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Women’s MMA Report: UFC books three bouts, Deep Jewels debuts on iPPV

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The UFC has a busy schedule of events planned for the remainder of 2014 as it prepares for the launch of the newly formed UFC women’s strawweight division, but the female bantamweights have not been forgotten.

Three 135-pound women’s bouts, including an intriguing matchup between Germaine de Randamie and Milana Dudieva at UFC 174, were recently confirmed for the UFC’s summer schedule. The event takes place June 14 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Multi-time muay Thai world champion de Randamie (4-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is no stranger to big fights, and the standout striker has already battled some of MMA’s top female talent during her seven-fight career. Following a 2-1 run in Strikeforce, de Randamie made her octagon debut this past July and eked out a split-decision win over veteran Julie Kedzie at UFC on FOX 8. De Randamie returned to action in November and faced off against Amanda Nunes, but the Brazilian rising star’s ground and pound propelled her to a first-round TKO win.

Dudieva (10-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was expected to make her UFC debut this past year, but an upset loss to Jessica Andrade delayed the Russian fighter’s first trip to the octagon. She subsequently suffered a second straight defeat, against unbeaten Swedish prospect Pannie Kianzad in October. Dudieva has since rebounded with two quick submission wins this year and now makes her long-awaited UFC debut. Nine of the 25-year-old’s victories have come inside the distance, but cardio issues played a factor in both of Dudieva’s losses this past year.

Three weeks after de Randamie and Dudieva square off in Vancouver, “TUF 18” semifinalist Sarah Moras (3-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes her official UFC debut against fellow octagon newcomer Alexis Dufresne (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale on July 6  in Las Vegas.

Moras made an instant impact during “TUF 18” by upsetting the heavily favored Tara LaRosa in the elimination round of the grueling competition. She submitted Peggy Morgan to advance to the semifinals before losing to rival Julianna Pena in a rematch from the pair’s first fight two years ago. An injury kept Moras off of the TUF 18 Finale card, but the Canadian is now healthy and eager to begin her climb up the women’s bantamweight rankings.

Standing in Moras’ way is Dufresne, an imposing fighter who thus far has destroyed all five of her opponents. The Californian’s longest fight lasted just two minutes and 20 seconds, and she’s coming off of her most notable win to date: a 45-second destruction of Kim Couture in February. Dufresne had planned to make her UFC debut in April at UFC on FOX 11, but a rib injury forced her out of the fight. Now fully recovered, she looks to keep her unbeaten record intact in July.

Last but certainly not least, the UFC has booked a grudge match between undefeated Brazilian Bethe Correia (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and submission specialist Shayna Baszler (15-8 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC 176, which takes place on Aug. 2 in Los Angeles.

Correia quietly made a name for herself with six straight wins in Brazil before receiving a call to debut in the UFC this past year. She did so in December and outpointed Kedzie to earn her first UFC victory. It was Correia’s most recent fight that put a target on her back, however, as she defeated highly touted prospect Jessamyn Duke at UFC 172 this past month and drew the ire of Duke’s “Four Horsewomen” teammates in the process. Correia’s ultimate goal is to earn a shot against current UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, but she must first get past another member of the “Four Horsewomen” stable in August.

Baszler was seen by many as a clear favorite to win “TUF 18,” but her run on the show ended in the quarterfinal round when Pena upset her. She has since been sidelined with an injury and watched intently as Correia defeated her teammate in April. Taking exception to a post-fight taunt from Correia, Baszler immediately campaigned for a fight with the Brazilian and ultimately received her wish. Of Baszler’s 15 career wins, 14 have come via submission, and she’s one of the most skilled grapplers in the 135-pound women’s division.

The coveted UFC women’s bantamweight title will be up for grabs on July 5 when Rousey makes her next title defense against BJJ black belt Alexis Davis at UFC 175 in Las Vegas.

Deep Jewels 4 set for iPPV, airs worldwide on Ustream

MMA’s second-largest all-female promotion, Deep Jewels, stages its fourth event on Sunday at Shinjuku Face in Tokyo. Deep Jewels 4 features a middleweight (61.2-kilogram/134.6-pound) title bout between Shizuka Sugiyama and Strikeforce veteran Takayo Hashi, and for the first time in Deep Jewels’ history, the event will stream live worldwide on Ustream.

Sunday’s Deep Jewels card and the success or failure of the online stream will determine the future of the company. Opportunities remain scarce for female fighters in Japan, and Deep Jewels is the last remaining MMA promotion that showcases only women on its cards.

Gone are the glory days of Smackgirl, the once-great promotion that staged 66 events over the course of seven years and gave birth to the careers of some of MMA’s top female fighters. When Smackgirl folded in 2008, two rival factions rose up from the ashes: Valkyrie and Jewels. Valkyrie crowned champions in three weight classes during its two-year run, but the promotion ceased operations in late 2010. Jewels fared significantly better and had a clear edge in star power on its cards, but financial woes led to a shift in ownership, and Jewels merged with Deep to form Deep Jewels this past year. The new faction has held three events to date.

Deep boss Shigeru Saeki took a big risk when he assumed control of the promotion. In spite of his best efforts, attracting new fans remains a constant challenge in Japan, and Saeki has shifted his focus to the international market by partnering with Ustream for this weekend’s card.

The marquee matchup on the Deep Jewels 4 card is the title fight between Sugiyama (11-3-1) and Hashi (14-4-1). Sugiyama is one of the most popular female fighters left on the Deep Jewels roster and has not lost since December 2010. The karateka’s four most recent wins have all come via a form of knockout, and she now receives her first shot at a major title in Japan.

Hashi has already developed a wealth of domestic and international fighting experience during her 10-year career. After capturing the Smackgirl middleweight (128-pound) title in 2007, Hashi went on to compete in three straight championship fights in the U.S. Unfortunately for Hashi, she came up short each time, but she returned home to Japan and earned a big win by defeating Roxanne Modafferi. Hashi now looks to become a champion again on Sunday.

The remainder of the Deep Jewels 4 card includes former Jewels star Saori Ishioka, Valkyrie champion Mei Yamaguchi and current Deep Jewels titleholder Seo Hee Ham, who competes in a kickboxing match. For North American viewers, the Deep Jewels 4 live stream begins tonight (Saturday) at 10:30 p.m. ET,(7:30 p.m. PT) at a cost of $7.45.

Deep Jewels 4 fight card:

  • 61.2kg MMA title: Shizuka Sugiyama (11-3-1) vs. Takayo Hashi (14-4-1)
  • 48kg MMA: Saori Ishioka (12-7) vs. Satomi Takano (3-3)
  • 48kg kickboxing: Seo Hee Ham vs. Yuuki Kira
  • 48kg MMA: Mei Yamaguchi (11-7-1) vs. Yukiko Seki (12-23)
  • 51kg MMA: Tomo Maesawa (2-3) vs. Brittany Ann Decker (0-0)
  • 52kg MMA: Ayaka Miura (0-0) vs. Ella Wu (0-0)
  • 48kg MMA: Yuko Kawabata (0-5) vs. Naomi Taniyama (0-2)
  • 50kg grappling: Miyoko Kusaka vs. Sayuri Yamaguchi
  • 56kg MMA: Shiori Hori (0-1) vs. Maya Dobashi (0-0)*

*Newcomer rules. No ground and pound permitted.

Three women’s bouts set for WSOF 10 in June

jessica-aguilar-wsof-8WSOF women’s strawweight champion Jessica Aguilar (17-4) makes the first defense of her title against Japanese veteran Emi Fujino (13-7) at WSOF 10 on June 21 in Las Vegas, and two additional female fights have recently been confirmed for the card.

Joining the previously announced Aguilar-Fujino title tilt is an intriguing 135-pound matchup between CFA women’s featherweight champion Ashlee Evans-Smith (2-0) and one-time Invicta FC fighter Marciea Allen (3-1). Evans-Smith made headlines in October when she stopped transgender fighter Fallon Fox to become the inaugural CFA women’s champion at 145 pounds. She won both of her pro bouts for CFA and recently signed on with WSOF as one of the promotion’s top prospects for 2014.

Allen has fared well since she turned pro with a first-round submission victory in August 2012. Her lone defeat came in an action-packed bout with Jessamyn Duke at Invicta FC 3. Allen fought twice in 2013 and racked up back-to-back victories, and she looks to extend her winning streak to three by handing Evans-Smith her first defeat at WSOF 10.

Elsewhere on the undercard, two more Invicta FC veterans face off when Sofia Bagherdai (5-2) and Lynn Alvarez (6-3) clash in a 120-pound catchweight fight. Bagherdai returns to action for the first time since the birth of her child this past year. In her most recent MMA fight in September 2012, she earned a first-round TKO victory over Sarah Maloy at XFC 20. Alvarez also recently returned from a lengthy layoff and she put on one of her most impressive performances to date by choking out Amber Stautzenberger in just 45 seconds at Dakota FC 17.

“WSOF 10: Branch vs. Taylor” takes place on June 21 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The fight between Aguilar and Fujino is one of three championship bouts on the NBC Sports Network-televised card.

Kate Da Silva, Tairi Ford win Princesses of Pain tournaments

Jiu-jitsu specialist Kate Da Silva (7-1) rebounded from her first career defeat this past year by scoring two wins in one night during Princesses of Pain’s round-robin tournament on May 3 in Panmure, Auckland, New Zealand. Da Silva defeated Desiree-Ann Maaka (0-2) and Charlene Watt (1-1) in succession to win the 60-kilogram POP tournament title.

The opening fight in the round-robin matched Watt against Maaka in an entertaining bout that ended when Watt secured a TKO victory at the 4:29 mark of Round 2. The format required both women to fight again later in the night, and Maaka was the first to challenge Da Silva. Unfortunately for her, Da Silva’s skills on the ground were too great, and she submitted Maaka with an armbar at the 4:25 mark of Round 1. Da Silva and Watt then met in the night’s main event, and Da Silva prevailed via unanimous decision to win the tournament title. She has already begun campaigning for a spot on the June 28 UFC card in New Zealand.

In a single-elimination tournament on the POP card, Tairi Ford (2-0) outlasted two opponents to win a 55-kilogram title. Ford advanced to the tournament final by taking a unanimous decision verdict over Hera Tamati (0-1) in their semifinal fight. The second semifinal also went the distance and Serina Cole (1-1) moved on to the final with a unanimous decision win over Ursula Nicole Marshall-Steele (0-1). Ford wasted no time in the championship final and overwhelmed Cole with strikes for a quick TKO title win in just 42 seconds.

Rounding out the amateur portion of the card, Lizzie Warner def. Krissy Pettman via unanimous decision after an extension round, Barbara Verlinden def. Bente Hollen via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 1:57 mark of Round 2, Sabrina Compton def. Gabriella Marsters via submission (armbar) at the 46-second mark of Round 1, and Missy Laxon def. Tracey Burns via split decision in the opening fight.

Rin Nakai stays unbeaten, defeats Sarah D’Alelio at Pancrase 258

Bantamweight Queen of Pancrase Rin Nakai (16-0-1) proved many critics wrong once again with another key victory on Sunday at Pancrase 258 in Tokyo. Nakai earned a clear-cut unanimous decision win over Invicta FC contender Sarah D’Alelio (7-6) in a non-title fight on the card.

Nakai closed the distance right away and used a body-lock takedown to get D’Alelio down to the mat. She took advantage of Pancrase’s newly changed rule set by landing elbows from the top, and then switched her focus to a kimura attempt. D’Alelio refused to submit and attempted a kneebar from the bottom, but Nakai kicked free and stood up. All three judges scored the opening round in Nakai’s favor.

The middle stanza was even more dominant for Nakai, and she kept D’Alelio pinned down on the ground throughout the round. Nakai worked for a kimura for close to four minutes from top position. While she could not force D’Alelio to tap out, Nakai easily did enough to win the round. Two judges scored it 10-9 for Nakai while a third had it 10-8.

Knowing that she was down on the scorecards, D’Alelio pressed forward with punches in the final round, but Nakai secured another takedown into side control and picked up right where she left off in Round 2. D’Alelio fought off kimuras, but Nakai transitioned to mount and controlled the fight on the ground until the final bell.

Scores were 30-26 across the board for Nakai, who has won six straight fights since her controversial draw with Danielle West in September 2011. Once seen as little more than hype by her critics, Nakai has developed into a legitimate contender at 135 pounds with four consecutive wins over American opponents. She previously upset Tara LaRosa in September.

Quick results

Ana Julaton (1-0) def. Aya Saeid Saber (2-4) via TKO (punches) at the 4:01 mark of Round 3 at “One FC 15: Rise of Heroes” on May 2 in Manila. Boxing champion Julaton had a much tougher fight on her hands against Saber than many had anticipated. Saber fared well on the ground in the opening two rounds, and she mounted Julaton on more than one occasion. However, Julaton rallied back in Round 3 and reversed a takedown. She then took mount herself and flurried with punches until the fight was finally stopped.

Also on the One FC 15 card, Jujeath Nagaowa (1-0) def. Jeet Toshi (2-2) via TKO (punches) at the 1:07 mark of Round 2. Filipina boxing champion Nagaowa dominated the fight with fellow striker Toshi on the feet and overwhelmed her opponent with a barrage of punches for the impressive TKO victory.

Pannie Kianzad (5-0) def. Annalisa Bucci (6-3) via unanimous decision at “Superior Challenge 10: Helsingborg” on May 3 in Helsingborg, Sweden. Kianzad remains one of the brightest female prospects in Europe, and she continued her climb up the ranks with the victory over Bucci, who had won five straight fights. Kianzad defeated recent UFC signee Milana Dudieva in October.

Betina Baino (1-2) def. Claudia Vasconcellos (0-1) via unanimous decision at Samurai Combate 5 on May 3 in Gravatai, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Baino picked up her first pro win in the fight after suffering stoppage losses in her first two bouts.

Cassie Crisano (2-2) def. Glauciele Silva (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 1:56 mark of Round 1 at “Strike Fight Combat: Olimpia Fight 2” on May 3 in Olimpia, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Crisano scored her second straight win in the fight and competed again eight days later.

Karine Silva (3-0) def. Cintia Nunes (0-1) via knockout (head kick) at the 32-second mark of Round 1 at Aspera Fighting Championship 6 on May 3 in Itapema, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Silva has knocked out all three of her professional opponents this year.

Elsewhere at Aspera FC 6, Roberta Paim Rovel (3-0) def. Thais Machado (0-1) via TKO (retirement) at the 3:55 mark of Round 1. Paim Rovel has earned first-round finishes in each of her three bouts to date. She made a successful return to action following an 11-month layoff.

Katie Howard (2-1) def. Reagan Benedetti (1-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 4:14 mark of Round 2 at CageSport 30 on May 3 in Tacoma, Wash. With the win, Howard rebounded from her razor-thin split decision loss to Glena Avila this past month.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk (5-0) def. Karla Benitez (11-7) via unanimous decision at “Arena MMA: Fabinski vs. Herb” on May 9 in Warsaw, Poland. Jedrzejczyk, who signed with Invicta FC earlier this year, kept her undefeated record intact with the hard-fought win. The 26-year-old Polish standout outstruck Benitez en route to victory in what was largely a kickboxing match.

Hannah Cifers (1-1) def. Rachel Sazoff (0-3) via TKO (punches) at the 1:12 mark of Round 1 at “Dead Serious MMA/XCC: Defiant” on May 9 in Philadelphia, Pa. Cifers hurt Sazoff with a powerful hook and swarmed on her with more punches to seal the TKO victory.

Flor Fonseca (1-0) def. Paloma Fabrykant (4-2) via split decision at Heroes MMA 9 on May 10 in Argentina. Fonseca kicked off her pro career with a huge win over the highly touted Fabrykant, who has now suffered back-to-back defeats after opening her career with four straight wins.

Bianca Daimoni (4-1) def. Yelka Torres Gallegos (1-2) via knockout (punch) at the 1:15 mark of Round 2 at “Talent Draft MMA 2: Sao Jose dos Pinhais” on May 10 in Sao Jose dos Pinhais, Parana, Brazil. Daimoni rebounded from the first loss of her career with the crushing knockout victory. All four of her wins to date have come via devastating knockouts, and she is one of the most powerful strikers in the women’s bantamweight division.

Helaine Ribeiro (1-5) def. Marta Souza (0-2-1) via split decision at Mona Vie Fight on May 10 in Guarapuava, Parana, Brazil. Ribeiro picked up a long-awaited win with the close victory.

Jennifer Maia (8-3-1) def. Mariana Morais (4-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 2:18 mark of Round 2 at “Talent MMA Circuit 9: Sao Jose dos Pinhais 2014” on May 10 in Sao Jose dos Pinhais, Parana, Brazil. Two-time Invicta FC veteran Maia got back on track with the submission win over the previously unbeaten Morais, who turned 19 one week before the fight.

Also on the Talent MMA Circuit 9 card, Deise Lee Rocha (5-4-1) and Luciana dos Passos Pereira (4-3-1) fought to a closely contested split draw after three rounds.

Debora Ferreira (3-0) def. Rafaela Garcia (0-2) via TKO (punches) at the 4:23 mark of Round 1 at JVT Championship 6 on May 10 in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Ferreira continued her string of finishes with the quick victory. She has knocked out all three of her foes to date.

In other action at JVT Championship 6, Luana Souza (1-1) def. Carolina Karasek (3-1) via split decision. Souza rebounded from a February loss in Germany by handing Karasek her first professional defeat. Karasek previously racked up three straight first-round stoppage wins.

Jade De Haas (1-1) def. Alice Smith Yauger (0-2) via unanimous decision at Xtreme Knockout 22 on May 10 in Dallas. De Haas earned her first pro win in the fight.

Beatriz Zambonini (2-1) def. Cassie Crisano (2-2) via DQ (repeated fouls) at the 3:34 mark of Round 3 at Ring of Fire Brazil 9 on May 11 in Presidente Prudente, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Crisano was warned on two occasions by the referee for strikes after the bell and an apparent illegal knee. In the final round, she used a short powerbomb slam to loosen Zambonini’s guard, and the referee immediately intervened to stop the fight.

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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