MMA Rising: Kaiyana Rain Submits Jordan Gaza At Tuff-N-Uff: “Festibrawl”

In just 64 seconds, Kaiyana Rain spoiled opponent Jordan Nicole Gaza’s final amateur bout tonight at Tuff-N-Uff: “Festibrawl” in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rain submitted her 19-year-old adversary with a first-round guillotine choke to claim the newly vacated Tuff-N-Uff 115-pound women’s championship.
The 115-pound title was initially slated to be up for grabs in a different fight on the card, but a planned championship bout between titleholder Jillian “Justice” Lybarger and Stephanie “The Shark” Gonzalez was cancelled for the second consecutive time after Lybarger was unable to make weight.

Rain (4-1-1) chose not to touch gloves with Gaza (4-3-0) to start the fight and kept her distance early on. Gaza rushed forward and was met by a solid counter combination from Rain. Gaza worked her way into a clinch, but Rain countered with a standing guillotine choke and pulled guard. The choke was initially loose and Gaza looked to be close to freeing herself, but Rain adjusted her grip and Gaza was forced to submit. The quick win earned Rain the vacant 115-pound women’s title; a belt that has been the subject of controversy in recent months.
Lybarger first captured the title by defeating then-champion Gaza this past November. She had been set to make her first title defence against Gonzalez at Tuff-N-Uff: “The Fist-ival” in April, but the bout was scrapped when Lybarger could not make weight. Gonzalez was awarded the belt by default, but the promotion later reversed course and restored Lybarger’s status as champion. The Lybarger-Gonzalez fight was rebooked for tonight, but when Lybarger again came in well over the contracted weight limit, Tuff-N-Uff officials stripped her of the title and placed it up for grabs.
The bizarre and confusing title situation has ultimately concluded with Rain as the Tuff-N-Uff women’s champion at 115 pounds. Her lone career defeat came via Split Decision to Gonzalez in October and a rematch between the two could potentially take place in the future.
Winner: Kaiyana Rain by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:04 of round one. She improves to 4-1-1 and becomes the new Tuff-N-Uff 115-pound women’s champion.

In the lone other women’s bout to take place on tonight’s “Festibrawl” card, Chelsea “The Hammer” Lewis (1-1-0) made short work of Lindsey “Kaotic” Carter (0-1-0). Lewis dropped Carter with a right hook early on and moved to side control. Carter managed to work back to her feet, but Lewis slammed her back down and landed big right hands until Carter tapped out.
Winner: Chelsea Lewis by Submission (Punches) at 1:24 of round one. She improves to 1-1-0.