Bennett vs. Schneider Courtesy Rob Norbutt

Pro MMA

DeAnna Bennett continues her undefeated streak with a rear naked choke win over Colleen Schneider in round 1 at Showdown Fights in Orem, UT. Bennett’s four fight run has put her #8 in the rankings and is the top flyweight not signed to a major promotion.

In an amateur contest  on the card, Kaytlin Neil defeated Veta Arteaga by split decision.

In other pro bouts:

• At CES MMA in Lincoln, RI, Kaline Medeiros defeated Brigitte Narcise by unanimous decision
• Katlyn Chookagian defeated Rebecca Heintzman by unaimous decision at CFFC in Philadelphia, PA

Ammy MMA

In amateur MMA action:

• In a pair of bouts at Ring of Combat in North Bergen, New Jersey, Yasmin Almonte submitted Elizabeth Vansertima by armbar 2:50 round 1 and  Jenna Serio submitted Lauren Braccia by armbar) round 1
• Tabitha Patterson defeated Autumn Lamle by split decision at Spartan Fighting Alliance in Osage City, Kansas
• At Battleground MMA in Tulsa, OK, Maegan Goodwin submitted Yuri Madina by armbar round 1
• In a pair of bouts at Cowboys Extreme Cage Fighting in San Antonio, Texas,  Katherine Roy defeated Dominique Gonzales by submission round 1 and Stephanie Builderback defeated Kelsey Hundt by TKO at 2:45 of round 2
• At XFO in Rockford, Illinois, Rickie Gomes defeated Stacy Lutchman; Brittany Giddings defeated Chelsea Schaar; and Chi Sheibley defeated Terri Worley – all by TKO round 1.
• Rebecca Moore defeated Kim Russell by unanimous decision  at Combat Zone in Salem, New Hampshire
• At ICF in Owensboro, Kentucky, Erica Fincher submitted Sereina Comstock by rear naked choke at 2:26 round 1
• Mallory Martin defeated Laura Dettman by unanimous decision at Spartan Combat League in Denver, CO

Boxing

A pair of WBC title bouts happened in Hidalgo, Mexico.

Zulina Munoz got the TKO win over Renata Domsodi in round 6 to retain the WBC super flyweight title. Munoz extends her unbeaten streak to 29.

Yazmin Rivas gaianed the vacant WBC bantamweight title with an unanimous decision victory over Alesia Graf. Rivas improves to 30-8.

IBF featherweight champ Dahiana Santana gains a second division title, defeating Francia Elena Bravo by unanimous decision to win the interim WBA featherweight title in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Santana extends her win streak to 7.

Tori Nelson successfully defend her WIBA welterweight title for the third time, getting the unanimous decision over Nicole Woods in Baltimore, Maryland. She remains unbeaten.

In another match on the card, Tyrieshia Douglas defeated Christina Fuentes by unanimous decision.

In other boxing action:

• In Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, Amaris Quintana defeated Susana Uribe by unanimous decision to win the vacant NABF female minimumweight title. Also on the card, Sandra Robles def. Zenny Sotomayor by unanimous decision.
• Jessica Nery Plata successfully defend her WBC Youth light flyweight title, getting the unanimous decision over Cristina Vargas by in Mexico City, Mexico. Also on the card, Sandra Hernandez defeated Fredee Gonzalez by unanimous decision
• In Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Jesica Espinal and Lisbeth Lopez fight to a draw
• Jennifer Han defeated Christina Ruiz by unanimous decision in El Paso, Texas

It is a rare thing for the UFC to announce an Ultimate Fighter cast before they head into the house, but MMA fans aren’t complaining.

Eight more names were added to the TUF 20 roster, with some familiar names to the WMMA community.

Jessica Penne (11-2) – The former InvictaFC atomweight champion was a shoe in for the show. A vet of the Bellator 115 pound tournament, her only two losses were to current Invicta champion Michelle Waterson and Bellator tournament champ Zolia Frausto.

Lisa Ellis (15-8) – The most experienced fighter on the show, Ellis was also a vet of the Bellator 115 tournament and Invicta. Ellis’s war with Penne was a memorable one, and has faced some of the best strawweights on the planet including Megumi Fujii and Jessica Aguilar.

Aisling Daly (14-5) – The Irish born fighter had a great run at 125, also a vet of the Bellator 115 tournament and Invicta. After losing a decsion to Invicta’s Katja Kankaanpää, she got a win over Karla Benitez by armbar at Cage Warriors. Daly has a win over current UFC signee Jessica Eye.

Angela Magana (11-6) – A seven year vet of the sport, she has gotten wins over Jessica Aguilar, Lynn Alvarez, and Nicdali Rivera-Colonac.

Heather Clark (6-4) – Originally trained at Jackson’s MMA but now is a part of Xtreme Couture, Clark had some good runs in Bellator and the XFC. He best know war was against fellow castmate Felice Herrig, losing a split decision to her. Clark and Herrig has beef with each other and there is no doubt the war or words will continue.

Justine Kish (4-0) – Earning her strips in kickboxing, Kish has fought around the world in both MMA and Muay Thai. She started training with fellow castmate Penne last year. She has wins over InvictaFC vet Munah Holland and Randa Markos-Thomas.

Randa Marko-Thomas (4-1) – With her only loss to Kish, Thomas rebounded with a submission over Lynell House in March. The Canadian has three armbar wins as a pro.

Angela Hill (1-0) – Having just turned pro in MMA the weekend before the TUF 20 tryouts, Hill was the most surprising to be selected. Her extensive background in Muay Thai will bring excitement to the tournament, however, as witness in her bout at Lion Fights earlier this year.

They join Tecia Torres, Bec Hyatt, Felice Herrig, Carla Esparza, Alex Chambers,  Rose Namajunas, Emily Peters-Kagan, and Joanne Calderwood in the house. Gilbert Melendez and UFC champion Anthony Pettis will be the coaches.

The fighters will start filming in the next few days and will be sequestered for seven weeks. The episodes are set to start airing in September.

Muprhy

McMann

InvictaFC has lost another of their champions to the UFC.

The undefeated Invicta bantamweight champ Lauren Murphy has gotten her wish and is signed to the UFC after the past few months of campaigning. Murphy will take on Sara McMann at UFC Fight Night in Bangor, Maine August 16.

Murphy (8-0) won the Invicta title last December by TKO due to a doctor’s stoppage over Miriam Nakamoto. Her run in the promotion included wins over Kaitlin Young and Sarah D’Alelio. She recently changed camps from Gracie Barra in Texas to the MMA Lab in Arizona; home of former UFC champ Benson Henderson.

McMann (7-1) was campaigning for a fight for the past few months with anyone will to step up. Coming off a TKO loss to champion Ronda Rousey, McMann went on a seven fight win streak before the stoppage. She has wins over UFC fighters Shayna Baszler and former Strikeforce fighter Hitomi Akano.

The match is set to air on Fox Sports 1 August 16.

Reece vs. Yildiz Courtesy Emanuel Rudnicki

Weekend Results

In action this past weekend:

• Caley Reece defeated Dilara Yildiz by points in Australia.
• Also in Australia, KimTownsend defeated Nuengsian Sitpolek by points
• Sheena Widdershoven defeated Lauren Huxley by TKO (eye injury) end of round 1
• Sylwia Juskiewicz defeated  LenaOvchynnikova by points in Poland

News

If you missed out on the results of the Thai Boxing Association amateur tournament, go here. It showcased some of the best amateur fighting talent in North America.

The Ultimate Fighter 20 MMA show has several Muay Thai connections in the house.

Among them, Angela Hill (2-0 pro, 14-0 ammy Muay Thai), Justine Kish (WMC 59kg world champion, 14-1 pro Muay Thai), European Muay Thai champion Joanne Calderwood, Fight Girls reality show vet Felice Herrig and amateur Muay Thai champion Tecia Torres. Angela Magana has been training in Thailand for the past year.

Tiffany Van Soest will be heading to Holland November 23rd as she will make her Enfusion Muay Thai debut against Denise Kielholtz. The fight will be for the promotion’s 57 kg title and will stream only in the European markets online. Kielholtz is 36-2 in Muay Thai and is the current champion.

Van Soest is fighting Friday night – more on that below.

Huyer and Van Soest Courtesy Seventh Core Sports

Upcoming fights

Friday night, Tiffany Van Soest looks to continue her way back to the Lion Fights title as she takes on Sindy Huyer in Las Vegas.

Van Soest (9-1-1) came off her title loss to defeat Lucy Payne in May. Italy’s Huyer (36-6) is on a two fight winning streak and was a runner-up in the Muay Thai Angels tournament.

In action on the untelevised undercard, Christine Ferea faces Amanda Jones and Fanny Tommasino takes on Gabriela Carillo.

The Van Soest versus Huyer fight will air on AXS TV Friday night.

An all female Muay Thai card is set for Freyming Merlebach, France.

In the main event,  Marisa Pereira will face Maëlle Bet in a 51 Kg class A bout.

In other matches:

• Nicosia Shanell vs. Deniz Dermican 53.5 kg class B
• Cindy Silvestre VS Vanessa Dewaele 57kg
• Roxane Collignon vs Shana Verlinde 60kg
• Natasha Solis Hamann VS Jessica Jeannin 47 kg
• Emilie Bour vs. Valentine Gomes  57 kg

In other action this weekend:

• In Spain, Victoria Lomax (Sp) faces Diler Akar (Turkey) and  Sarai Medina (Sp) takes on Matice Erdogan (Turkey)
• Kate da Silva will make her pro Muay Thai debut against Baby Nansen in Porirua, New Zealand

With the full cast announced and inside the house, the The Ultimate Fighter 20 cast are ready to make tv magic and turn heads. Some of the more recent WMMA fans or those UFC fans that will be tuning in may not know the history between some of the fighters. Who are friends, who are foes, and who will be most exciting to watch.

Here is a primer of stuff to look out for come September when the show airs.

Team Mean Girls vs. The Natural Disasters

Felice Herrig has always been outspoken and a lightning rod for feuds. This includes her current beef with Heather Clark. Clark, who wanted to face Herrig, felt “The Little Bulldog” was dodging her, first because Herrig stated Clark needed to drop to 115 (which she did), and then Herrig signed to Bellator shortly after, looking like the match wouldn’t happen. Clark got her chance to fight Herrig in March of last year in Bellator. Clark broke her arm after a spectacular round 1, but kept going and, losing a split decision. As the final bell rang, Herrig got into Clark’s face screaming, and Clark took a swat at here (video here). To say there is no love loss is an understatement.

Herrig has become BFFs with Carla Esparza since the two fought in 2011. Esparza had signed to the same management company as Herrig shortly after. When Tecia Torres defeated Herrig, Esparza took little time to challenge Torres to a fight. Shortly after all were signed to TUF 20.

Herrig had given herself and Espraza the nickname “Team Mean Girls” on twitter since they were cast on the show. Bec Hyatt is also pals with the two and maybe a part of this clique going in.

Expect “The Hurricane” (Clark) and “The Tiny Tornado” (Torres) to watch each other’s back. We have dubbed them “The Natural Disasters”.

Angela Magana versus the World

Angela Magana has been known for some drama over the past few years. The best example was in the failed “Ultimate Women’s Challenge” reality show which never aired. We have heard some stories from various fighters on the show about her antics. The biggest thing to watch out for – Magana and Clark don’t like each other.

Some Other Connections to be Aware of

• Justine Kish and Jessica Penne have been training with each other for the past year, and even came out to tryouts together.
• Emily Peters-Kagan and Clark were teammates at Jackson’s MMA before Clark left to train in Vegas.
• There was a little beef between Alex Chambers and Bec Hyatt a few years ago, but that has been squashed when we spoke to the two at the TUF 20 tryouts.
• Rose Namajunas is under the same management as Herrig and Esparza.
• Herrig has trained with coach Anthony Pettis before.

Who Faced Who Before?

• Carla Esparza def. Felice Herrig by unanimous decision (XFC Dec. 2011)
• Carla Esparza def. Bec Hyatt (InvictaFC Jan. 2013)
• Felice Herrig def. Heather Clark by split decision (Bellator Mar. 2013)
• Jessica Penne def. Angela Magana by submission (rear naked choke) round 2 (Action Fight League Sept. 2009)
• Jessica Penne def. Lisa Ellis by TKO round 3 (InvictaFC Apr. 2012)
• Justine Kish def. Randa Thomas by unanimous decision (RFA Jan. 2014)
• Lisa Ellis def. Aisling Daly by unanimous decision (Bellator Aug. 2010)
• Rose Namajunas def. Emily Peters-Kagan by submission (rear naked choke) round 3 (Invicta Jan. 2013)
• Tecia Torres def. Felice Herrig (Invicta Dec. 2013)
• Tecia Torres def. Rose Namajunas by unanimous decision (Invicta July 2013)

In action from Thursday at Tuff-n-uff, Shannon Reid defeated Autumn King by split decision.

Bennett

Deanne Bennett has signed to Invicta.

The undefeated flyweight just defeated Colleen Schneider this past weekend, but MMA Rising is reporting Bennett had signed to the promotion a few weeks ago. Bennett also has a win over TUF 18 winner Julianna Pena. She is currently ranked #8 in the Unified rankings.

No word on when she will debut with the promotion.

The International MMA Federation tournament started this week with several female bouts. The finals will happen Saturday at the UFC Expo.

Here are the results so far. (Sorry for no countries or weight classes – they weren’t listed.)

• Aleksi Nurminen def. Daniele De Santis by TKO (Strikes) 1:28 round 2
• Amanda Ribas def. Micol Di Segni by unanimous decision
• Aleksandra Milczarek def. Lisa Engelke by submission 2:03 round 2
• Amanda Lino def. Andrea Whitney by TKO (Strikes) 2:21 round 1

Rachel Abou Abdallah and Florence Berthet received byes.

Grapplers Quest will have a all female superfight tournament Saturday at the UFC Expo in Vegas. It will be no time limit until someone taps. UFC fighter Cat Zingano and pro MMA flyweight Rahcael Cummins are set to take part.

Here is the quarterfinal bouts. Winner will be crowned the same day.

• Nyjah Easton vs. Jennifer Chareunvong
• Jennifer Perez vs. TBA
• Cat Zingano vs. Liz Exell
• Ila Erickson vs. Rachael Cummins
• Pati Fontes vs. Gillian Silver
• Chelsea Bainbridge Donner vs. Jessy Miele
• Vivian Velez vs. Amanda Leve
• Bre Stikk vs. tba

Betrian

Kickboxing and Muay Thai champion Jemyma Betrian will make her transition to the MMA in August. Betrian (29-2-1 Muay Thai; 35-2-1 overall kickboxing) will face a yet-to-be-named opponent at Choas at the Casino 5 August 10 in Inglewood, CA.

She KOed Christi Brereton in her last match this past month at WCK Muay Thai in Temecula, California. She is currently training with UFC champion Rhoda Rousey. She will be fighting at strawweight.

The main event will feature Marina Shafir taking on Nikita Netjes. No word on if this will be streamed.

Lívia Renata Souza will be staying busy this summer before her fall debut in Invicta. Souza is fighting on Aug 21 against França Godoy at X-Fight MMA in Sao Paulo Brazil.

Cage Warriors did a great retrospective on Rosi Sexton this past week. It covers her promotional career from her first fight to her retirement from the sport this past month. You can watch it here.

Tweet

On the podcast Sunday at 1 p.m. pst/4 p.m. est, we will be talking to Charmiane Tweet who is looking to return to Invicta, preparing for her boxing debut, and started to invite fighters from across North American to train with here.

You can listen live here on Sunday.

Rumors

InvictaFC 8 is now looking at a September date. Most likely date is September 20, the same day Miesha Tate will face Rin Nakai in Japan. Since that card will be on Fight Pass (and out of the country), would make sense to help promote the channel.

By the looks of it, UFC fighter Leslie Smith maybe an assistant coach for TUF 20. Gilbert Melendez and Smith have trained a great deal together.

Upcoming Fights

Pro MMA

Rousey and Davis

UFC champion Ronda Rousey has her toughest challenge to date (in her own words) against Alexis Davis Saturday at UFC 175.

The fight has become about “BJJ vs. Judo”, as Judo black belt Rousey wants to prove her art is better than BJJ. Davis is a black belt in Japanese and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and feels her skills on the ground will be able to negate the armbar, and she will tap Rousey.

Both weighed in Friday, with Rousey (135) and Davis (135) both coming in on weight.

The match will serve as the co-main event and will be live on ppv Saturday.

On Sunday, Sarah Moras and Alexis Dufresne will make their octagon debuts at The Ultimate Fighter 19 finale in Vegas live on Fox Sports 1.

Moras  has a win over TUF 18 winner Juliana Pena, which Pena avenged in the semi-finals of the show. Moras went undefeated as an amateur and finished in all of her pro wins.

Dufresne (5-0) has finished all of her opponents in the first round with her longest match being 2:20. She got a 45 second TKO over Kim Couture in February, and will look to make her bantamweight debut in the UFC.

The match is set to air on Fox Sports 1 on the preliminary portion of the card.

In other pro bouts:

• At Elite Warrior Challenge in Roanoke, VA, Rachel Sazoff faces Allison Haynes
• Taila Santos takes on Geisyele Nascimento at UOC 1 in Panara, Brazil

Ammy MMA

In the only ammy fight (besides the IMMA Federation tournament) Jemma Jacques battles Katy Horlick at ICE FC in Manchester, England

Boxing

Shannon O’Connell and Bronwyn Wylie will battle for the vacant WIBA super bantamweight title in Victoria, Australia.

O’Connell (9-3) will be dropping in weight for the bout, having been the WBF featherweight champion. She has five KOs to her credit.

Wylie (3-2) is looking for her first world title.

In other boxing action:

• In Athens, Greece, Maria Semertoglou faces Jekaterina Lecko
• Arely Mucino takes on Samson Tor Buamas in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Mexico

Ribas Courtesy Eduardo Ferreira

It was an action packed first year for the IMMA Federation’s World Championships. Many fighters from around the world traveled to Las Vegas, NV to test their skills and make an impact on the international stage.

The countries were represented in the women’s divisions, helping develop stars across the globe.

Here are the results:

115 Finals

Daniela Kortmann (GER) def. Rachelle Abou Abdallah (LEB) by armbar 1:34 round 1

125 Finals

Amanda Ribas (BRA) def. Gabriella Ringblom (SWE) by UD

135 Finals

Sarah Jamilia (Den) def. Aleksandra Milczarek (Pol) by TKO Round 1

Lucrezia Ria (Italy) and Nicole Brown (USA) share the bronze

145 Finals

Amanda Lino (SAF) def. Jill Holmström (Swe) by KO 0:27 round 1 to take the gold medal

Andrea Whitney (USA) & Florence Berthet (France) share the bronze

From left to right: Eubanks, Easton, Stikk, Miele, and Leve

Grapplers’ Quest puts on an annual event at the UFC Expo that brings wrestling and BJJ talent from across the planet to test their skills at all levels in submission grappling. At this year’s event, GQ had a revolutionary idea.

The promotion held it’s first submission only all female Superfight tournament over the weekend. The competitors would have twenty minutes to sub their opponent, with a one minute respite after at half time and no points given. If no one subbed in the time allotted, a six minute overtime would commence with points rules.

Sixteen women enter the tournament with some familar names (Cat Zingano and Rachael Cummins) and some talent to look out for (16 year old Amanda Leve and pro MMA fighter Jessy Miele). Lloyd Irving black belt Nyjah Easton would win the tournament.

The highlight was Cat Zingano’s 14 second flying armbar over Liz Exell (video here).

Here are the complete results:

First round

• Monique Cabrera def. Jennifer Perez by heelhook
• Cat Zingano def. Liz Exell by flying armbar
• Amanda Leve def. Rachael Cummins by rear naked choke
• Pati Fontes def. Gillian Silver by armbar
• Jesse Miele def. Chelsea Donner by americana
• Ila Erickson def. Viviana Velez by armbar
• Bre Stikk def. Jamie Guyer by armbar
• Nyjah Easton received a bye

Quarterfinals

• Nyjah Easton def. Monique Cabrera by straight armbar
• Jesse Miele def. Pati Fontes by bicept slicer
• Cat Zingano def. Amanda Leve by anklelock
• Ila Erickson def. Bre Stikk by armbar

Semi-finals

• Jessy Miele def. Ila Erickson by gullotine
• Nyjah Easton def. Sijara Eubanks by submission

(Cat Zingano left due to UFC commitments)

Consultation

• Sijara Eubanks def. Amanda Leve by kimura

Finals

• Nyjah Easton def. Jessy Miele by armbar

Pro MMA

Courtesy UFC

Ronda Rousey got her second finish that wasn’t an armbar Saturday at she has able to get to a knockout in 16 seconds over Alexis Davis at UFC 175 in Las Vegas.

Rousey and Davis took the center of the octagon quickly with Davis only getting two punches in before a right hook followed by a knee stunned Davis and Rousey executes a judo throw that knocked Davis senseless. After some ground and pound the referee stopped the contest in 16 seconds of round 1.

This marks Rousey’s 10th win and her 4th UFC title defense. The champ stated she wanted a break to get some minor knee surgery done and heel a nasty cut on her hand.

Rousey got $120,000 for her efforts and a $60,000 win bonus. She also got a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus, taking her total before sponsorship pay at $230,000.

Sunday a the TUF 19 Finale in Las Vegas, NV, TUF 18 vet Sarah Moras got her first official UFC win over Alexis Dufresne by unanimous decision. The fight was set to be at 135 pounds, but due to Dufresne not making weight, it was at a catchweight of 143.

Moras (4-1) was aggressive throughout the contest, with Dufresne getting takedowns and trying to hold top position. It was tough as Moras struck from bottom and continued to try for submissions and improving her position. In the end, all three judges saw the match for Moras.

Moras outstruck Dufresne 169-71 in total strikes in handing Dufresne her first loss.

Santos Courtesy Astra Fight Team

At UOC 1 in Panara, Brazil, bantamweight prospect Taila Santos got her third pro win in spectacular fashion with a head kick KO over Geisyele Nascimento in 30 seconds.

This marks Santos’s second first round finish.

Boxing

Shannon O’Connell earns her second world title in a second weight class as she defeated Bronwyn Wylie by unanimous decision to win the vacant WIBA super bantamweight title in Victoria, Australia.

O’Connell (10-3) has come back after losing the WBC super featherweight title to win back to back and gain her she second piece of gold.

In other boxing action:

• In a pair of bouts in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Mexico, Arely Mucino defeated Suri Tapia by unanimous decision, and Nara Mucino knocked out Denisse de la Cruz in round 1.
• Diana Mejia defeated Linda Hernandez by majority decision in Cuautlancingo, Puebla, Mexico
• In Harsleben, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany, Hasna Tukic got the TKO over Dajana Bukva in round 1
• In a trio of Sofia, Bulgaria, Galina Koleva Ivanova defeated Jasmina Nadj by unanimous decision, Borislava Goranova defeated Violeta Angelova by unanimous decision, and Theodora Hristova defeated Gloria Vasileva by majority decision
• Mayeli Flores defeated Nadia Alvarez by split decision in Polanco, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Letourneau vs. Phillips Courtesy UFC

We are over half way done with 2014 and we are looking at yet another spurt in growth of the women’s pro divisions of MMA.

We are one pace to to reach the 600 mark as the last half of the year tends to be the busiest, and the expectation of Invicta coming back in the fold.

As much as thing change, some trends continue from our year end stats report for 2013.

Here are some of the stats we found interesting. We stopped the calculations at June 30, so none of this past weekend’s action are included in the half year totals. If you want to know a stat that we haven’t listed make sure to ask us on twitter – @wmmanews or simply comment below.

245: Number of pro MMA fights up to June 30. Last year it was 178 fights, which included 2 InvictaFC cards. So far an 18% increase in fights.

153: Total amount of finishes this year either. This beats decisions, which came in at 90. That is a 62% finish ratio. There was also 2 disqualifications so far this year.

91: Number of first round stoppages. By far the most popular round to win a fight, beating out the second (36), and the third (19).

73: Amount of fights at flyweight, which saw the most action in the first half of 2014. In second was strawweights (65) and bantmaweights (62) came in third.

34: Armbar submissions so far this year. It edges rear naked chokes by 2.  Unusual submissions this year include a heel hook (Milana Dudieva) and a neck crank (Mariana Leonardo).

31: Total countries this year so far to have a pro fight. The country with the most pro fights was the US (82) followed by Brazil (66).

19: Most fights by a promotion so far. That distinction goes to DEEP-JEWELS who have held three cards so far this year. MMA Super Heroes is second with 8, XFC with 7, and UFC, Cage Warriors, and Princesses of Pain tied with 6.

1: Number of UFC fights with finishes. Champion Ronda Rousey surprised the world with a TKO win over Sara McMann in February. Every one of the other five UFC fights in the last 6 months went to decision.

Zingano

Nunes

Cat Zingano’s title shot will have to wait.

The undefeated #1 contender will return to the UFC September 27 in Las Vegas to take on Amanda Nunes in a fight that could determine who is the next person to face champion Ronda Rousey.

Zingano (8-0) defeated Miesha Tate over a year ago, but sustained a knee injury that kept her out of action. Zingano also has wins over UFC fighter Raquel Pennington and InvictaFC flyweight champion Barb Honchak.

Nunes (9-3) is 2-0 in the UFC, both coming by way of TKO. She has a 14 second KO over Invicta featherweight contender Julia Budd and only went the distance once in her career.

The fight will most likely air on the Fox Sports 1 prelim as the featured bout September 27.

Waterson

Tamada

After a very long wait, InvictaFC has announced their 8th card, and the announcement didn’t disappoint.

September 6 will be the date for the show, which will once again emanate from Kansas City. All the fights will be live on UFC Fightpass.

The main event will feature atomweight champion Michelle Waterson taking on Japan’s Yasuko Tamada. Waterson (11-3) will be defending her belt for the first time after having won the belt from Jessica Penne last year. She is on a four fight win streak.

Tamada (15-8-3) has won three straight fights under the JEWELS banner and is currently #6 in the Unified rankings. She is a nine year veteran of the sport.

In the co-main event, the vacant InvictaFC strawweight title will be up for grabs as former XFC champion Stephanie Eggink will take on Katja Kankaanpää. Eggink (4-1) won the XFC title by defeating TUF 20 participant Angela Magana by triangle choke in September. She also has a decision win over TUF 20 fighter Heather Clark.

Kankaanpää (9-1-1) is a staple of Invicta, having went unbeaten in nine fights before losing to Joanne Calderwood. With wins over Ais “The Bash” Daly and Mei Yamaguchi, she recently got back on the winning track defeating Alyona Rassohyna in May.

What was the most exciting announcement in our opinion is the rubber match between Roxanne Moddafferi and Tara LaRosa. The first 2 fights are the stuff of legend in the WMMA community. LaRosa defeated Modafferi by unanimous decision in 2006 in their first outing,  with Modafferi gaining a split decision win in 2010, garnering it “Match of the Year” at the WMMA Press Awards. The third fight looks to be a show stealer.

India Gomes has foregone her title match and will drop to 135 to face Tonya Evinger on another match announced for the card. Gomes (10-2) was the #1 contender for the featherweight title, but had expressed interest as of late to drop to 135. She has won four straight and has wins over Leslie Smith and Hiroko Yamanaka. Her only losses were to Amanda Nunes and UFC champion Ronda Rousey.

Other matches announce include:

• Michelle Ould will make her long awaited return to the cage as she takes on the undefeated DeAnna Bennett in what could be a title eliminator to see who faces flyweight champion Barb Honchak.
• TUF 18 and UFC vet Peggy Morgan will make her promotional debut against Mexico’s Irene Aldana.
• Undefeated Mexican standout Alexa Grasso (4-0) will face InvictaFC vet Ashley Cummins (3-2).
• Undefeated knockout specialist Veronica Rothenhausler will take on Charmiane Tweet in what will be the promotion’s first ever 155 contest.
• Jodie Esquibel will look to rebound from her first loss as she takes on 2-0 Jinh Yu Frey at atomweight.
• JJ Aldrich will make her pro debut against 2-0 Delaney Owen.

For those wondering about Cyborg Justino – she is set to possibly fight on the next card. She is doing a test cut to 135.

InvictaFC president Shannon Knapp stated she will have more announcement in the upcoming weeks on InvictaFC 9. She is planning on getting at least 2 or 3 cards in before the end of the year.

All past InvictaFC matches are now on UFC Fight Pass, and all of Invicta’s future matches will be as well, including the live ones.

Miscellaneous News

Holm – Courtesy NMCombatSports.com

Holly Holm has signed to the UFC.

One of the top pound for pound boxers on the planet was in negotiations with the promotion since the beginning of the year. Having started her career undefeated with six finishes, Holm will have a big step up in competition in the UFC.

No word on when she will debut with the promotion.

Sufficed to say the possible match between her and boxing champion Cecilia Braekhus for the fall is now got going to happen.

Cyborg

A follow-up to the major InvictaFC announcement yesterday. MMA Junkie is reporting that Cyborg Justino will be making her bantamweight debut at InvictaFC 10 in December.

Justino has hired Tony Aponte to help with the cut. Aponte has helped BJ Penn and Heath Herrig in their weight cuts. No word on an opponent as of yet.

Justino was set to defend her featherweight title against Ediane Gomes, but both have decided to drop to 135. Knapp is not sure of the status of the title. If all goes to plan, Justino will fight again next year at 135.

With Justino out for the promotion’s 9th card, it looks like Barb Honchak will defend her title and main event.

We will have more information next week. Wombat Sports will have live coverage of InvictaFC 8 in Kansas City the first week of September.

The match bewteen Shayna Baszler and Bethe Correia has been moved to UFC 177 on August 30 in Sacramento, CA after cancellation of UFC 176. The fight is expect to be on the Fox Sports 1 prelims.

InvictaFC vet Duda Yankovich is in stable condition after suffering a stroke this past Wednesday in Brazil. Her coach, Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, was there when the stroke happened and rushed her to a hospital after doctor’s advice. They found her middle cerebral artery was obstructed.

She is currently in the ICU hooked to machines, but conscious. She is doing much better according to her US manager and thanks the fans for their thoughts and prayers via text with him.

We hope for a complete recovery.

Experienced martial artist Kirstie Gannaway has signed to OneFC. Currently residing in Singapore, the Australian native has over eight years of training, but has yet to step foot in a cage competitively. She won a contract OneFC at an open tryout and is training at Evolve MMA, OneFC’s training facility. She is the third female to sign to OneFC. No word on when she will debut.

CJ has posted a UFC Japan promo featuring Rin Nakai. It’s mostly in Japanese, but Dana White does talk about Nakai in English. If you don’t know about the undefeated Japanese fight here is a glimpse.

Before she stepped into the octagon this past Sunday, the UFC let Sarah Moras know that with a win or not she would have another UFC match due to Alexis Dufresne not making weight. No word on if this is another one fight contract.

Finland’s Eeva Siiskonen will face France’s Isabelle Pare in a bantamweight match at Carelia Fight 10 in Imatra, Finland Sept. 6.

Yamaguchi

The Girls S-cup is set for August 2.

The tournament, which combines kickboxing with standing submission, is an annual event and has sparked the careers of many Japan fighters.

This year they will have two tournaments with some highly touted prospects and vets of the Japanese fight scene.

In the 48 kg tournament will be 16 year old Yukari Yamaguchi, two time Shootbox high school champ Mio Tsumura, and MMA veteran Mei Yamaguchi. A fourth participant has yet to be named. Yamaguchi is training partners with InvictaFC vet Mizuki Inoue.

Multi-time champ Rena Kubota will look for another title as she takes on international talent in an eight women “World S-Cup” torunament. Among those announced for the bracket are Lorena Klijn and Christina Jurjevic.

More fighters are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Congratulations to Amanda Lucas. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Felix, Thursday at 8 pounds 3 oz.

Griffith

This Sunday at 1 p.m. pst/4 p.m. est we will talk to MMA fighter Hadley Griffith. The Oregion native is looking to make her mark against the undefeated Emily Corso.

You can listen live here on Sunday.

Rumors

There has been no doubt that Ronda Rousey is open to fight with Cyborg Justino. Her coach, Edmond Tarverydyan, told Ariel Helwani he likes the match-up, but only if they do it at 135.

Undefeated Brazilian Talita Nogueira (6-0) is in talks with the UFC. She is currently the #8 featherweight in the Unified rankings. The BJJ blackbelt has finished in all her wins, including four submissions.

UFC president Dana White told reporters this week that Felice Herrig got into a fight on set of TUF 20. He failed to mention who was the other person involved, but our guess is Heather Clark. You can read why here. Herrig is still on the show.

With Cyborg set for InvictaFC 10, expect Barb Honchak to defend her 125 belt at InvictaFC 9.

High touted amateur prospect Taylor Stratford is looking to make her pro debut by the end of the year. Having been sidelined for over a year due to injury, her only loss was to Ronda Rousey. Rousey stated in interviews she feels Stratford is the top prospect at 135.

After her loss to Takayo Hashi, DEEP-JEWELS fighter Shizuka Sugiyama has decided to move to flyweight.

Scheduled Fights

Pro MMA

In a very rare event, there is no pro WMMA fights this weekend.

Ammy MMA 

Legacy Amateur Series will feature three female bouts in Austin, Texas.

The main event will feature Colbey Northcutt (3-1) taking on Amy Coleman (5-1) for the bantamweight title. In a pair of strawweight fights, Ashley Milligan battles Bi Nguyen and Sijin Kurian faces Jordan Carmona.

In other amateur action:

• At 24/7 Entertainment in Midland, Texas, Shyann Farmer fights Kenia Rosa
• Jamie Mix takes on Cindy Benitez at RCWC in Garden City, KS
• At Caged Warrior Championship in Larose, Louisiana, Takara McGilbra battles Jamie Blanton (155)
• Amanda Pack fights Jesse Brennan at BFL in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
• At Archangel Worldwide in Riverside, CA, Kelly Vanhoy takes on Elizabeth Rodriguez
• Anna Dempster faces Kola Shippentower at Rumble at the Roseland in Portland, OR
• At Premier FC 16 in Agawam, MA, Lisa Blaine fights Sarah Click
• Paola Ramirez battles Michelle Motter at Fight Club OC in Costa Mesa, CA

Boxing

Maureen Shea will be looking for a second weight class title as she takes on Angel Gladney in Oxnard, CA for the vacant IFBA super bantamweight title.

Shea (23-2) was a sparring partner for Hillary Swank on “Million Dollar Baby” and racked up 11 KOs in her career. She is currently the NABA featherweight champion and on a ten fight win streak.

Gladney (8-9-1) is looking to snap a two fight losing skid. She went on a seven fight unbeaten streak to start her career.

In Indio, California, Chantel Cordova and Patricia Alcivar will battle for the vacant NABF super flyweight title. Both coming off losses, Cordova (12-5-1) and Alcivar (7-2) will be looking for their first Continental title.

In other boxing action:

• In a pair of bouts in Sofia, Bulgaria, Teodora Bacheva takes on Ivana Yaneva and Kremena Petkova battles Galina Gumliiska
• Jennifer Hamann faces Ariel Beck in Shelton, Washington
• In Grand Forks, North Dakota, Sonya Three Fox fights Concha Ross

Sheilds (center) with the IWBHOF Class of 2014

Seven names that helped establish women in “The Sweet Science” were the first to be honored as Hall of Famers.

Christy Martin Salters, Lucia Rijker, Regina Hamlich, Bonnie Canino, Barbara Buttrick, Joann Hagen, and Christy Halbert were inducted into the initial  International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame Thursday morning in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The women were chosen by a group of eight industry experts to be inducted into the first class.

Author and blogger Malissa Smith served as MC at the event, as she detailed the histories of honorees.

All were in attendance for the ceremony, with Joann Hagen getting her award posthumously from her niece Mary Cummins.

Rijker recalled her journey to watch the 2012 Olympics to see the women fight for the first time at the worldwide showcase of athletic talent. She also recounted her journey to the U.S. to become one of the top female strikers in both boxing and kickboxing.

“To be the best female fighter in the world, I always thought you need to be the best you can possibly be,” Rijker expressed in her acceptance speech. “It’s not about knocking somebody down, it’s about bringing out your full potential as an athlete. Whatever you do in life, do it good, do it 200 percent, and that will bring out your fullest potential, and that’s what the sport did for me.”

Rijker also credited fellow hall of famer Martin on being an inspiration to her. Martin chronicled her journey from breaking the glass ceiling – co-main eventing a ppv in 1996, to her recover after she was stabbed several times by her ex-husband in 2010. She found boxing as therapy to recover physically and mentally.

Germany’s Hamlich was honored as the having sparked interest again in Europe for the women’s boxing scene. Only having lost once in her 13 fight career, her farewell fight was one of the most watched bouts in European history.

“I’m very proud to be here, because it’s historic,” Hamlich explained. “We are, all together, the best example that dreams can come true if you believe in it. In the beginning, they really laugh about this little girl that liked to box. But women boxing is a very good sport if you do it well, if you do it with your heart. Believe in you.”

Also inducted was Dr. Christy Halbert, who was honored not only for her boxing but her efforts to bring women into the Olympics. 2012 Gold medalist Clarissa Shields was in attendance, which only seemed fitting. Shields thanked the honorees for helping set the table for her successes.

“I had to go through a lot to make it to where I am, but to know there are women who paved the way, it makes me feel a lot better,” Shields stated. “I feel like I’m not by myself. They understand the struggle , how hard it is to be a female fighter and be recognized. They never had the chance to go to the Olympics, so this is going to give me a lot of motivation going into Rio in 2016.”

Hagen, who was always looking for a fight, was given a brilliant induction by Smith. Her 1954 fight with fellow inductee Buttrick would be the first boxing bout to be broadcast in the radio.

Buttrick’s only loss was to Hagen, and 15 years later, she would return for one more bout before retiring. She founded the WIBF in 1989, which is the sanctioning body for many female boxing matches across the world.

The event was held by the Women’s Boxing Archive Network, and the Hall of Fame was created by its own Sue Fox, who has been a long time report, historian, and advocate of women’s boxing.

Csilla Nemedi Courtesy Monokli.com

Women’s boxing on a worldwide basis seems to be turning a corner.

It has always outpaced their sisters in the WMMA community, but that gap seems to be shrinking. As for the availability in the US, that is getting stronger if any of the early numbers this year is any indication.

Women’s boxing is on the verge of breaking a glass ceiling again and being draws in a sport desperately needing innovation and a millennial rethinking of how boxing is run.

Here are some of the stats the first half of the year, which ended on June 30.

296: The amount of female boxing bouts worldwide so far this year. This is 51 fights more than their sisters in the pro WMMA world.

135: Unanimous decisions, the most popular way to win a fight so far this year. It accounts for 45% of all results from fights.TKO came in second with 67. Point decision were 23 and pure knockouts were 20.

92: Amount of title fights the first half of the year. This doesn’t include country or regional titles. Fourteen different sanctioning bodies held fights for their belts. The WBC had the most with 21. The WBA came in at 12, WIBA at 11, and WBO at 10. They account for 31% of the total fights.

59: The number of fights in Argentina in the first half of 2014. This is the most by any country. Mexico came in second with 55, and the USA gained some headway with 34 fights taking third.

33: Number of champions that retained their titles (not including regional ones). Only 5 fighters were able to beat a champion. 46 vacant title fights happened, with 8 interim champions crowned.

27: First round wins by either TKO or KO. Most popular round to finish the fight. The stats just go down with the rounds with the second at 15 and the third at 14.

6: Most pro fights by a single fighter this year so far. The distinction goes to Csilla Nemedi of Hungary.

With the lack of InvictaFC in our lives the first half of the year, it didn’t detour the WMMA community as many promotions picked up the slack in what was been an exciting year so far.

It was the international talent that shined these first six months, especially a push by several Brazil promotions to develop their women’s divisions.

Here are our picks for the half year. We know this will drive a lot of discussion, and really we want it. We saw lack of suggestions and hope this will get people thinking about the half year.

By the way, the half year ended on June 30, so the July 4th weekend bouts are considered “second half”.

Baldan vs. Matos Courtesy Fusion Photography

Match of the Half Year - Renata Baldan vs. Bruna “Wing” Matos (MMA Super Heroes 3, Brazil)

It was the semi-finals of the MMA Super Heroes strawweight tournament, and a debuting Baldan and faced Matos, who was looking for her first MMA win in a two round affair. Both stepped on the gas pedal straight through two rounds, never letting up on each other. Some decent scrambles happened in round 2, as the match ended. Baldan would take the unanimous decision and would ultimately won the tournament.

Many tout that it’s technique that makes a fight great. Sometimes, though, you just to need enjoy a fight for what it is, a fight. You can watch the match here.

Honorable Mention: Raquel Pennington vs. Jessica Andrade – UFC 171

McMann vs. Rousey Courtesy UFC

Pro Fighter (and Bantamweight): Ronda Rousey

Hard not to call the UFC champion the fighter of the half year, although she only had one qualifying match in the span we are discussing. That one fight was a dominant one though and is giving the UFC trouble as they are having a hard time building a case fro a strong contender. We shall see what the next six months hold as Rousey looks to take some time off.

Honorable mention (bantamweight): Holly Holm

Featherweight: Kate Da Silva

Most of the top featherweights have either only had one match this year or none at all, so it was tough to call. Da Silva, however, was able to defeat two opponents in one night in a round robin tournament to become the #1 contender for the Princesses of Pain featherweight title.

Honorable mention - Pannie Kianzad

Flyweight: Joanna Jedrzejczyk

The undefeated Polish sensation went 2-0 this year with her biggest victory coming over veteran Rosi Sexton. The win propelled her into being signed to the UFC, and Jedrzejczyk will be dropping to strawweight in her octagon debut.

Honorable Mention: DeAnna Bennett

Strawweight: Jessica Aguilar

With many of the ranked 115ers dormant due to the TUF 20 wait, the #1 fighter in the division finally got a belt as Aguilar is the World Series of Fighting champion. Gaining the belt in January, Aguilar also successfully defended the belt in what was her first time going 5 rounds. We suspect more contenders will be cultivated as TUF 20 will keep the rest of the division occupied until the fall.

Invicta will also be crowning a new champion, so JAG may have some stiff competition come Awards time.

Honorable mention: Herica Tiburcio

Atomweight: Catherine Costigan

The Irish standout has come back after a three year absence to win three straight. Her latest win was at Cage Warriors was a war with a tough Irene Cabello, with Costigan taking a split decision.

Honorable mention – Seo Hee Ham

Amateur Fighter: Andrea Lee

The words “stop” and “slow down” seems not to be in Lee’s vocabulary as she has fought four times this year in MMA, and that doesn’t include the multiple kickboxing matches in between. Already set to make her XFC and pro debut this fall, she won’t be eligible for Ammy of the Year come awards time, but look for her as a strong contender for Newcomer.

Honorable mention: Jamie Moyle

Knockout: Joanna Jedrzejczyk (Cage Warriors 69)

With one shot, Jedrzejczyk punched her way into the UFC.

The devastating KO to veteran Rosi Sexton not only launched her into the octagon, but also helped Sexton realize she should retire. You can watch the KO here.

Honorable Mention: Michele Angelo over Roberta Marreta (MMA Super Heroes 3) (Video here)

Submission: Milana Dudieva defeats Daria Chibisova (heel hook) (ProFC 53)

There has been very few submissions this year that weren’t armbars or rear naked chokes. Dudieva decided to let go of an armbar and get a heel hook on Chibsova and that decision earned her this honor. Watch the video here.

Honorable mention: Melissa Gasdick def. Rikki Shutsa (north south choke) (Gladiators of the Cage) (video here)

Alvarez

Comeback: Lynn Alvarez

Taking a two year break after back to back losses, Alvarez looked like a whole new fighter as she took on Amber Stautzenberger this past January. Known as a submission specialist, Alvarez has vastly improved her striking and made a quick impact on the 115 scene once again. Deciding to sign with the WSOF instead of trying out for TUF 20, she could well be in line for a long overdue rematch with Jessica Aguilar.

Honorable Mention: Larissa Pacheco comebacks to defeat Liziane Silveira at Jungle Fight 68.

Promotion of the Year: DEEP-JEWELS

Two brilliant cards so far out of the Japanese all female promotion, with a few more to come. They crowned champions at 135 and 115, with an active atomweight division. D-J held 13 women’s matches this year, the most by any promotion.

Honorable mention: MMA Super Heroes

Card of the Year – MMA Super Heroes 3

MMA Super Heroes stuck to their promise and came into the WMMA landscape fast and furious with their strawweight tournament plus two featured bout all in one night. Even though it was a “mixed card”, the women stole the show and had a variety of finishes and exciting matches. They are become a hotbed of untapped talent in the women’s divisions.

Honorable mention: DEEP-JEWELS 4

Andrade

Latourneau

Both coming off hard fought wins, Jessica Andrade and Valerie Latourneau are looking to climb the ladder in the UFC.

The two are set to square off at UFC Fight Night 51 in Brasília, Brazil September 13th. The match was posted on the UFC website Monday.

Andrade (11-3) has recovered from her UFC debut loss to Liz Carmouche, she has won back to back decision. She defeated Rosi Sexton and Raquel Pennington respectively.

Latourneau (6-3) made her official UFC debut against in a last minute fight Elizabeth Phillips gaining a decision win. The TUF 18 hopeful has 4 TKO/KOs to her credit.

The match is expected to air on Fox Sports 1.

MMA Super Heroes continues its efforts to be the place for female fights in Brazil with four bouts set for their August 2nd card.

• In the co-main event, strawweight tournament winner Renata Baldan will look for her fourth win as a pro as she takes on 6-5 Aline Sattelmayer.
• After coming off a draw in her pro debut, Luciana Treze looks for her first win against  Ariane Fajoli.
• Local flyweight standout Mariana Leonardo will make her promotional debut against MMA SH vet Daiane Firmino.
• Andressa Rocha (4-1) looks to continue her flyweight run as she takes on  fellow 4-1 fighter Amanda Torres Sardinha.

The fights are expected to stream for free. Details coming soon.

Mazepa

Julaton

Boxing champion Ana Julaton is back in the MMA cage, and this time it will be a fire fight against Russian Muay Thai kickboxer Irina Mazepa.

The match was announced this past week and will take place on OneFC’s card in Dubai, UAE August 29th.

Former  WBO and IBO Super Bantamweight champion Julaton won her first MMA fight, taking out Aya-Saeid Saber by TKO in May.

Mazepa will be making her MMA debut. She has a background in Wushu and is a former K-1 champion.

The fight will stream on OneFC.com for $10.

Bell

Shafir

After a few opponent changes, Marina Shafir will now has her toughest opponent yet in InvictaFC vet Amanda Bell.

Bell’s management announce the bout Tuesday. The fight will take place at Chaos At The Casino 5 in Inglewood, CA on August 10. Bell will be replacing Nikita Netjes, who has dropped out of the fight for an unknown reason.

Shafir (1-0) has yet to see the second round, with all but one win by armbar. She won her pro debut this past April with an armbar over Chandra Engel.

Bell (1-2) made her pro debut at InvictaFC 4, losing a decision to Taminkka Brents. She defeated Brittney Elkin this past April by first round rear naked choke. Bell has a TKO win over Shafir’s teammate Jessamyn Duke in the amateur ranks.

The card will also feature two more female bouts, including the MMA debut of Muay Thai champion Jemyma Betrian in a strawweight bout and 3-1 bantamweight Melanie Lacroix.