UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk is set for her next title defense, and it comes against a familiar foe.
On July 8 at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale in Las Vegas, the unbeaten Polish star faces Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Claudia Gadelha in a much-anticipated rematch from the pair’s initial meeting in late 2014.
Jedrzejczyk (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Gadelha (13-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) engaged in a closely contested bout at UFC on FOX 13 that ended in a split-decision victory for Jedrzejczyk, who went on to capture the UFC strawweight title from Carla Esparza this past March. She destroyed Jessica Penne in June and most recently defeated Valerie Letourneau at UFC 193 in November.
Gadelha rebounded from her razor-thin loss to Jedrzejczyk by putting herself right back into title contention with a big victory back in August. Facing off against former WSOF champion Jessica Aguilar, Gadelha dominated the action from bell to bell en route to a clear-cut unanimous-decision win. She then set her sights on avenging the lone defeat of her career.
Before Jedrzejczyk and Gadelha square off in July, they’ll first serve as opposing coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter 23.” Each woman leads a team composed of male light heavyweights and female strawweights, and the season will crown two new “TUF” winners.
“TUF 23” debuts April 20 on FOX Sports 1 and culminates with the main event championship rematch between Jedrzejczyk and Gadelha in July.
‘Cyborg,’ Souza win quickly at Invicta FC 15
Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino
After once again abandoning plans to move down to 135 pounds, Invicta FC featherweight champion Cristiane Justino kept her streak of first-round finishes intact with a vicious knockout victory on Jan. 16 at Invicta FC 15 in Costa Mesa, Calif. The hard-hitting “Cyborg” stopped Daria Ibragimova late in the opening round of their main-event matchup.
Justino (15-1) battered Ibragimova (9-2) with punches, knees and elbows on the feet while fighting off a series of takedown attempts from the Russian challenger. Ibragimova’s strategy finally yielded success in the form of a brief takedown, but Justino quickly returned to her feet and floored Ibragimova with a big right hook. A dazed Ibragimova tried to tap out as Justino finished her off with punches at the 4:58 mark of Round 1.
In spite of her latest dominant victory, options for future fights remain very limited for Justino, who has officially given up on the idea of cutting down to bantamweight. Invicta FC’s featherweight division lacks top-tier challengers, and the UFC appears to be less and less open to bringing Justino in for non-title catchweight bouts. Her best option for the future may be with Bellator, which continues to develop its 145-pound women’s division.
In the Invicta FC 15 co-feature, charismatic strawweight champion Livia Renata Souza (9-0) needed just 90 seconds to retain her 115-pound title. Souza finished previously undefeated contender DeAnna Bennett (8-1) with a devastating kick to the body in what was arguably the champ’s most impressive performance to date.
Following an early exchange of strikes on the feet, Souza landed a nice right hook and followed with a liver kick that dropped Bennett. Unable to move or defend, Bennett ate a series of follow-up punches from Souza, and the fight was waved off at the 1:30 mark. Souza, who earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus for her efforts, hopes to move on to the UFC in the near future, and she endeared herself to fans following her quick victory by showcasing her wit and humor in a light-hearted interview.
Stepping in on short notice, Colleen Schneider (10-6) picked up a key victory over Raquel Pa'aluhi (5-5) in a potential Invicta FC bantamweight title-eliminator. Schneider opened a cut above Pa’aluhi’s left eye with punches and elbows in Round 1, and she attempted a rear-naked choke before the bell. Pa’aluhi pinned Schneider against the fence in Rounds 2 and 3, and scored multiple takedowns, but Schneider continued to target her damaged eye with jabs.
Pa’aluhi’s facial cuts and swelling may have influenced the judges, who awarded a close split-decision victory to Schneider with scores of 29-28 twice and 28-29. She has won four straight bouts and may challenge for Invicta FC’s bantamweight title in the coming months.
Elsewhere on the Invicta FC 15 card, top atomweight contender Amber Brown (6-1) submitted late replacement Shino VanHoose (4-4). Brown countered a takedown by trapping VanHoose in a guillotine choke on the way down. She tightened her grip on the choke, and VanHoose was forced to submit at the 2:36 mark of Round 1. Brown is now expected to move on to face Invicta FC atomweight champion Ayaka Hamasaki later in 2016.
Deep Jewels strawweight champion Mizuki Inoue (10-4) made a successful return to the Invicta FC cage by submitting veteran Lacey Schuckman (11-9) in an entertaining battle. Inoue attacked with armbars and rear-naked chokes in the first two rounds, but Schuckman escaped and countered with an inverted triangle choke. Inoue mounted Schuckman in the final round and used punches to set up a fight-ending armbar at the 3:41 mark of Round 3. The impressive finish earned Inoue a “Performance of the Night” bonus.
The third and final performance bonus on the Invicta FC 15 card went to “TUF 20” contestant Angela Hill (3-2), who demolished Alida Gray (4-3) in a strawweight fight. Hill battered Gray with punches and dropped her for good with a knee to the body at the 1:39 mark of Round 1.
In the Invicta FC 15 “Fight of the Night,” Megan Anderson (5-2) overcame early danger and finished Amber Leibrock (1-1) late in their featherweight showdown. Both women landed huge shots in Round, 1 and Leibrock rocked her opponent, but Anderson came on strong as the fight progressed and stopped Leibrock with punches and knees at the 2:33 mark of Round 3.
Ham vs. Rawlings rebooked for UFC Fight Night 85
Seo Hee Ham
Former Deep Jewels atomweight champion Seo Hee Ham seeks her second straight UFC victory when she steps back into the octagon on March 20 at “UFC Fight Night 85: Hunt vs. Mir” in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Ham is set to face off against hometown star Bec Rawlings in a featured strawweight matchup on the card.
Ham (16-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Rawlings (6-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) were initially slated to meet at UFC Fight Night 65 this past May, but Ham was forced to withdraw due to a nasal fracture, and Rawlings went on to easily defeat Lisa Ellis. Rawlings was sidelined for the remainder of 2015 after suffering a stress fracture in the neck of her femur. Ham returned from her injury and earned her first UFC win by edging Cortney Casey at UFC Fight Night 79 in November.
Inoue, Yamaguchi added to Deep Jewels 11 card
Mizuki Inoue
Fresh off of her Invicta FC 15 victory earlier this month, Deep Jewels strawweight champion Mizuki Inoue (10-4) is set to compete again on March 6 at Deep Jewels 11 in Tokyo. Inoue faces talented kickboxer Nori Date (0-1) in a non-title strawweight bout.
Inoue made the first defense of her Deep Jewels title this past August, when she outpointed veteran Emi Fujino in a competitive trilogy fight. The victory got her back on track following a pair of setbacks in the Invicta FC cage, and Inoue kept the momentum going by submitting Lacey Schuckman at Invicta FC 15. She holds a significant edge in experience over her Deep Jewels 11 opponent, but 17-year-old Nori surprised many by engaging in a closely contested bout with Fujino in November that ended with Fujino eking out a narrow decision victory.
Also confirmed for the Deep Jewels 11 card is an atomweight bout between Inoue’s teammate, top Japanese prospect Yukari Yamaguchi (1-0), and Nori’s Team Date stablemate, Hana (1-0). Yamaguchi has followed in her teammate’s footsteps by capturing multiple titles in shoot boxing, and she also claimed the prestigious J-Girls mini flyweight championship in a November kickboxing match. The 17-year-old won her pro MMA debut this past June, and she’s arguably Japan’s brightest female prospect. Hana transitioned from kickboxing to MMA this t past year and impressed onlookers by dominating Pan Hui in a one-sided fight at Deep Jewels 10.
In other confirmed atomweight bouts at Deep Jewels 11, Mina Kurobe (5-2) faces Renju Date (0-0), and the aforementioned Hui (1-1) takes on Real Date (0-0). Natsumi Sugie meets Kana Inamura in a 46kg amateur MMA bout, and Tomo Maesawa battles highly-touted prospect Natsumi Mukai in a strawweight grappling match.
The latest Deep Jewels 11 additions join a previously announced atomweight contender’s bout between former interim strawweight champ Emi Tomimatsu (10-10) and Saori Ishioka (13-8).
Quick results
Featherweight – Jessica Miele (5-2) def. Jamie Driver (0-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 2:01 mark of Round 2 at “Reality Fighting: Mohegan Sun” on Jan. 2 in Uncasville, Conn.
Catchweight (130) – Also on the Reality Fighting card, Janice Meyer (1-2) def. Sarah Payant (1-2) via split decision.
Strawweight title – Jamie Colleen (3-0) def. Calie Cutler (4-3) via TKO (punches) at the 1:24 mark of Round 5 at “King of the Cage: Thunder & Lightning” on Jan. 8 in Carlton, Minn.
Catchweight (128) – Jin Tang (24-8-4) and Karla Benitez (13-8-1) fought to a majority draw (30-28, 29-29, 29-29) at “Kunlun Fight 36: All-Star Festival” on Jan. 9 in Shanghai, China.
Catchweight (141) – Melinda Fabian (2-1-1) def. Paulina Borkowska (0-3) via submission (Ezekiel choke) at the 2:52 mark of Round 2 at “Professional League of MMA 62/AFC 6: Wyszkow” on Jan. 9 in Wyszkow, Poland.
Flyweight title – Katlyn Chookagian (6-0) def. Isabelly Varela (7-1) via unanimous decision (50-42, 50-42, 50-44) at “CFFC 55: Chookagian vs. Varela” on Jan. 9 in Atlantic City, N.J.
Catchweight (121) – Vy Srey Chai (2-1) def. Khadja Aiyada Verpoest (0-1) via KO (punch) in Round 2 at “Full Metal Dojo 8: Return of the Mack” on Jan. 10 in Phuket, Thailand.
Strawweight – Bharti Dhoundyal (1-1) def. Kirti Rana (1-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 3:30 mark of Round 2 at “BodyPower: India Open MMA Championships 2016” on Jan. 10 in Mumbai, India.
Strawweight title – Emily Ducote (1-1) def. Ronni Lawrence (0-3) via unanimous decision (50-44, 50-45, 50-45) at “OKC Fight Night: Charity Fight Night 2016” on Jan. 14 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Featherweight – Zamzagul Fayzallanova (1-0) def. Jojua Liana (1-1) via unanimous decision at “Alash Pride: Atyrau the Beautiful” on Jan. 16 in Atyrau, Kazakhstan.
Atomweight – Gina Iniong (4-2) def. Vanessa Rico Fernandez (2-2) via submission (Achilles lock) at the 1:52 mark of Round 1 at Pacific Xtreme Combat 51 on Jan. 16 in Paranaque, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Flyweight – Christina Kamenitsa (2-1) def. Marianthi Samouhou (1-3) via submission (armbar) at the 3:27 mark of Round 1 at “Cage Survivor: New Blood 2” on Jan. 17 in Athens, Greece.
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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