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.
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