barberena vs. Joe Ellenberger
  • Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Matt Mitrione
  • Jussier Formiga vs. John Moraga
  • Joe Riggs vs. Ben Saunders
  • Anthony Birchak vs. Ian Entwistle
  • Claudia Gadelha vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk

For more on UFC on FOX 13, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Claudia Gadelha)


Filed under: MMA Rumors, News, UFC

Women's MMA Report: Rousey-Zingano moved to UFC 184, Invicta FC 9 set for tonight

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Fans of UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will have to wait longer than originally planned for the unbeaten judoka’s return to the octagon.

Rousey, who was set to compete at UFC 182 in early January, will now make her next title defense against long-time top contender Cat Zingano at “UFC 184: Weidman vs. Belfort” on Feb. 28 in Los Angeles.

UFC officials announced the date change earlier this week. Rousey (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Zingano (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) were first set to clash for Rousey’s title this past year, but a serious knee injury and the tragic death of her husband sidelined Zingano for more than 17 months. While Zingano watched from the sidelines, Rousey submitted rival Miesha Tate in a December rematch and picked up quick stoppage victories over Sara McMann and Alexis Davis this year.

On Sept. 27, Zingano made her long-awaited return to the cage to face Amanda Nunes at UFC 178. She found herself in all sorts of danger early on as Nunes battered her with vicious ground and pound in the opening round. Zingano weathered the storm and she took control of the action as the fight progressed. Nunes slowed way down in Round 3 and Zingano overwhelmed her with strikes on the ground en route to a come-from-behind TKO victory.

Thus far in her pro career, Rousey has often appeared to be bordering on unbeatable in the women’s bantamweight division as she has swiftly dispatched of most of the premier 135-pound female fighters in the sport. A handful of top contenders remain for the champion, however, and Zingano’s strength and unorthodox suplexes could pose problems for Rousey when the fighters finally face off in February.

The Rousey-Zingano title tilt is expected to serve as the co-main event on the UFC 184 card.

UFC books Holm vs. Pennington, Gadelha vs. Jedrzejczyk for December

Former pound-for-pound boxing superstar and undefeated mixed martial artist Holly Holm (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes her much-anticipated octagon debut on Dec. 6 at “UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler 2″ in Las Vegas. Holm is set to face off against “TUF 18″ semifinalist Raquel Pennington (4-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in a featured bantamweight bout on the card.

Holm has long been seen as one of the few remaining threats to Ronda Rousey’s UFC title due to her stellar striking pedigree, but she will first have to fight her way to the belt. Standing in her way is Pennington, who made it to the semifinals of “TUF 18″ this past year by defeating Jessamyn Duke. She outpointed Roxanne Modafferi in her official UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale in November and dropped a close decision to Jessica Andrade in March.

Outside of the UFC, Holm has dominated all seven of her opponents, but she has at times faced criticism for competing against outmatched foes.

In April, Holm picked up her most notable win to date and captured her first major MMA title in the process by stopping fellow striker Juliana Werner in the fifth round of a Legacy FC women’s bantamweight title fight. Negotiations between the UFC and Holm’s management repeatedly broke down in the ensuing months, but the two sides eventually came to terms on a deal to bring one of the world’s very best female strikers to the UFC.

The month of December will also feature a strawweight title eliminator bout between undefeated standouts Claudia Gadelha (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC). The 115-pound contenders are set to meet at “UFC on FOX 13: Dos Santos vs. Miocic” on Dec. 13 in Phoenix just one day after the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight champion is crowned at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale.

Gadelha is one of MMA’s most decorated female grapplers. The three-time BJJ world champion picked up back-to-back wins in 2013, but an Invicta FC title bout against Carla Esparza was scrapped for a third time when Gadelha suffered a last-minute illness that forced her out of the fight. She signed with the UFC shortly thereafter and made a successful octagon debut in July by outpointing Tina Lahdemaki at UFC Fight Night 45.

Jedrzejczyk, in contrast to her December opponent, is one of MMA’s most skilled female strikers. The Polish veteran of close to 100 kickboxing matches transitioned to MMA in 2012 and racked up four straight victories including a key win over Russian standout Julia Berezikova. Her 2014 campaign began with a victory over Karla Benitez in May and continued with Jedrzejczyk’s biggest win to date, a second-round knockout of UFC veteran Rosi Sexton, at Cage Warriors 69 one month later. Jedrzejczyk subsequently signed with the UFC and she defeated Juliana de Lima Carneiro at UFC on FOX 12 in July.

The Gadelha-Jedrzejczyk fight is expected to serve as a strawweight title eliminator. The victor will then move on to challenge the winner of “TUF 20,” who will be crowned as the first UFC women’s strawweight champion on Dec. 12 in Las Vegas.

Late changes made to today’s Invicta FC 9 card

Visa issues have resulted in a pair of short-notice changes to today’s Invicta Fighting Championships 9 event in Davenport, Iowa. The all-female card is headlined by a flyweight title bout between reigning champion Barb Honchak and Deep Jewels titleholder Takayo Hashi, and also features a strawweight contender’s bout between Mizuki Inoue and Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

Former Jewels lightweight (52-kilogram/114.4-pound) champion Ayaka Hamasaki had planned to make her return to the Invicta FC cage on Saturday against Brazilian submission specialist Herica Tiburcio, but the bout was scrapped entirely this week when Tiburcio encountered visa troubles and was not permitted to compete on the card. The bout may be rebooked for Invicta FC 10 in December, but an official announcement has not yet been made.

A targeted bantamweight bout between Kaitlin Young and Cindy Dandois also fell apart this past weekend when Dandois, who has recently spent many months living and training in the U.S., was unable to secure a visa to compete. Invicta FC officials managed to find a replacement opponent for Young, who will now face Hawaii’s Raquel Pa’aluhi at 145 pounds.

Invicta FC 9 (UFC Fight Pass):

  • Barb Honchak (9-2) vs. Takayo Hashi (15-4-1) – for strawweight title
  • Mizuki Inoue (8-2) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (5-0)
  • Raquel Pa’aluhi (3-4) vs. Kaitlin Young (7-8-1)
  • Jodie Esquibel (4-1) vs. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc (8-7)
  • Amber Brown (3-1) vs. Liz McCarthy (2-1)
  • Amanda Bell (2-2) vs. Maria Hougaard Djursaa (5-5)
  • Andrea Lee (1-0) vs. Shannon Sinn (1-1)
  • Jenny Liou Shriver (2-0) vs. Jamie Moyle (0-0)
  • Maegan Goodwin (0-0) vs. Kelly McGill (1-0)

Seven fights set for Deep Jewels 6 in Tokyo

Two days after Invicta FC 9, Japan’s leading all-female promotion, Deep Jewels, stages its sixth fight card in Tokyo. Deep Jewels 6 takes place on Monday night and is headlined by a featherweight (48-kilogram/105.6-pound) championship trilogy bout between reigning champion Seo Hee Ham and rival Saori Ishioka.

Ham and Ishioka first faced off early in their respective careers under the Smackgirl banner in February 2008. Ham prevailed via unanimous decision and she outpointed Ishioka for a second time in the pair’s rematch three years later at “Deep: 52nd Impact.” Both fighters have since dropped down in weight and Ham became the final Jewels featherweight queen champion this past year. Her belt carried over to Deep Jewels and she looks to make her second successful title defense when she takes on Ishioka for a third time.

In other action on the Deep Jewels 6 card, Emi Fujino aims to rebound from her recent loss to WSOF champion Jessica Aguilar when she faces unbeaten grappler Ayaka Miura in a featured matchup, and top Deep Jewels star Shizuka Sugiyama takes on Yurika Nakakura in a rematch from September 2012. Sugiyama handed Nakakura her lone defeat in the pair’s first meeting.

Deep Jewels 6 was initially set to stream live on Ustream. However, as a result of Ustream’s recent decision to shut down its PPV services, the event is no longer expected to be available to a live audience online. The promotion is working to secure a new broadcast partner in order to make future events available to a worldwide audience.

Deep Jewels 6:

  • Seo Hee Ham (14-5) vs. Saori Ishioka (13-7) – for 48kg title
  • Emi Fujino (13-8) vs. Ayaka Miura (1-0)
  • Yurika Nakakura (3-1) vs. Shizuka Sugiyama (11-4-1)
  • Tomo Maesawa (3-4) vs. Yuko Oya (8-3)
  • Mina Kurobe (3-0) vs. Satomi Takano (3-4)
  • Brittany Ann Decker (0-1) vs. Pan Hui (0-0)
  • Yukiko Seki (12-24) vs. Naomi Taniyama (1-2)

Team Pettis keeps perfect record intact, now 6-0 on “TUF 20″

UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis’ team continues to steamroll Gilbert Melendez’s squad of female strawweights on “The Ultimate Fighter 20: A Champion Will Be Crowned.” Pettis’ team extended its lead to 6-0 with three more victories this month.

During Episode No. 4, former Invicta FC strawweight champion Carla Esparza (seeded No. 1) advanced one step closer to becoming the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight titleholder by submitting Angela Hill (No. 16) of Team Melendez. Esparza took Hill down right away and she used ground and pound to set up a rear-naked choke attempt. Hill escaped from one submission and briefly got back to her feet, but Esparza dragged her back down and secured another rear-naked choke for the tapout win at the 3:41 mark of Round 1.

Episode No. 5 featured a grudge rematch between bitter rivals Felice Herrig (No. 6) and Heather Clark (No. 11). Herrig avoided an early guillotine choke from Clark and spent most of Round 1 working from top position. She dominated the second round with ground and pound and submission attempts and the two-round bout went to the scorecards. All three judges scored the fight for Herrig, who kept Team Pettis’ unblemished record intact and earned her second win over Clark, who attempted to make peace following the bout.

This past Wednesday, Team Pettis’ Aisling Daly (No. 5) scored a big victory over Angela Magana (No. 12) in a back-and-forth fight. Magana controlled most of Round 1 on the ground and she threatened with rear-naked choke attempts until referee Chris Tognoni bizarrely stood the fighters up. Daly rallied in the second round and she landed punches on the ground and attempted a neck crank before the bell. The fight went to a third and deciding round and Daly took a fatigued Magana down. She mounted her soon after and dropped punches until the fight was stopped at the 2:26 mark of Round 3.

Next week’s episode features a bout between No. 10 Alex Chambers of Team Pettis and No. 7 Rose Namajunas of Team Melendez. “TUF 20″ airs each Wednesday night on FOX Sports 1 in the U.S. and on Sportsnet 360 in Canada. The grueling competition comes to an end on Dec. 12 when the two finalists face off to determine the first UFC women’s strawweight champion at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale in Las Vegas.

Marloes Coenen submits Annalisa Bucci in Bellator debut

Former Strikeforce champion Marloes Coenen (22-6) made a successful Bellator debut this past Friday night at Bellator 130 in Mulvane, Kan. Coenen submitted Italy’s Annalisa Bucci (7-4) early in the third round of a one-sided bout on the Spike-televised main card.

Coenen joined the Bellator roster earlier this year after receiving her release from Invicta FC, where she fought twice and managed a 1-1 record. She immediately took Bucci down in Round 1 and spent most of the round working for a rear-naked choke. Bucci eventually scrambled into top position, but Coenen tied her up and landed some solid shots from the bottom. She finished the round by threatening with a kimura attempt.

The second stanza was more of the same and Coenen once again controlled the action by landing punches on the ground and working for submissions. Bucci defended well and managed to escape into Coenen’s guard again, but she was only able to land a handful of short punches from top position before the end of the round.

Coenen quickly took Bucci back down in Round 3. From side control, she used her legs to trap Bucci’s left arm, then reached her own arm across Bucci’s throat. Seconds later, Coenen locked on a modified rear-naked choke from side control and Bucci was forced to submit at the 57-second mark of Round 3.

Coenen’s win got her back on track following a lopsided TKO loss to Cristiane Justino in an Invicta FC title rematch this past year. She is expected to face off against fellow Invicta FC alum Julia Budd under the Bellator banner in 2015.

MMAjunkie.com publishes the Women’s MMA Report every few weeks. Its author, Robert Sargent, is a veteran MMA journalist who also runs MMARising.com. Feel free to email us at news [AT] mmajunkie.com with any questions, news tips or suggestions.


Filed under: Bellator, News, UFC

UFC on FOX 13 broadcast lineup set with three heavyweight bouts on main card

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Filed under: Featured Videos, MMA Rumors, News, UFC

Next month’s UFC on FOX 13 lineup is set with 13 fights in the desert.

UFC on FOX 13 takes place Saturday, Dec. 13, at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix. The main card airs on FOX following prelims on FOX and UFC Fight Pass.

The first fight kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT local time) as part of a three-bout set of streamed contests on UFC Fight Pass. The show then transitions to FOX at 5 p.m. ET for six preliminary-card fights before a main card on FOX at 8 p.m. ET.

That main card features four fights – three of which are in the heavyweight division. In the heavyweight headliner, former champion Junior dos Santos (16-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who’s ranked No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie heavyweight rankings, takes on fast-rising contender and No. 8-ranked Stipe Miocic (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC).

In the co-headliner, No. 4 lightweight Rafael dos Anjos (22-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) meets No. 8 Nate Diaz (17-9 MMA, 12-7 UFC), and in another heavyweight feature, No. 9 Alistair Overeem (37-14 MMA, 2-3 UFC) meets No. 11 Stefan Struve (25-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC). To open the main card, “TUF 10″ vet Matt Mitrione (8-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) takes on former title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga (16-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC).

The preliminary card has some star power, as well, with a middleweight bout between Derek Brunson (12-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Ed Herman (22-10 MMA, 9-7 UFC); former WEC champion and Phoenix-based Jamie Varner vs. Drew Dober; and Joe Riggs (40-14 MMA, 4-4 UFC) returning to the company against the recently returned Ben Saunders (17-6-2 MMA, 5-3 UFC).

The UFC on FOX 13 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic
  • Nate Diaz vs. Rafael dos Anjos
  • Alistair Overeem vs. Stefan Struve
  • Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Matt Mitrione

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 5 p.m. ET)

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 3:30 p.m. ET)

For more on UFC on FOX 13, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.


Filed under: Featured Videos, MMA Rumors, News, UFC

UFC on FOX 13 weigh-ins set for Dec. 12 in Phoenix with Kelvin Gastelum Q&A

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Kelvin Gastelum

Weigh-ins for next month’s UFC on FOX 13 event take place Friday, Dec. 12, at Phoenix Convention Center.

The nearby U.S. Airways Center hosts the following night’s event, which features three heavyweight bouts on the main card.

Along with the official weigh-in event, undefeated UFC welterweight contender Kelvin Gastelum will host a Q&A session for members of the UFC Fight Club. Gastelum is coming off of arguably the biggest win of his career, a stoppage of Jake Ellenberger at UFC 180 in Mexico City.

Doors for the festivities open at 12 p.m. MT local time for Fight Club members. Gastelum will take the stage for his Q&A at 1 p.m. MT.

The public also is invited to the weigh-in ceremony. The first fighter steps on the scale at 3 p.m. MT local time, and doors open to the public at 2 p.m.

As usual, MMAjunkie will be on scene with complete UFC on FOX 13 coverage. We’ll also provide a live stream of the fighter weigh-ins.

The complete UFC on FOX 13 card includes:

MAIN CARD (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic
  • Nate Diaz vs. Rafael dos Anjos
  • Alistair Overeem vs. Stefan Struve
  • Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Matt Mitrione

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 5 p.m. ET)

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 3:30 p.m. ET)

For more on UFC on FOX 13, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.


Filed under: MMA Rumors, News, UFC
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