Filed under: News, UFC
Fresh off of her dominant title victory in March, undefeated UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk successfully retained her new belt in a violent and bloody battle on June 20 at “UFC Fight Night 69: Jedrzejczyk vs. Penne” in Berlin, Germany. The Polish star crushed former Invicta FC champ Jessica Penne on the feet en route to a third-round TKO win.
Jedrzejczyk (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) made a big statement to the rest of the strawweight division in March when she brutally knocked out then-champion Carla Esparza at UFC 185, and her victory over the well-rounded Penne (12-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was arguably even more impressive.
In Round 1, Jedrzejczyk fought off Penne’s takedown attempts and created space on the feet that allowed her to land a devastating right hand that dropped Penne. The champion swarmed on her downed foe with punches, but Penne survived and secured a late takedown. Things got worse for Penne early in Round 2 when Jedrzejczyk landed a vicious elbow that opened a severe gash on the bridge of Penne’s nose. Blood poured out of the cut and covered Penne’s entire face as Jedrzejczyk teed off with punches, knees and more elbows.
Penne showed a lot of heart by continuing to fight on, and she finally secured a much-needed takedown midway through the third round. Jedrzejczyk quickly scrambled back to her feet, however, and she resumed her striking assault. A series of punches and head kicks from Jedrzejczyk forced Penne to retreat to the cage wall, and referee Marc Goddard waved off the fight at the 4:22 mark after Jedrzejczyk landed a final flurry and a knee.
The third-round stoppage marked the first time that Penne had ever been finished by strikes in her 15-fight pro career. Jedrzejczyk’s performance drew high praise from UFC officials and fellow UFC fighters, including some who branded her as the best striker in the UFC today. Jedrzejczyk did sustain a thumb injury during her win over Penne, but she happily announced this past week that she will not require surgery and plans to fight again later this year.
Jessica Aguilar vs. Claudia Gadelha booked for UFC 190 in Brazil
Former WSOF women’s strawweight champion Jessica Aguilar (19-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) signed with the UFC earlier this month and makes her long-awaited octagon debut on Aug. 1 at “UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Aguilar is set to battle Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Claudia Gadelha (12-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in a UFC women’s strawweight title eliminator.
Aguilar received her release from WSOF in mid-May and immediately announced her intentions to challenge for UFC title gold. However, the former WSOF champ must first get past Gadelha, who looks to rebound from a razor-thin decision loss to Joanna Jedrzejczyk in December. Many observers felt that Gadelha had done enough to defeat Jedrzejczyk, and Gadelha now has her sights set on avenging the loss and taking Jedrzejczyk’s title.
The winner of the August bout between Aguilar and Gadelha is expected to move on to challenge for the UFC women’s strawweight championship in late 2015, pending Jedrzejczyk’s return from her recent thumb injury. While Aguilar and Gadelha are best known for their skills inside the cage, both have also been targets of PED use allegations from peers in recent years.
It remains to be seen whether CABMMA will test either fighter leading up to the title eliminator, but UFC 190 headliner Bethe Correia recently stated that she has yet to be tested a single time by CABMMA as she prepares for her bantamweight title bout with Ronda Rousey.
Three title fights headline Invicta FC 13 in Las Vegas
Invicta FC featherweight champion Cristiane Justino (13-1) makes the next defense of her title in one of three championship bouts on July 9 at Invicta Fighting Championships 13 in Las Vegas. Justino is set to face Storm MMA champ Faith Van Duin (5-1) in the night’s main event.
For years, Justino has campaigned for a fight with UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, but with Justino’s ability to ever make 135 pounds still very much in doubt, the Brazilian knockout artist continues to fend off featherweight title challengers under the Invicta FC banner. She is coming off of a 46-second destruction of Charmaine Tweet at Invicta FC 11.
Van Duin enters next month’s title fight following an impressive showing in her Invicta FC debut against hard-hitting prospect Amanda Bell in April. She finished Bell with a no-hooks rear-naked choke early in Round 2 of their Invicta FC 12 bout to earn a shot at Justino’s title. Van Duin is a significant underdog against Justino, but the New Zealander plans to upset the heavily-favored champion en route to capturing her first international MMA title.
The Invicta FC 13 co-feature pits veteran wrestler Tonya Evinger (16-5) against highly-touted Mexican striker Irene Aldana (5-1) in a bout that will be contested for the vacant Invicta FC bantamweight championship. Evinger has won six straight fights including three inside the Invicta FC cage. Aldana has posted back-to-back submission wins since signing with Invicta FC this past year, and she is one of the most powerful female strikers in MMA today.
Newly-crowned Invicta FC atomweight champion Herica Tiburcio (9-2) makes her first title defense against former Jewels champ Ayaka Hamasaki (11-1) at Invicta FC 13. Tiburcio captured the 105-pound belt in December when she submitted recent UFC signee Michelle Waterson. She has won four straight fights since suffering a competitive decision loss to top UFC strawweight contender Claudia Gadelha in May 2013. Hamasaki is 2-0 as an atomweight and she now makes her return to Invicta FC for the first time in two years.
Two of the top prospects in the women’s bantamweight division are set to collide at Invicta FC 13 when former Cage Warriors champ Pannie Kianzad (7-0) takes on Jessica-Rose Clark (5-1), who has captured multiple titles in her home country of Australia.
Rounding out the Invicta FC 13 card, Amber Brown (4-1) battles Catherine Costigan (5-0) in an atomweight bout, Amy Cadwell Montenegro (6-1) meets Jamie Moyle (2-0) in strawweight action, and “Four Horsewomen” member Marina Shafir (1-1) makes her Invicta FC debut against Amber Leibrock (0-0) in the featherweight opener.
Tecia Torres outpoints Angela Hill at UFC 188
While it was not her best performance, highly-touted strawweight prospect Tecia Torres (6-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) kept her undefeated record intact with a unanimous-decision victory on June 13 at “UFC 188: Velasquez vs. Werdum” in Mexico City, Mexico. Torres smothered Angela Hill (2-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) en route to an uncharacteristically lacklustre win.
Many fans had anticipated a standup war between the two noted strikers, but Torres took Hill down in Rounds 1 and 2 and kept her pinned on the mat while working from the top in half-guard. Hill nullified most of Torres’ offense, but Torres held a clear edge on the scorecards after 10 minutes thanks to her positional control. She tried unsuccessfully for takedowns throughout Round 3, which ended with a chorus of boos from the Mexican audience. Scores were 29-28 and 30-27 twice for Torres, who took a step towards title contention with the victory.
Mizuki Inoue vs. Emi Fujino trilogy bout added to Deep Jewels 9
Deep Jewels strawweight champion Mizuki Inoue (8-4) looks to rebound from a pair of close defeats inside the Invicta FC cage when she defends her 115-pound title on Aug. 29 at Deep Jewels 9 in Tokyo. Inoue faces off against a familiar foe, recent WSOF title challenger Emi Fujino (16-8), in one of two championship fights on the card.
Inoue and Fujino first clashed in July 2010 when a 15-year-old Inoue made a successful pro kickboxing debut by dominating her much more experienced opponent. The fighters faced off in MMA action at Deep Jewels 2 and Inoue once again prevailed via unanimous decision.
Inoue went on to capture the Deep Jewels strawweight title in August, but the talented young fighter then suffered back-to-back decision defeats for Invicta FC. Fujino has racked up three straight wins since she challenged unsuccessfully for WSOF title gold one year ago, and she most recently defeated Jeong Eun Park at Road FC this past month.
Deep Jewels 9 also features a previously announced bantamweight title rematch between champ Takayo Hashi (15-5-1) and unbeaten South Korean challenger Ji Yeon Kim (3-0-2).
Quick results
Strawweight – [autotag]Alessia Espinosa-Vallve (1-0) def. Natalie Gonzales Hills (2-2) via KO (punch) at the 2:00 mark of Round 3 at Brace For War 34 on May 23 in Canberra, Australia.
Flyweight – Terissa Wall (2-1) def. Brooke McLeod (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 4:59 mark of Round 1 at Xtreme Fighting Championship 24 on May 23 in Mansfield, Queensland, Australia.
Catchweight (110) – Simona Soukupova (5-3-1) def. Iman Darabi (2-1) via KO (knees) in Round 2 at International Ring Fight Arena 8 on May 23 in Solna, Sweden.
Bantamweight – Anna Elmose (3-0) def. Mara Romero Borella (4-2) via KO (punches) at the 45-second mark of Round 2 at Unified Combat League 23 on May 23 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Strawweight – Helen Harper (4-1) def. Sofie Langsford (1-1) via unanimous decision at “Showdown Series: MMA Showdown 5” on May 23 in Notting Hill, West London, England.
Bantamweight – Taila Santos (11-0) def. Wellen Taynara (0-2) via TKO (doctor stoppage) at the 5:00 mark of Round 1 at Aspera Fighting Championship 19 on May 23 in Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Flyweight – Marta Souza (2-6-1) def. Geyse Geyse (0-1) via submission (armbar) in Round 1 at Energy Combat Girls 2 on May 24 in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil.
Strawweight – Yoo Jin Jung (1-3) def. Yuko Kiryu (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 53-second mark of Round 1 at “Top FC 7: Return To Basics” on May 29 in Changwon, South Korea.
Catchweight (121) – Irene Cabello (4-2) def. Herminio Garcia (0-1-1) via submission (armbar) at the 3:08 mark of Round 1 at Mix Fight Events on May 29 in Valencia, Spain.
Lightweight – Farlynn Smallchild (1-2) def. Ulrike Strunk (0-1) via KO (punch) at the 15-second mark of Round 1 at Unified MMA 23 on May 29 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Bantamweight – Rachael Cummins (3-2) def. Slavka Vitaly (2-2) via unanimous decision at “Venator Fighting Championship: Guerrieri Italiani Finals” on May 30 in Bologna, Italy.
Catchweight (132) – Molly McCann (1-0) def. Katy Horlick (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 3:12 mark of Round 1 at Shock n Awe 20 on May 30 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.
Flyweight – Luana Carolina Carvalho de Souza (1-1) def. Isabela de Padua (0-1) via submission (guillotine choke) in Round 2 at Casa Branca Fight 2 on May 30 in Casa Branca, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Flyweight – Bianca de Araujo Carvalho (3-1) def. Ana Claudia Fatia (0-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 2:25 mark of Round 3 at “Round X: Leal vs. Soares” on May 30 in Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Strawweight – Paulina Vargas (1-0) def. Mariana Alvarez (0-1) via TKO (punches) in Round 2 at Xtreme Kombat 30 on May 30 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
Bantamweight – Shawna Anderson (2-1) def. Davrene Morrison (0-1) via TKO (elbows and punches) at the 2:15 mark of Round 1 at “Fight To Win: Prize Fighting Championship 9 – Bakken Brawlers” on May 30 in Williston, N.C.
Flyweight – May Ooi (2-0) def. Zhen Wei Foo (1-2) via TKO (punches) at the 3:48 mark of Round 3 at “Malaysian Invasion MMA: Mixed Martial A’rr” on June 1 in Andaman Sea, Thailand.
Strawweight – Also on the Malaysian Invasion MMA card, Rachael Short (1-1) def. Adek Omar (0-2) via submission (guillotine choke) at the 4:53 mark of Round 2.
Flyweight – Susy Watson (3-2) def. Jenny Liou Shriver (3-3) via TKO (punches) at the 1:17 mark of Round 3 at “King of the Cage: Awakening” on June 4 in Worley, Idaho.
Flyweight – Jaymee Jones (4-1) def. Katy Collins (1-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 2:42 mark of Round 1 at “XFL: Xtreme Fight Night 23” on June 5 in Tulsa, Okla.
Catchweight (132) – Jin Tang (22-7-3) def. Malihe Younes (0-1) via TKO (retirement) at the 5:00 mark of Round 1 at “Kunlun Fight 26: Cage Fight Night, Round 3” on June 6 in Chongqing, China.
Catchweight (132) – Also on the Kunlun Fight 26 card, Colleen Schneider (7-6) def. Jingnan Xiong (5-1) via unanimous decision.
Strawweight – Bianca Reis (4-4) def. Anne Karoline Nascimento (4-5) via submission (armbar) at the 3:50 mark of Round 3 at Gladiator Combat Fight 13 on June 6 in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil.
Flyweight – Also on the Gladiator Combat Fight 13 card, Jady Larissa Menezes (3-1) def. Marta Souza (2-6-1) via split decision.
Flyweight – Karine Silva (7-2) def. Leticia Oliveira Ribeiro (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 4:24 mark of Round 1 at Aspera Fighting Championship 20 on June 6 in Navegantes, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Bantamweight – Also on the Aspera FC 20 card, Taila Santos (11-0) def. Gisele Pereira (0-1) via TKO (head kick) at the 1:06 mark of Round 1.
Catchweight (121) – Fabrina Vanessa (2-1) def. Luana Zuquini (0-2) via unanimous decision at Fight Team Junior Oliveira 9 on June 6 in Vilhena, Rondonia, Brazil.
Bantamweight – Giselle Campos (3-1) def. Sirleia Gomes (0-2) via submission (armbar) at the 2:41 mark of Round 1 at Personal Open Fight 7 on June 6 in Altamira, Para, Brazil.
Flyweight – Jeanne Ruas (1-0) def. Geisa Fagundes (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 4:56 mark of Round 2 at Iron Fight Combat 8 on June 6 in Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil.
Strawweight – Rebecca Ruth (3-1) def. Krystal Manues (0-3) via TKO (punches) at the 2:19 mark of Round 1 at “Shamrock Promotions: Opposition” on June 6 in St. Louis, Mo.
Bantamweight – Talita de Oliveira (2-1) def. Lohanna Correia (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 40-second mark of Round 1 at Maximus Fight 2 on June 7 in Rio Bonito, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Lightweight – Brittney Elkin (2-2) def. Gabrielle Holloway (4-3) via unanimous decision at “Pride & Pain MMA: The Professionals” on June 12 in Gillette, Wy.
Strawweight – Katie Halley (2-1) def. Megan Pierce (0-1) via KO (knee to the body) at the eight-second mark of Round 1 at “Alaska Fighting Championship: Land of the Midnight Sun 2” on June 12 in Anchorage, Alaska.
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