Monday, April 30, 2012

Weekly Women’s MMA Review – 4/29


0
Invicta shines spotlight on women’s MMA
“Women’s MMA Today” gets you caught up on the week that was and the week that will be in women’s MMA.
—News—
- Invicta FC 1 is now in the books and it was a HUGE success with close to 2,000 attendees and over 100,000 viewers over the internet. The action was nonstop and the broadcast team of Mauro Ranallo, Julie Kedzie and “King” Mo Lawel did a great job providing commentary. If you weren’t able to be a part of this historic event, fear not for Invicta will be posting the videos on their website within the next few days. In the meantime, you can read a recap of the event (here).
Also, during the event, it was announced that Invicta FC 2 would be held on July 28th and would be headlined with Shayna Baszler taking on Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann.
—Weekend Results—
- Marloes “Rumina” Coenen defeated Romy Ruyssen via Unanimous Decision
- Jessica Penne defeated Lisa Ellis via TKO at 2:48 of round 3
- Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche defeated Ashleigh Curry via TKO at 1:58 of round 1
- Kaitlin Young vs Leslie “Peacemaker” Smith declared a Split Draw
- Sarah “Monster” D’Alelio defeated Vannessa Mariscal via Submission (Punches) at 3:19 of round 2
- Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider defeated “Slick” Sally Krumdiack via Armbar at 3:01 of round 1
- Amy “Lil Dynamite” Davis defeated Nicdali “Night Queen” Calanoc via Kimura at 3:47 of round 2
- Sarah “KO Kid” Maloy defeated Michele “Diablita” Gutierrez via Unanimous Decision
- Randi Miller defeated “Miss” Mollie Estes via TKO at 3:27 of round 3
- Ashley “Smashley” Cummins defeated Sofia Bagherdai via Unanimous Decision
- “Sassie” Cassie Rodish defeated Meghan “The Babe” Wright via Guillotine Choke at :36 of round 1
Invicta FC 1 Photo Review by MarQ of Wombat Sports.

—Upcoming Fights—
5-4 DeAnna Bennett (1-0) takes on Colleen “The Beautiful Disaster” Schneider (2-3) at Showdown Fights: “Uprising”. This event will be streamed LIVE and can be purchased for $15 on GoFightLive.
5-5 Kinberly Novaes (1-1) fights Adriana Vieira (1-0) at Nitrix 11 in Santa Catarina, Brazil.
5-6 In a battle of World kickboxing champions, Lena “Hunter” Ovchynnikova (8-1) faces off with Joanne Calderwood (1-0) at Super Fight League 3 in New Delhi, India. This event will be streamed LIVE and FREE on SFL YouTube channel.
5-6 Melissa Steele (0-3) meets Katie Casimir (1-0) at Long Beach Fight Night 14.
**To stay up-to-date on all things related to women’s MMA, follow us on Facebook (click here).

Morning Report: Fedor Talks Rizzo, GSP Discusses Bullying on CNN

By Luke Thomas - Senior Editor
Apr 30, 2012 - I could've sworn the UFC Spring Break was over, but here we were again with a weekend where no UFC or Strikeforce event was being held. That doesn't mean there was no MMA action. There was. In fact, there was pretty good MMA action courtesy the all-women's card for Invicta FC's inaugural event. Some of the fights early on the card were fairly lackluster, but towards the main event things heated up nicely. Jessica Penne stood out with a strong performance, Young vs. Smith was tons o' fun, Randi Miller proved she's pretty green but pretty mean and Marloes Coenen put Ronda Rousey on notice.
There's also a UFC event this coming weekend. More specifically, a free UFC event, which are in many ways the best kind. I've long felt this event was booked as something more than a FX card, but less than one for pay-per-view. I'm not sure that's the optimal balance, but it's the one we got and there are strong, important fights to be enjoyed.
For now, though, let's catch up on the results you may have missed, the odd interview of UFC welterweight Georges St. Pierre on CNN, Tim Kennedy being Tim Kennedy and much more.

Star-divide
5 MUST-READ STORIES
Coenen Victorious at Invicta FC, Calls Out Ronda Rousey. The biggest fights of the weekend took place on an all-women's fight card. Catch up on what happened and what could be next.
Dana White Says UFC Will Not Put On Shows in California If CSAC Bill Passes. The UFC's head honcho says if a controversial law is passed, that could be the end of the UFC in the Golden State.
Daniel Cormier's gold medal loss is MMA's gain. The Strikeforce grand prix finalist tells MMA Fighting if he had won the Olympic gold medal, he probably would never have entered professional MMA.
Fedor Emelianenko talks Pedro Rizzo. What does the greatest heavyweight of all time think about Pedro Rizzo and M-1? Click to find out.
Luke Rockhold Readies for Tim Kennedy, Wants to Fight Anderson Silva. The Strikeforce middleweight champion speaks to our own Mike Chiappetta about what's next in his career.
Star-divide

MEDIA STEW
Tim Kennedy + Masterpiece Theater = What?

Star-divide
Georges St. Pierre talks about being bullied on CNN. Oh, and also answers the worst questions ever:

Star-divide
The Nick Diaz story is well known. Ahead of UFC on Fox 3, it's time for Nate's story to be told (HT: MMA Mania):

Star-divide
Current TUF Live coach and former WEC champion Urijah Faber has a new book coming out (HT: Bloody Elbow):

Star-divide
UFC Octagon girl Arianny Celeste poses for FHM in the Philippines. You can tell it's Filipino with words like "Bhoy" and "Tayo" on the left side of the cover (HT: ABS-CBN News).
20120429_arianny358_medium
Star-divide
RONDA ROUSEY'S DELICIOUS BREAKFAST

Star-divide
INVICTA GETS DAPS


Star-divide
BRIAN STANN AT A LOSS FOR WORDS



Star-divide
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Brian Stann vs. Hector Lombard, TBA
- Thiago Silva vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, TBA
- UFC 150: Luiz Cane vs. Yushin Okami
- UFC 150: Thiago Tavares vs. Dennis Hallman
- Invicta FC 2: Shayna Baszler vs. Sara McMann
Star-divide
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today's Fanpost of the Day comes courtesy Luke Nelson who forecasts how UFC welterweight Rory MacDonald would fare in fights against the division's top eleven contenders. Here's his sense of MacDonald vs. Nick Diaz:
3. Nick Diaz
Strengths: Boxing, Offensive Guard, Cardio, Aggression, Toughness. Some people don't really consider Nick to be a boxer, as he tends to just crowd his opponent against the cage and unleash flurry after flurry, something that looks like boxing but doesn't incorporate the nuanced movement that a true practitioner of the sweet science would have. Either way, he's beaten a bunch of noted strikers with that strategy, so whatever you call it, he's good at it. He has one of the most dangerous guards in the division, although he hasn't used it too much recently, preferring to keep fights standing. He never gets tired, can take a helluva shot and his gameness is pretty much unquestioned.
Weaknesses: Strength, Wrestling, Fight IQ. In his first stint with the UFC, Diaz had a tough time keeping his fights standing, although he has said on multiple occasions that he would not have taken the bottom and played from his guard so readily if he had known the judges would treat the top guy as having the advantage, despite it being something he probably should have been aware of. In his fights since, no one has succeeded in taking him down and keeping him there but he also hasn't fought a vaunted take down and top control fighter of the calibre found in the upper echelon of the UFC`s welterweight division. He admits to not being as strong as his peers, but he also doesn't want to be, preferring to rely on his superior cardio and a volume striking approach to win his fights.
How a fight with Macdonald would look: Rory rag-dolled Nick`s younger brother Nathan en route to a three round decision in his biggest UFC victory to date. He landed three suplexes in the final round against Nathan, showcasing a decided strength advantage that he would also hold on Nick. Rory also out-struck Nathan for a good portion of their fight, but it wouldn't be a good idea to try to stand up with Nick, so this fight would likely come down to how much damage Rory could do from inside Nick's guard. It seems likely that this fight would go into the third round and if Rory ran out of gas in the same way he did against Condit that would spell trouble against Nick.
Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @SBNLukeThomas and we'll include it in Monday's post.

Damon Martin: No Current Plans for Another Heavyweight Season of The Ultimate Fighter





The 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter will go down as one of the highest rated seasons of the show with fighters like Roy Nelson, Brendan Schaub, and Kimbo Slice being a part of the cast.
It was the second time the UFC had put together a cast of heavyweights, the other being the second season of the reality show (although many of those fighters were light heavyweights cast as heavyweights, such as Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, Seth Petruzelli, etc).
With the heavyweight division in the UFC currently flourishing with highly touted champion like Junior dos Santos at the top of the weight class, and several top flight stars underneath him, the biggest division in the UFC has new life that it hasn’t seen in years.
Also add in two more top heavyweights that will eventually make their way to the UFC in the form of Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finalists Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier, and the UFC seems to be in great shape for a very solid and dangerous heavyweight division.
That said, the developmental process that is The Ultimate Fighter doesn’t appear to be a launching pad for new heavyweights again any time soon.
UFC president Dana White says that despite the success of Season 10 of the reality show with an all-heavyweight cast, the division simply isn’t deep enough to do another show with 16 fighters vying to get a spot on the UFC roster.
“The problem is that there aren’t a lot of heavyweights,” White said recently. “For me to go out and find 16 great heavyweights, if there’s 16 (expletive) great heavyweights out there, I need them in the UFC, not on The Ultimate Fighter.”
The Ultimate Fighter fluctuates weight classes each season with the most recent installment focusing on lightweights. Prior to that, featherweights and bantamweights got their first shot on the reality show.
For now though it looks like if you’re a heavyweight trying to get into the UFC, it’s going to have to be because UFC matchmaker Joe Silva gives you a call and not by landing a spot on The Ultimate Fighter.

Follow @DamonMartin on Twitter or e-mail Damon Martin.
For more
UFC News and UFC Rumors, follow MMAWeekly.com on Twitter and Facebook.

Damon Martin: Dana White: I Don’t Hate Fedor, but He’s Done



The name Fedor Emelianenko still gets brought up to UFC president Dana White just about any time he meets with the media, but he’s not sure why anymore.
Emelianenko was released from Zuffa owned Strikeforce last year and has since picked up two wins, albeit over questionable competition.
Still, White can’t go more than a press conference or two without the Russian’s name coming up and so this time he makes it clear: he doesn’t hate Fedor; he just doesn’t like his management.
Check out what White had to say about Fedor in this exclusive video with the UFC president:




The Blueprint - Diaz vs. Miller


Michael DiSanto breaks down Saturday's UFC on FOX 3 main event between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller...
UFC on FOX - Diaz vs. Miller
UFC on FOX - Diaz vs. Miller
Very few things are certain when it comes to the UFC lightweight division.

Benson Henderson is the champion. Barring injury, he will make the first defense of his crown later this year against the man he snatched it from, Frankie Edgar.

Beyond that, little is cut in stone. For example, it is nearly impossible to state with certainty who sits in the number one contender spot. Is it Anthony Pettis, the last man to defeat Henderson? What about former champion and future Hall of Famer BJ Penn? Don’t pay any attention to his retirement talk. This guy will fight again. I’m as certain of that as death and taxes. What about Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez, who is one of the most talented lightweights on the planet not currently competing in the UFC? Some would actually argue that he is the best of the best, period.

Of course, we cannot forget perennial contenders Nate Diaz and Jim Miller. The pair will square off on in the main event of the UFC’s third live broadcast on FOX this Saturday night. Many believe that the winner will move to the head of the championship challenger queue. A boring win probably won’t “get ‘er done,” to quote Larry the Cable Guy. If, however, the winner scores a decisive victory or survives a thrilling back-and-forth war, then I definitely agree with the masses. The winner will almost certainly stand next in line.

A likely title eliminator on network television in primetime. How is that for pressure? Pretty intense, isn’t it?

Many fighters cave in the face of such pressure. They go out and fight not to lose, rather than fighting to win. It makes for disastrous television.

While I cannot guarantee anything, it seems extremely unlikely that Diaz and Miller will do anything other than let it all hang out in front of millions of viewers in a desperate attempt to secure their first shot at a UFC championship. The statistics back up that claim, too.

Diaz is one of the most decorated post-fight award winners in UFC history. More than half of his 15 trips to the Octagon resulted in an “of the night” bonus, making him one of the most thrilling fighters in the sport today. Miller doesn’t quite rise to Diaz’s level, in terms of fan-friendly outings, but he is no slouch. One quarter of his UFC bouts earned him a lucrative and career-enhancing post-fight bonus.

It’s no accident that these guys are headlining UFC on FOX 3. UFC President Dana White expects it to be a barnburner, with the winner being perfectly positioned to present himself to the world as the next in line for the winner of Henderson-Edgar II.

This fight is extremely easy to break down. It is the quintessential striker versus grappler bout, with a twist.

There is no doubt that Diaz wants to keep the fight on the feet. His standup game, though extremely unorthodox, is one of the most effective in the division. He is basically a carbon copy of his older brother Nick. Nate walks down opponents from a southpaw stance. He paws with both hands, reaching out as if he is trying to grasp his opponent’s wrists. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he turns a paw into a slapping shot.

Normally, slapping shots are ineffective. The Diaz brothers have somehow figured out how to turn those shots into whipping, effective punches. Neither has true one-punch knockout power. They instead swarm opponents and overwhelm them with activity.

Nate absolutely wants to do that against Miller. His game plan is to use non-stop offense as a way to defend. He wants to keep his hands moving and completely forget about kicks, unless they are at the end of punches. That is OK because Diaz isn’t much of a kicker in the first place. He is a technically brilliant brawler who uses unyielding pressure to break an opponent’s will before breaking his body.

Miller, by contrast, is more of a reactionary fighter, rather than an aggressive predator. He has serviceable standup, but his bread and butter is getting foes to the ground and either beating them up or, far more likely, using his ground-and-pound attack to force his opponent to give up his back to try and escape the onslaught and then sinking in a choke. He did exactly that in his last fight.

Facing the ultra-explosive and always entertaining Melvin Guillard, Miller had to wade through extremely deep waters after getting dominated on the feet early in the first round. But before the round ended, he found a way to get it to the ground and he used his impressive ground skills to secure a submission through superior ground control and excellent grappling technique.

A black belt under Jamie Cruz, Miller is a vastly underrated submission specialist. Most consider him a wrestler first. I disagree. I view him as a top-focused ground fighter, one who equally blends wrestling, BJJ and ground-and-pound. His major weakness, however, remains both his standup and his inability to really offer dangerous submissions from his back against top opponents.

It stands to reason that Diaz will seek to exploit the first of those weaknesses, but won’t have the takedown chops to try and take advantage of the second. Diaz will almost certainly want to use his tremendous height and reach advantages to keep the action on the outside in order to help avoid the takedown. If the takedown comes, he won’t panic. That is the twist. Diaz is a black belt under Cesar Gracie, so he is one of the more comfortable fighters from his back in the division.

I will actually take that one step further. Diaz has one of the most spectacular offensive guards in the division. He isn’t intimidated by being on his back against anyone.

The reality, though, is he has struggled from his back with guys who posses great top games and very good submission defense. Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida both fit that description, and they each ground out victories over the former reality television star. Thus, it is tough to imagine him having success from his back against a top-focused fighter like Miller, who, as mentioned above, is also a black belt.

Miller has only three losses in his professional career. All three came against superior wrestlers – Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard and Benson Henderson. He has faced many, many superior strikers, and has defeated each of them. That suggests that he should be able to pass the Diaz test, since the Stockton native is nowhere near Miller in terms of wrestling skills.

I’m not so sure. Diaz presents a different sort of standup game than anything that Miller has ever seen before. He doesn’t overcommit, like Guillard did. He is rarely out of position. And he is becoming better and better at incorporating his sprawl into his boxing.

If Diaz is able to keep the fight off the ground, he wins easy. Sure, Miller could win by shocking knockout. He blasted Kamal Shalorus out of there with a series of punches followed by a knee just over a year ago. Anyone can get knocked out on any given night in mixed martial arts. But Diaz isn’t Shalorus. And Miller isn’t winning this fight by knockout – not on the feet, at least.

Can I see Diaz winning by slick submission from his back or maybe catching a standing guillotine? Sure. A Cesar Gracie black belt has the ability to win any fight by submission if an opponent makes a mistake. It just isn’t likely, because Miller is extremely good from the top.

This fight is a tough fight to call, when it is all said and done. All I know for certain is that it has all the ingredients of a great fight. If forced to pick, I’m currently leaning toward Diaz. He has more tools in his arsenal, and he is arguably coming off the two most impressive performances of his professional career – utter dominations of Takanori Gomi and Donald Cerrone.

Then again, when I started writing this piece a couple of hours ago, my mind was leaning toward Miller, a guy who has only lost once in his last nine fights. And that was to reigning champion Henderson. If he can get Diaz to the ground and keep him there, this could be one of the more intriguing and fast-paced ground battles of the year.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll lean toward a draw. Who knows?

Who do you think will win and why? Fill up the comment section below. I’ll be reading, as always.

QUICK FACTS

Nate Diaz
• 27 years old
• 6’0
• 155 lbs
• 76-inch reach
• 15-7 overall
• 3-2 in last 5
• 5-5 in last 10
• 66.7% of wins by submission
• 20.0% of wins by KO/TKO
• 13.3% of wins by decision
• Has only been stopped once as a professional, armbar loss in 2006
• 53.3% of UFC fights resulted in post-fight award (Submission of the Night 3x, Fight of the Night 5x)
• Ultimate Fighter Season 5 winner
• Current layoff is 127 days
• Longest layoff of career is 310 days

Jim Miller
• 28 years old
• 5’8, 155 lbs
• 71-inch reach
• 21-3 overall
• 4-1 in last 5
• 8-2 in last 10
• 14.3% of wins by KO/TKO
• 57.1% of UFC wins by submission
• 28.6% of UFC wins by decision
• Has never been stopped in his professional career
• 25% of UFC fights resulted in post-fight award (Submission of the Night 3x, Fight of the Night)
• Current layoff is 106 days
• Longest layoff of career is 172 days

By Martins Denis / Translation Munique Bohnke: TUF Brasil - Episode Six Recap



Read on for a recap of the sixth episode of The Ultimate Fighter Brasil..
Despite the declaration of war made by Rony Jason and Delson Pé de Chumbo’s idea of sharing rooms according to teams in previous episodes, the atmosphere in the house remains in harmony.

With the score in favor of Team Vitor, 4-0, episode number six of The Ultimate Fighter Brasil is crucial for the hopes of the coaches of Team Wanderlei. The pressure for a victory was already being felt when Renee Forte was submitted by Daniel Sarafian in the third episode, and at that time the score was only 1-0 for the team led by the former UFC light heavyweight champion, Vitor Belfort. Now with the disadvantage hitting epic proportions, the fifth fight inside the house is all or nothing for the blue team.

Leonardo Macarrão's recent fight may have worked as a motivator for the upcoming fights of his teammates, because while Macarrão was submitted, he showed a strong will and great Muay Thai before succumbing.

Some fighters are already starting to look at what lies ahead, even though Cezar Mutante is saying that the most important is the next fight and not what happens beyond that.

It is clear that Vitor's pupils know that they may face each other soon. With the reality show unfolding, the paths start to get narrow and the choice for the featherweight bout will leave the next fight of the division defined.

In an agreement between the coaches, the sequence of the fights involves only the featherweight division of the house, and Vitor's choice is Marcus Vinicius "Vina" Pancini and Hugo "Wolverine" Viana for the last fight before the quarterfinals.

Back at the house, the athletes that will fight have the right to a "gastronomic spree" one day before the fight, and Vina and Wolverine don't waste time to get this job done.

Godfredo Pepey returns to being the center of attention in the house because of his posture, and the rival team thinks he's cocky. This keeps Pepey away from some, and the first impression they got from him won’t be changing anytime soon.

This week’s fight begins with good movement from both, and Wolverine gets the better punches off before clinching, and Vina responds with a knee to the waistline. Trying to seize the moment, he applies more knees that force Wolverine to let go of the clinch and use his boxing. Separated, Wolverine uses an overhand right, making Vina lose balance.

Later, Vina, a Bahia native, found the perfect distance to get in and out of his opponent’s guard, using his fists well. But a second of lost balance from Wanderlei's pupil made Wolverine finish the round better, and a takedown followed by some ground and pound guaranteed a 10-9 round for the athlete from Team Vitor.

After studying his foe at the beginning of the second round, Vina delivered a strong low kick to Hugo's left thigh. Round two also had a unique moment on the ground when Vina went for the takedown, got a knee, but couldn't keep his opponent on the ground.

Once standing, Wolverine intended to keep the same pace with his striking and leg kicks, but Vina had his best moment with a series of knees in the best Muay Thai style. Wolverine tried to get out of the opponent’s dominance, and despite moving forward all the time, the pace of the second round also affected Vina. Failing to score consistently in those five minutes, he wasn’t able to convince the judges that he deserved the round, and at the end of the bout, Wolverine won via unanimous decision to move forward in the competition.

"What makes us upset is that I know that his ability is far greater than what he showed," said Wanderlei of Vina.

"I'm so happy I could show a little more of my martial art," celebrated Wolverine, a Salvador native.

After the celebrations and lamentations from the two participants in the fight of episode six, Rafael Cordeiro, the most experienced coach of Team Wanderlei, showed his dissatisfaction with the performance of the defeated athlete who was not listening to the instructions of the blue corner.

And while Vitor’s team is now up 5-0, the next three athletes led by Wanderlei - Pé de Chumbo, Massaranduba and Ronny Jason - will have a chance to redeem their team should they get to the finals and, consequently, win the season title. But that’s an arduous task, with five of their teammates already out of the competition and with little motivation.

TEAM VÍTOR
Cézar Mutante (1-0) Submitted Leonardo Macarrão on ep. 5
Hugo Wolverine (1-0) Beat Marcus Vinicius "Vina" by unanimous decision on ep.
6
Daniel Serafian (1-0) Submitted Reneé Forte on ep. 3
Rodrigo Damm (1-0) Beat John Macapá by split division on ep. 4
Thiago Bodão (0-0)
Godofredo Pepey (1-0) Beat Wagner Galeto by split division on ep. 2
Sérgio Moraes (0-0)
Anistávio Gasparzinho (0-0)

TEAM WANDERLEI
Delson Pé-de-Chumbo (0-0)
John Macapá (0-1)Lost to Rodrigo Damm by split decision on ep. 4
Francisco Massaranduba (0-0)
Marcus Vinicius "Vina" (0-1) Lost to Hugo Wolverine by unanimous decision on ep. 6
Reneé Forte (0-1) Lost to Daniel Sarafian by submission on ep. 3
Wagner Galeto (0-1)Lost to Godofredo Pepey by split decision on ep. 2
Leonardo Macarrão (0-1)Lost to Cézar Mutante by submission on ep. 5
Rony Jason (0-0)

Lombard Draws Stann for First UFC Bout in August



Hector Lombard makes his long-awaited UFC debut this summer...
Following the recent signing of international star Hector Lombard to a UFC contract, the organization today announced that the former Cuban Olympian, who is currently sporting a 25 fight unbeaten streak in MMA, will make his Octagon debut this August in Los Angeles against middleweight contender Brian Stann.

A date and venue for the bout will be announced shortly.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

ASMM's ELAINA MAXWELL COMMENTATING CINCO DE MAYO WITH “BATTLE AT THE FOX”


ELITE COMBAT SPORTS HITS
CINCO DE MAYO WITH “BATTLE AT THE FOX”
Two title bouts populate exciting fight card

San Francisco, California (USA): Rising NorCal fight promotion Elite Combat Sports (ECS) will hit the historic Fox Theatre once again as ECS brings “Battle at the Fox” to downtown Redwood City, California on Cinco de Mayo. Two title fights will be featured as undefeated Steve Lara and Radames Garcia will vie for the 135-pound title, and Nikko Jackson will defend his newly-won 170-pound strap against top contender Marco Del Real.

“Battle at the Fox” takes place on Saturday, May 5th at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City, California. Doors open at 5 PM, with the first fight hitting the cage at 6 PM. Tickets are available online at https://elitecombatsports.vbotickets.com/events. What an incredible night of fights it’s going to be!

MMA Rising: Invicta FC 1 Bonuses: Young, Smith Win Fight Of The Night


Invicta FC 1 Bonuses: Young, Smith Win Fight Of The Night
A three-round battle between noted strikers Kaitlin Young and Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith earned Fight of the Night honours on Saturday night at Invicta Fighting Championships 1 in Kansas City, Kansas. Both fighters pocketed an additional $1500 in bonuses for their performances.
Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider won an additional $1000 for her Submission of the Night-winning armbar of “Slick” Sally Krumdiack in the opening bout on the main card. Fellow Invicta FC winners Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche and Jessica Penne also received $1000 in two Social Media bonuses.

Young (7-5-1) and Smith (3-2-1) both felt that they had done enough to win their action-packed fight, but the cageside judges ultimately returned a disappointing Split Draw with scores of 29-28, 28-29 and 29-29. Both fighters spoke with MMARising.com after the fight.
“I felt that I was landing more effective shots, but it probably looked like I was moving backward,” Young said. “I feel that having a bit more of an aggressive stance could have pushed [the decision] my way. I was happy with my movement and I felt that I was a little quicker. One thing that I don’t think I did as good of a job with was capitalising after making her miss, so that’s something that I’ll be working on.”
Young felt that she was getting better as the fight progressed and really hit her stride in round three.
“As a fighter and a competitive person, you want to win,” she continues, “but from what I heard a lot of people enjoyed the fight. I thought I was going to get [the win]. I thought it was close, but I thought I won. It’s so hard to tell when you’re in there, but I thought I won and my corner thought I won. I think [Smith and I] are both going to be a little pissy about [the decision].”
“The promotion was great,” Young says. “Hands down, the best promotion I’ve ever fought for. The production was good and they treated us so well. They did several things that really make you put your heart and soul into this. They make sure that it’s worth it if you take a week off of work to come down here. It makes it easier for us as fighters to train harder and put more stock into [the promotion]. If people enjoyed what they saw [on Saturday], please contact Invicta about getting me on the next card in July.”
Smith disagrees with Young on how the fight played out, but shares the same sentiments in feeling that Invicta FC is the best promotion that she has fought for to date.
“This is the best show I’ve ever been on,” Smith told MMARising.com. “They were so cool and accommodating. It was fun. I had apprehensions about fighting on an all-female card, but it turned out really good and I would love to do it again.
“It was a fun fight [against Young],” she added. “I want to learn from it. I definitely change every time that I fight, so it’s going to be fun to see all of the different kinds of changes that I need from this fight and to use those in my training. Next time, I’ll come out a little better. I was planning on [controlling the striking right away]. I’ve got an awesome boxing coach and great sparring partners. I spent a lot of time in Thailand and then had an awesome camp.
“I was surprised,” Smith says of the fight’s outcome. “You get a feeling when you’re fighting where you just know whether you won or lost and I really felt that feeling that I’d won. Maybe if I’d blocked [more] and hadn’t taken so many punches, with the damage that I did to her that would have had a greater bearing on the whole thing. I let her hit me quite a few times. What’s showing on my face [bruises] doesn’t hurt at all, so it’s really stupid if that’s what the judges were counting it on, but it’s probably what they are counting it on.”
Like Young, Smith did express interest in the prospect of a rematch but also referenced the growing number of top challengers at 135 pounds and other potential fights on the horizon. Whether a rematch does take place or not, Young and Smith attracted a peak audience of well over 100,000 viewers during their fight on Saturday night; a number that actually surpassed Bellator 66′s overall average total from eight days prior.

Legacy FC 13 to Feature Damm-Gadelha, Rosholt-Lewis on Aug. 17 in Dallas
















The Legacy Fighting Championship 13 fight bill has begun to take shape.

Promotion officials announced Friday that onetime Strikeforce talent Carina Damm will face undefeated Claudia Gadelha, while former Oklahoma State University heavyweight wrestling standout Jared Rosholt collides with Derrick Lewis. Legacy FC 13 takes place Aug. 17 at the Europa Expo in Dallas and is expected to air on HDNet.

Damm, 33, rebounded with a pair of victories to close out last year after suffering consecutive losses to Hitomi Akano, Cat Zingano and Tara LaRosa. The Brazilian was victorious 11 months ago at Amazon Fight 8, submitting Antonia Deize before finishing Sheila Carvalho Santos with an armbar this past July.

Meanwhile, Gadelha, 23, returned to the cage just one week ago after roughly 19 months on the shelf, taking a split decision from Valerie Letourneau at Wreck MMA “Road to Glory” in Quebec. “Claudinha” owns five of her seven career wins by submission, but has yet to record a knockout as a professional.

Following his successful wrestling career at Oklahoma State, Rosholt made his MMA debut in February 2011 and has finished each of his first four opponents inside of two rounds. Just 25 years old, “The Big Show” last competed on June 4, forcing Robert Haney to submit to strikes in less than two minutes.

Lewis has won three of four since dropping a decision to Tony Johnson Jr. in his lone Bellator Fighting Championships appearance this past June. The 27-year-old was most recently seen last month at Resurrection Fighting Alliance 2, earning a technical knockout over Justin Frazier in 2:37.

Damon Martin: Is Move to Heavyweight Good Idea for Jon Jones?


UFC champion Jon Jones
When a fighter dominates a weight class like Georges St-Pierre has done at welterweight, Anderson Silva at middleweight, and now Jon Jones is doing at light heavyweight, the question always seems to come up: when will they move weight classes?
What happened to the days of just being great at one weight class?
Well, UFC president Dana White agrees with that ideology, especially when talking about their UFC light heavyweight champion pursuing a title at heavyweight.
Looking at the monsters that walk around in the heavyweight division, White knows that Jones would already be at a disadvantage, and he’s hoping that if it ever does happen that he’s more than prepared for a big move like that.
Check out what White had to say about Jones potential move to heavyweight and if it’s a smart move or not:



Fedor Breaks Down Fight with Pedro Rizzo, Differences Between M-1 and UFC (Video)



Fedor Emelianenko returns to fighting on June 21 in Russia, where he will face former UFC heavyweight contender Pedro “The Rock” Rizzo.
The former No. 1 heavyweight is on a two-fight streak since leaving Strikeforce. Rizzo, however, has been out of action for a while, having difficulty lining up a fight.
Fedor spoke with GroundandPoundTV recently in Germany, breaking down the fight with Rizzo, and discussing the differences between his promotion, M-1 Global, and other promotions such as the UFC, whom his management has been unable to come to terms with in the past.
Check out the video below…


Urijah Faber Launches New Book, “The Laws of the Ring”



Urijah Faber
Former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber, currently a coach on The Ultimate Fighter: Live, steps back into the Octagon on July 7 at UFC 148 to square off with Dominick Cruz. But first, he has a new book to launch.
Described as an unconventional and enlightening guide to mental dominance and personal success, The Laws of the Ring, co-authored with Tom Keown will be available May 22.
Check out Faber’s video promo for the launch of The Laws of the Ring…


Luke Thomas: Daniel Cormier's Gold Medal Shortfall Fueled Decision to Enter MMA


Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Apr 28, 2012 - Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finalist and two-time Olympian Daniel Cormier spoke to MMA Fighting in Atlanta before UFC 145 about his impending bout with former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett. Cormier contrasted his style and ability in wrestling with Barnett's, but also spoke candidly about falling short in his quest for a Olympic gold medal in wrestling. Cormier states had he won the medal he coveted so greatly, he likely would never have competed in professional MMA. Cormier also spoke about the state of the American Kickboxing Academy gym in the wake of trainer Dave Camarillo and UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck departing and many other topics.

Mike Chiappetta: Marloes Coenen Beats Romy Ruyssen, Then Calls Out Ronda Rousey At Invicta FC


Esther Lin, Invicta Fighting Championships
Esther Lin, Invicta Fighting Championships
Apr 29, 2012 - Marloes Coenen rebounded from her 2011 Strikeforce bantamweight title loss, out-working France's Romy Ruyssen in a unanimous decision in the main event of the inaugural Invicta Fighting Championships card.

Coenen took all three rounds, sweeping the judges' scorecards by 30-26 scores.

Coenen's signature strike during the fight was the short elbow, as she hurt Ruyssen repeatedly with it while against the fence. It became a key for her partly because she hurt her hand in the first round, saying she thought she broke a finger.
"It was a long hiatus since my last fight," said Coenen, who hadn't competed since her July 2011 defeat at the hands of Miesha Tate. "I'm not too happy with my performance, but I promise you, next time I will do better."

Coenen never came close to finishing Ruyssen, as she did during their first match nearly four years ago. In that one, Coenen (20-5) won via rear naked choke. In the rematch, Ruyssen (5-2) wanted to get the fight to the ground, but was unsuccessful in getting it there on her own terms. Ruyssen also had one point deducted during the fight for illegal fence grabbing.

Coenen capitalized on the win by calling out current Strikeforce bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey.

"Ronda, I'm coming for you," she said.

The landmark 11-fight card featuring all women's matches was held at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas.

In the co-main event, Jessica Penne outlasted Lisa Ellis in a bloody encounter, winning by third-round TKO.

Ellis was in trouble from the beginning, getting bloodied early on, but she fought bravely and even put Penne in trouble at times, but in the third, the fight's momentum shifted Penne's way after bloodying Ellis' nose.

Finally, Penne got her back and landed punches from the top until the fight was stopped.

Other notables in action included Liz Carmouche, who smashed through Ashleigh Curry, earning a first-round TKO, as well as Sarah D'Alelio, who beat Vanessa Mariscal in a second-round TKO.

Invicta also announced that its second event would take place on July 28, with veteran Shayna Baszler (14-6) facing 2004 Olympic wrestling silver medalist Sara McMann (5-0) in the main event.

Full Results
Marloes Coenen def. Romy Ruyssen via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Jessica Penne def. Lisa Ellis via TKO, Rd. 3, 2:48
Liz Carmouche def. Ashleigh Curry via TKO, Rd 1, 1:58
Kaitlin Young vs. Leslie Smith ruled a draw (29-28, 28-29, 29-29)
Sarah D’Alelio def. Vanessa Mariscal via TKO, Rd 2, 3:19
Sarah Schneider def. Sally Krumdiack via armbar submission, Rd 1, 3:01
Amy Davis def. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc via kimura submission, Rd 2, 3:47
Sarah Maloy vs. Michele Gutierrez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Randi Miller vs. Mollie Estes via TKO, Rd 3, 3:27
Ashley Cummings vs. Sofia Bagherdai via decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Cassie Rodish def. Meghan Wright via arm triangle submission, Rd 1, 0:36

Thomas Gerbasi: Reintroducing Louis Gaudinot


"When I go out there, I’m gonna lay it all on the line. I fight with my heart and I’m gonna go down swinging and go to the very end." - Louis Gaudinot

UFC flyweight Louis Gaudinot
UFC flyweight Louis Gaudinot
Living and training in Hoboken, Louis Gaudinot is only a couple exits on the New Jersey Turnpike away from what may end up being the most important fight of his three year pro mixed martial arts career this Saturday night against Brazil’s John Lineker, but the length of the drive to East Rutherford doesn’t do justice to the time it took him to get here.

Think about being the 5-foot-8 high school football lineman who knows he can’t compete on the Division I level because of his size, or the star small forward in basketball who knows that being 6-foot-2 in that position just won’t cut it when you’re facing those 6-foot-6 and higher at the next level. That’s what Gaudinot (5-3, 125 pounds) was looking at for much of his career. You either find a rare fight at your weight on a level playing field, or you give up every possible physical advantage, with the exception of speed, to bigger opponents just to get real-time experience.

To go one step further, when Gaudinot had the opportunity to compete at bantamweight on season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter, he took it, knowing that the possibility of failing in front of millions of television viewers was right there in front of him, perhaps killing any future marketability. But that’s what fighters do sometimes – they roll the dice.

“I knew the type of opportunity it was, and I never thought in a million years that I’d be fighting in the UFC,” said Gaudinot. “Six, seven years ago they didn’t even have 155 pounders, and 125 and 135 really didn’t exist. It was almost impossible to get a fight. I always thought that I’d be fighting in the WEC, and even they didn’t have 125; they were just talking about it. So the opportunity was there, and I had to take it, and they let me know that they’d give me a shot at 125 when it comes up. So I had the choice to either sit on the sidelines and fight locally, or go up a weight class and fight in the UFC. I think a lot of people do that on short notice fights or to go on The Ultimate Fighter, and when they drop down, you definitely see a lot more success in their careers, and that’s what you’re gonna see in mine.”

Gaudinot didn’t win TUF 14, losing in the quarterfinals to Dustin Pague, but he stopped Paul McVeigh to make it into the house, he gained a large fan following for his exciting style (and green hair), and even though he lost a bout to Johnny Bedford on the season finale card, the UFC kept its end of the bargain, giving him his shot at redemption against Lineker in his natural weight class. To top it off, he’s getting to do it in New Jersey, the perfect scenario to reintroduce himself to the masses.

“When I had found out they were doing the card here in New Jersey, I asked my coach to give a call to (UFC matchmaker) Sean Shelby and those guys and see if they can get me on the card. Then I was bugging (UFC president) Dana (White) and Sean Shelby on Twitter, and my fans were doing it too, kinda like they were doing the rally for Mark Hunt. (Laughs) I really wanted to fight here in my hometown, and I knew that I would have 14-15 weeks to get ready, and fighting at 125, I get to show the world what I can really do in my weight class.”

In the 21-year old Lineker, he’ll be facing a wild card, a young gun with a 13 fight winning streak and 24 pro bouts, but one who has fought all of his fights in his native Brazil against opponents virtually unknown to all but the most hardcore of hardcore fans. The same could have been said for another Jungle Fight champion, Erick Silva, who has since become one of the welterweight division’s most promising up and comers. Will Lineker follow in his countryman’s footsteps? Gaudinot is looking to nip that quest in the bud on Saturday.

“He’s definitely had a lot of fights, and that’s good for experience,” said Gaudinot of Lineker. “People get nervous going into the cage and performing in front of a crowd, so he’s done it 20-something times, and he’s definitely experienced in that sense. I watched a bunch of his fights from Brazil on youtube, so I can study him, but I don’t think he’s faced the level of talent that I have over the years, especially since my last couple fights were in the UFC. I’m looking to get in there and show him that he’s not on the same level as I am.”

And as far as the UFC jitters go, Gaudinot got those out of the way back in an empty Mandalay Bay Events Center when he beat McVeigh to get onto TUF 14.

“That, to me, was like my first UFC fight in a way,” he said. “I had Dana White and the two coaches (Michael Bisping and “Mayhem” Miller) sitting there in an empty arena that holds 15,000 people. That’s really where my nerves were kicking. I think I got those jitters over with, and especially this fight, fighting in my hometown, I’m excited. I’m not nervous at all, I’m just anxious to get out there and show everybody what I can do.”

In a lot of ways, Gaudinot is a seasoned vet at this point in his UFC career, despite having just one official fight in the Octagon. He’s gone through the pressure of winning in order to change his career (and life) forever, he’s had cameras following him every day for six weeks, and he’s gone through the process of getting ready for a UFC fight, which can sometimes be more stressful than the fight itself. He’s also been the David against Goliath and the fighter that has to do twice as much to get half the recognition bigger athletes get. So to see him finally get his opportunity to compete on a level playing field on the sport’s biggest stage, you have to say he’s earned it. And with the 125-pound weight class just getting off the ground in the UFC, a couple good wins could have him in a title fight sooner rather than later. Now that’s an incentive to succeed.

“When there’s only eight guys in the division, you win two, three fights and you look good in them, you could be looking at a title shot,” said Gaudinot. “You don’t want to look too far ahead, but it’s definitely interesting to know that two fights in and I could be in a title elimination bout or even a title bout, depending on how the division plays out in the next year. But I want to focus on my opponent that I have on hand now, and not look past him.”

That’s the only attitude Gaudinot can have. He’s come too far up the MMA turnpike to look back or look too far ahead. All that matters is now.

“When I go out there, I’m gonna lay it all on the line,” he said. “I fight with my heart and I’m gonna go down swinging and go to the very end. I’m looking to show that even though we’re 125 pounds, I’m looking for the knockout. I want to show that even the little guys can end it with one punch too.”

The Biggest Fight


The incredible story of 12-year old Max Hiler and his new friend, interim UFC welterweight champion Carlos Condit...

Max Hiler isn’t your typical 12-year-old.

As a student, he’s in the gifted and talented program at school, bringing home straight As on his report card. He loves science, and is fascinated by Stephen Hawking, the renowned British theoretical physicist who suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

He’s on the swim team at school, and played one year of football before declaring, “You know, that was fun, but I’m not doing that again.” He also likes martial arts, having started taking aikido not too long ago.

Outside of the classroom and sports, Max is kind and generous. This past Christmas, after seeing a Toys for Tots commercial on television, he brought all his video games to the local GameStop, sold them, and then donated the money to the local Toys for Tots campaign.

“He said that he thinks that’s the worst thing there could be: for a kid to wake up and not have any presents on Christmas,” said his mom, Michelle Hiler.

On Easter Sunday of this year, Max had a headache.

He’d had them before, off and on over the last few months, but never anything too bad. He’d been to see his family practitioner in the past, but there were no signs that there was anything to be worried about.

As the day wore on, Max’s headache turned into a migraine, so his mom decided to take him to the emergency room, hoping to get a shot to help the pain subside.

“They did a CAT scan when we were there, and within hours we were at a Children’s Hospital in San Antonio having emergency surgery on his brain to install the shunt — a ventriculoperitoneal shunt or VP shunt,” explained Ms. Hiler.

Doctors discovered Max has what is known as a pineal teratoma, a rare tumor that develops in the pineal region of the brain, just above the brain stem.

“It’s a very rare form of tumor,” explained Max’s dad, Sean Hiler. “In the City of San Antonio, there probably isn’t another person who has had it. In the United States, there are probably only about 175 people who have that same condition, and in the world, there’s probably only about 3,500.”

The non-cancerous tumor is caused by the continued growth of stem cells during gestation.

“It’s just something he’s born with,” continued Mr. Hiler. “Certain stem cells that were supposed to shut off didn’t shut off, so they start growing. They’re just cells that don’t get the message to shut off, and because it’s not cancerous, it doesn’t respond to radiation or chemotherapy.”

Max is scheduled to have surgery on at Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on Monday.

On Friday, Max had an unexpected visitor, as interim UFC welterweight champion Carlos Condit made the trip to San Antonio to spend the afternoon with this incredible 12-year-old boy who truly embodies what it means to be a fighter.

“For today, to have Mr. Condit just call us and say, `Hey, I’m on my way. I’d like to meet Max’ was amazing,” said Ms. Hiler. “To have somebody just drop what they’re doing — their whole schedule for the day — and take a flight out to meet somebody they’ve never met before, it really meant a lot. And I know it did to Max too.”

“(Carlos Condit) is a great ambassador for the sport,” added Sean Hiler, choking back tears. “Everything he does… he’s just an amazing individual. He’s just an incredibly… incredibly kind and generous man.

“I sent an email to him thinking that maybe he’d send an autographed picture or maybe a card or something; I never actually expected that he would come here. I was driving back from Houston, and my wife sent me a text saying `Carlos Condit is on his way to the house.’ I just about wrecked my truck I was so shocked by it.

“Everything has happened so fast, and for Carlos to see that need, and to have that compassion to just drop everything, and come see Max… I can’t even put it into words.”

As it turns out, Max and the former WEC welterweight champion have a lot in common, spending the
afternoon hanging out on the couch, talking about their mutual affinity for science documentaries, martial arts, and dogs. Condit was also made an honorary knight in The Royal Council of Bald Men.

“Max had to have his head shaved for the surgery, so he has this club that he’s started called The Royal Council of Bald Men,” explained Sean Hiler. “All the guys in the family and a lot of our friends have all shaved our heads in solidarity, and Max has this little foam sword, and he knights us all, accepting us into The Order. We’ve got a picture of him knighting Carlos and giving him an honorary membership into The Royal Council of Bald Men.”

“We received a letter from his dad, just telling us his situation,” Condit said Friday on his way back from San Antonio. “There was the option to send him a video or send him a shirt or something, but I decided to go out and visit him, and it was great.

“I feel like I’ve been blessed to do what I do for a living, and if I can act — it was great visiting Max and his family, and I’m glad I went.”

“I think it was kind of surreal for (Max) to have this person coming into his house that he’s heard his dad talk about, and seen on TV,” said Ms. Hiler. “I think it was just kind of surreal for him. He enjoyed it — he really enjoyed Carlos, and talking to him about dogs, and science, and the universe.”

“It was just amazing listening to he and Max talk to each other,” said Sean Hiler. “Just how much they had in common — things that they enjoyed, and similarities with things that Max likes. He brought his belt, and Max got to take his picture holding his belt around his waist.

“I posted on Facebook that the UFC belt that he has is bigger and heavier than you can imagine; you pick that thing up, and it is so heavy,” chuckled Mr. Hiler. “But the belt that Carlos deserves for just being such a great human being… is too big for most men to be able to lift, and he wears it easily.”

Though he’s been feeling better since having the shunt installed on Easter Sunday, Max has to head back to the hospital on Monday for a lengthy surgery, where the doctors hope to be able to excise the tumor if possible.

“Their plan is to just go in and do a biopsy just to see what the tumor is for sure,” explained Mr. Hiler, “but the neurosurgeon, Dr. Mancuso, said that she believes it is probably a teratoma.

“(Max has) named his tumor Voldemort,” he continued. For the scant few who might have missed out on the entire Harry Potter phenomenon, Lord Voldemort is the arch-enemy of the young wizard with the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. “He’s scared, but he wants to get it over with; he wants to kill Voldemort.”

“He told me (Thursday) that he can’t wait for Monday to get here, and that he’s terrified that Monday will get here,” recalled Ms. Hiler. “He wants to get it over with and be done with it, but at the same time, he’s afraid. I told him, `That’s okay. I’m afraid too.’”

Despite the severity of his condition, Max’s parents say the bright, young future astronomer has maintained a positive outlook, his curiosity focused on the incredible amount of support and attention he’s received over the last month.

“He’s a little taken aback by all of the attention that he’s getting, more so than he has any fear of the upcoming surgery,” offered Ms. Hiler. “He doesn’t feel sorry for himself. The other day he said, `Why am I getting so much attention? Aren’t there other sick kids in the world too?’ He just doesn’t see himself as a special. He doesn’t understand why he’s getting so much attention, and other kids may not be getting so much attention.”

That’s what makes you so special, Max.

Keep fighting!

Here’s a video of Max from Friday, put together by his science teacher (and favorite teacher), “Coach” Jimmy Bryant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr92_DiVbu4&feature=colike

For more information on Max, please visit: http://maxhiler.chipin.com/max-hiler-fund

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Randi Miller Pre-fight Interview - Invicta FC 1



Published on Apr 28, 2012 by
Pre-fight interview with Randi Miller. She faces Mollie Estes at 145-lb this Saturday, April 28th on Invicta Fighting Championships 1. Watch at http://invictafc.com

Ashley Cummins Pre-fight Interview - Invicta FC 1



Published on Apr 28, 2012 by
Pre-fight interview with Ashley Cummins. She faces Sofie Bagherdai at 115-lb this Saturday, April 28th on Invicta Fighting Championships 1. Watch at http://invictafc.com

Sally Krumdiack Pre-fight Interview - Invicta FC 1


Published on Apr 28, 2012 by
Pre-fight interview with Sally Krumdiack. She faces Sarah Schneider at 115-lb this Saturday, April 28th on Invicta Fighting Championships 1. Watch at http://invictafc.com

Sarah Schneider Prefight Interview - Invicta FC 1


Published on Apr 28, 2012 by 
Pre-fight interview with Sarah Schneider. She faces Sally Krumdiack at 115-lb this Saturday, April 28th on Invicta Fighting Championships 1. Watch at http://invictafc.com

Nicdali Calanoc Pre-fight Interview - Invicta FC 1


Published on Apr 28, 2012 by 
Pre-fight interview with Nicdali Calanoc. She faces Amy Davis at 105-lb this Saturday, April 28th on Invicta Fighting Championships 1. Watch at http://invictafc.com

Liz Carmouche Pre-fight Interview - Invicta FC 1


Published on Apr 28, 2012 by 
Pre-fight interview with Liz Carmouche. She faces Ashleigh Curry at 135-lb this Saturday, April 28th on Invicta Fighting Championships 1. Watch at http://invictafc.com

Brian Hemminger; Invicta FC 1 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Coenen vs Ruyssen 2' TONIGHT (April 28)


Marloes Coenen (left) stares down Romy Ruyssen (right) at the Invicta FC weigh-ins yesterday. Photo by Esther Lin via Invicta FC
Marloes Coenen (left) stares down Romy Ruyssen (right) at the Invicta FC weigh-ins yesterday. Photo by Esther Lin via Invicta FC
Invicta Fighting Championships debuts TONIGHT (April 28, 2012) at Municipal Hall in Kansas City, Kansaas, with the premiere of the all-female fighting organization.
MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Invicta FC 1 below, beginning with the live stream of the full card at 8 p.m. ET which can be viewed here.
The main event will be headlined by former Strikeforce women's 135 pound champion Marloes Coenen as she takes on French submission specialist Romy Ruyssen in a rematch over three years in the making. Ruyssen missed weight yesterday by nearly four pounds and Coenen never took her eyes off her throughout a very intense 30 second staredown.
Also on the card are former Bellator standouts Lisa Ellis and Jessica Penne as well as former Strikeforce title challenger Liz Carmouche, Olympic medalist Randi Miller and many, many more.
Complete Invicta FC 1 results and play-by-play are after the jump:
Star-divide
Main Event
145 lbs.: Marloes Coenen vs. Romy Ruyssen
Fight Card
105 lbs.: Jessica Penne vs. Lisa Ellis
135 lbs.: Liz Carmouche vs. Ashleigh Curry
135 lbs.: Kaitlin Young vs. Leslie Smith
135 lbs.: Sarah D'Alelio vs. Vanessa Mariscal
115 lbs.: Sally Krumdiack vs. Sarah Schneider
105 lbs.: Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc vs. Amy Davis
125 lbs.: Sarah Maloy vs. Michele Gutierrez
145 lbs.: Randi Miller vs. Mollie Estes
115 lbs.: Ashley Cummins vs. Sofia Bagherdai
105 lbs.: Cassie Rodish vs. Meghan Wright
Hemmi here! I'll be providing some play-by-play of all the girl-on-girl action!
Reminder, you can watch every single fight on the card on the Invicta FC homepage right here beginning at 8 p.m. ET. 

Strikeforce

Followers

ASMM's Blog Archive