Rob Sargent: Women's MMA Report: New promotion Invicta focuses on growing women's game

Invicta Fighting Championships, a new all-female MMA promotion led by former Strikeforce matchmaker and talent relations manager Shannon Knapp, announced its first event this past week and aims to provide a platform to create depth among the women's ranks.

The debut Invicta FC card, set for April 28 in Kansas City, Kan., features matchups in each of the five major women's divisions ranging from 105 to 145 pounds and is headlined by a rematch between former Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Marloes "Rumina" Coenen (19-5) and France's Romy Ruyssen (5-1).

In launching her new project, Knapp is focused on overcoming the biggest challenge in promoting female fights, which is presently a lack of depth at each weight. While the 115- and 135-pound divisions have long been regarded as the premier women's weight classes, there is still a considerable amount of room for improvement. Knapp agrees with UFC president Dana White's belief that more time and effort must be devoted to promoting female fights and fighters in order to establish credible divisions with multiple title contenders at any given time.

The process, which Knapp admits will be challenging, begins with the promotion's first event. In addition to the Coenen-Ruyssen rematch, the card is highlighted by a 105-pound showdown between Bellator veterans Jessica Penne (8-1) and Lisa Ellis-Ward (14-7). Notables Kaitlin Young (7-5), Liz "Girl-Rilla" Carmouche (5-2) and Sarah "The Monster" D'Alelio (4-2) will also be in action on the main card. The preliminary card features the long-awaited MMA debut of 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in women's wrestling, Randi Miller.

Invicta FC plans to hold two more events in 2012 and intends to establish a champion in at least one weight class before the end of this year, with more champions to be crowned in 2013.

Jessica Eye victorious in Ohio, returns to Bellator in April

Popular 125-pound prospect Jessica "Evil" Eye (6-1) won for the third straight time on Feb. 18 at "NAAFS: Caged Vengeance 10" in Cleveland, Ohio. Eye outstruck former NAAFS title challenger Kelly Warren (3-2) through three rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory. Scores were 30-27 across the board for Eye, who addressed the hometown crowd following the fight.

Warren was aggressive throughout much of the first round and found success with leg kicks in the opening two minutes. Eye stayed on the outside and began to establish her jab, which she used to set up quick combinations of punches.

Eye continued to score repeatedly with her jab in the second stanza and she began to land a variety of kicks that prompted Warren to pick up the pace with punching combinations. Eye maintained an edge by chaining her strikes together as the round progressed.

In the final round, Warren countered early jabs and leg kicks from Eye by taking the Ohio native down to the mat. It was Eye who was most active, however, and she worked for an armbar and a triangle choke until the referee called for a break. Back on the feet, Eye took Warren down and bloodied her with elbows to put a stamp on a well-earned decision victory.

At the conclusion of the bout, Eye spoke to the crowd about a possible rematch with NAAFS women's champion Aisling "Ais The Bash" Daly, who handed Eye her lone professional setback this past June. The bout could take place later this year if both fighters are free.

"I've got to be upfront and honest here. Aisling Daly beat me fair and square," Eye said. "I'll never take anything away from that because she beat me, but ... that's the past and I've got a bright future."

Eye's next fight appears to already be in the works, as Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney confirmed that she has a spot on the promotion's April 20 card.

Fury MMA 4 bout marred by weight issues, post-fight altercation

British striker Stacy "The Hammer" Hayes (1-1) picked up the first victory of her pro MMA career Sunday night at "Fury MMA 4" in London, England, but the win did not come without a considerable amount of controversy. Hayes defeated Chloe Hinchliffe (0-1) by TKO (punches) at the 1:02 mark of round one.

Problems began the day before the fight when both fighters weighed in. Hinchliffe came in at 64.7 kilograms (142.3 pounds) for the 65 kilogram fight and was informed that Hayes had tipped the scales at 70.5 kilograms (155.1 pounds). She reluctantly agreed to take the fight anyway and was awarded a percentage of Hayes' purse. Hayes rehydrated overnight and the size difference between the two fighters was immediately evident once the fight began.

After an early exchange of punches, Hayes took her smaller opponent to the mat and moved straight to mount. She landed a series of strikes from the top until the bout was stopped, but the controversy did not end there. The fighters exchanged words in the center of the cage and Hayes shoved Hinchliffe backwards with considerable force. Hayes was physically restrained by two cornermen and continued to motion towards Hinchliffe before eventually calming down.

Under the unified rules in North America, bouts with significant weight discrepancies may be deemed to be exhibition matches that do not count towards either fighter's professional or amateur record. Regulation differs in the U.K. and is at times not present at all. Fury MMA director Stephen Doran confirmed to MMAjunkie.com that Hayes' victory will stand pending a review of the post-fight incident. Hayes previously came in well overweight for a bout with Danielle West in June that was scrapped entirely due to the weight discrepancy.

Nelson misses weight, destroys Eklund in one

Weight issues were also present at Cage Fighting Xtreme and Crowbar MMA's co-promoted "Winter Brawl" event on Feb. 18 in Fargo, N.D. In what was intended to be her bantamweight debut, Strikeforce veteran Shana "Rock Solid" Nelson (5-2) weighed in at 140 pounds for her bout with an undersized and vastly outmatched Lina "Lynx" Eklund (1-1).

Nelson put Eklund on the defensive immediately with a barrage of punches that backed the Swedish fighter up to the cage. Nelson appeared to hold a tremendous strength advantage over her opponent and she scored at will with knees and uppercuts. Eklund tried to circle away to escape, but Nelson chased her down and dropped her with a left-right combo.

Eklund managed to hold on and fought back to her feet, but Nelson landed punch after punch until Eklund collapsed to the mat. Nelson dove in with hammerfist strikes until the lopsided bout was mercifully stopped at the 4:45 mark of the opening round.

Nelson previously weighed in heavy for a December 2009 catchweight bout with Kaitlin Young and has yet to come in below the 140-pound mark. She will be required to make the bantamweight limit of 135 pounds at the debut Invicta FC show in April when she faces fellow Strikeforce veteran Sarah D'Alelio.

Women headline Saturday's Strikeforce return to Ohio

For the first time since August 2009, women will headline a major Strikeforce card this Saturday night at "Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey" in Columbus, Ohio. Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Miesha "Takedown" Tate (12-2 MMA, 5-1 SF) defends her title against unbeaten judoka "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey (4-0 MMA, 2-0 SF) in the main event.

Both fighters have engaged in a war of words leading up to the title bout, which has arguably attracted more attention from fans and media alike than the 2009 showdown between Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos and Gina "Conviction" Carano. Tate has made her feelings known that she does not believe that Rousey, who has yet to compete at 135 pounds, deserves a shot at her championship. Rousey believes that she is deserving of the fight and hopes to lead a charge that will keep female fights at the forefront of Strikeforce this year. The main card airs live on Showtime in the U.S. and Super Channel in Canada.

The preliminary portion of Saturday's card will also be headlined by a women's bantamweight bout. Former champion Sarah Kaufman (14-1 MMA, 5-1 SF) faces fellow Canadian Alexis Davis (11-4 MMA, 2-0 SF) in a rematch from Davis' pro debut in 2007. Kaufman defeated Davis in the pair's first meeting and a title shot looks to be up for grabs in the rematch. Kaufman believes that she was overlooked by Strikeforce management and should have received the first shot at Tate's title. She must first get past Davis, who has won three straight fights. Preliminary bouts air live on Showtime Extreme in the U.S. and Super Channel in Canada.

Jewels, Pink Fight MMA cards take shape for March
Six bouts are official for "Jewels: 18th Ring" on March 3 in Tokyo. The all-female card is expected to be headlined by a bout between promotional poster girl Mika "Future Princess" Nagano (8-6) and one-time Valkyrie contender Emi "Kamikaze Angel" Fujino (10-5). Former Strikeforce title challengers Roxanne "The Happy Warrior" Modafferi (15-9) and ex-teammate Takayo Hashi (13-4) will also face off on the card.

One of Japan's top female prospects, Mizuki Inoue (2-1), returns to Jewels to face unbeaten Australian Alexandra Chambers (2-0) in a featured matchup. Inoue has been inactive in MMA since a competitive decision loss to Jewels champion Ayaka Hamasaki in September, but scored a big victory in a non-title Shoot Boxing match against Ai Takahashi earlier this month. Chambers is a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and makes her Jewels debut in the fight.

In other announced fights for 18th Ring, Yuko "Amiba" Oya (6-2) faces fellow grappler Emi Tomimatsu (4-4) and Ayame "Iris" Miura (4-0) makes her Jewels debut against Norway's Celine Haga (1-10). Two-division champion Yui Takada faces Satoko Ozawa in a kickboxing match. The remainder of the card will be confirmed this week.

On March 10 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's first all-female promotion, Pink Fight MMA, will stage its second event. The card is headlined by a Pink Fight title bout at 60 kilograms (132 pounds) between long-time Brazilian standout Vanessa Porto (13-4) and top prospect Jennifer Maia (5-1-1). Porto handed Maia her first professional setback via technical submission in October.

Other bouts on the card include Kalindra Carvalho Faria (3-3-1) vs. Aline Serio (2-2), Michele Dayana (0-0) vs. Jenifer Araujo (0-3) and Rayane "Fortinha" (0-0) vs. "Ataide Girls" (0-0). More fights will be announced in the coming week.

Quick results

Larissa Tyler (2-0) defeated Lizzie Dorsett (0-1) by submission (punches) at the 2:54 mark of round one at "Alaska Fighting Championship 89: Date Night" on Feb. 15 in Anchorage. Tyler earned her second stoppage victory after winning her pro debut in October.

Jessica "Jag" Aguilar (13-4) defeated "Little" Patricia Vidonic (6-2) by unanimous decision at "Fight Time Promotions 8: It's Fight Time" on Feb. 17 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Aguilar was able to outstrike her opponent with punches on the feet and on the ground throughout much of the three-round bout. She prevented Vidonic from getting back to her feet by kicking at her legs for prolonged stretches. Vidonic was active from her back in the opening round and tried for an armbar, but Aguilar easily escaped and took control as the bout progressed. Aguilar is expected to face Megumi "Mega Megu" Fujii at an upcoming Bellator event. Vidonic next battles Felice "Lil' Bulldog" Herrig at XFC 17 on April 13 in Jackson, Tenn.

Amanda "Powerhouse" Lucas (4-1) defeated MMA pioneer Yumiko Hotta (5-4) by submission (keylock) at the 2:16 mark of round three at "DEEP: 57 Impact" on Feb. 18 in Tokyo. Lucas controlled much of the bout with takedowns and ground and pound, but Hotta surprised many with a game performance in her first MMA bout since 2000. Hotta countered a takedown with a guillotine choke in the third round, but Lucas managed to free herself and passed Hotta's guard before setting up the fight-ending keylock. The victory earned Lucas the vacant DEEP women's open-weight championship. She has won four straight fights, with three of those wins coming under the DEEP banner, and has become a fan favorite among the Japanese audience.

"Rowdy" Bec Hyatt (1-1) defeated Sarah Morrison (0-1) by submission (armbar) at the 1:30 mark of round two at Brace For War 14 on Feb. 18 in Canberra, Australia. Hyatt achieved her first win as a pro after she was on the receiving end of a head-kick knockout in her October debut.

Stephanie "The Scrapper" Skinner (1-3) defeated Brittany Nipper (0-5) by TKO (punches) at the 4:36 mark of round two. The bout took place on the all-female "Universal Fight Alliance 8: Women of MMA" card on Feb. 18 in Casper, Wyo. Nipper looked to hold an edge during the first round of the action-packed bout, but Skinner landed a head kick late in round two and took her opponent down before finishing the fight with punches from mount.

Charmaine "Not So Sweet" Tweet (1-2) defeated Marshelle Weinberger (0-1) by submission (guillotine choke) at the 1:19 mark of round one at "HKFC: School of Hard Knocks 20" on Feb. 24 in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Tweet used her improving ground skills to secure her first pro win after a pair of quick defeats this past year.

DeAnna Bennett (1-0) defeated Andrea "Killer" Miller (3-7) by TKO (punches) at the 2:41 mark of round one at "Showdown Fights: Breakout" on Feb. 24 in Orem, Utah. Bennett followed up on her 2-0 amateur career by overwhelming Miller with strikes en route to the first-round victory.

Emily Green (1-0) defeated Gina "Jitsu" Gallea (0-2) by TKO (retirement) at the end of round one for FightForce on Feb. 24 in Helena, Mont. Green impressed in her pro debut after picking up an amateur win for FightForce this past year. Gallea suffered her second defeat in six weeks after falling to Michelle Ould in January.

Joanne "JoJo" Calderwood (1-0) defeated Noelia Molina (0-1) by TKO (punches) in round one at On Top 4 on Feb. 25 in Glasgow, Scotland. The bout was the first professional women's MMA fight in the country's history.

Jeet Toshi (1-0) defeated Pooja Mehra (0-1) by unanimous decision at Full Contact Championship 5 on Feb. 25 in Mumbai, India. Toshi will make a quick return to action to face Nicole Chua at "ONE Fighting Championship 3: War of the Lions" on March 31 in Singapore.

Upcoming fights

Yana "Foxy" Kunitskaya (6-1) faces Anna Melikhova (0-0) at "Lion's Fights 1: The Beginning" on March 3 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Kunitskaya has been very active in recent months and has won four straight fights by first-round TKO. She expects to give up nearly 50 pounds to Melikhova in the open-weight bout next month.

Carla Esparza (6-2) faces Angela Magana (11-4) at "MEZ Sports: Pandemonium 6" on March 3 in Riverside, Calif. Esparza competes in a five-round title fight for the first time in her MMA career and is coming off of an impressive decision victory over Felice Herrig in December. Magana drops down to 115 for a shot at capturing the Pandemonium women's title. She has won five of her past six fights. This event streams live on Sherdog.com.

Maiju "Mai" Kujala (6-3) faces Juliana "Thai" Carneiro Lima (3-0) on March 9 in Beirut, Lebanon. Kujala earned back-to-back first-round TKO victories this past year and is already scheduled to face unbeaten Ukrainian prospect Lena "Hunter" Ovchynnikova in April. She must first get past Carneiro Lima, who has yet to taste defeat and fights outside of Brazil for the first time.

Rachel "The Riot" Kemker (0-1) faces Jenna "Harley SoCal" Bernick (0-1) at "SteelFist Fight Night 6" on March 9 in Salt Lake City, Utah. This bout is the first women's fight in the promotion's history and will be contested in the heavyweight division.

Darla Harris (1-0) faces Lisa Jeanson (1-1) at "The Beatdown 9: Army vs. Marines 3" on March 10 in Denver, Colo. Harris surprised many by upsetting Jennifer "Lil' Ice" Berg in October and looks for her second pro win. Jeanson was defeated by Berg in her pro debut, but rebounded with a quick submission victory this past March.

"Windy" Tomomi Sunaba (17-13-1) faces Saori "Shooting Star" Ishioka (11-7) at "Pancrase Progress Tour 3" on March 11 in Tokyo. This bout will be Sunaba's retirement fight after a 13-year career in kickboxing and MMA. She has won five of her past six fights and is one of the most skilled female strikers in Japanese MMA history. Ishioka remains one of the top stars in Jewels, but she has suffered consecutive losses for the first time in her career and looks to end the losing streak at Sunaba's expense.

On the same Pancrase card, 16-year-old grappler Shino VanHoose (2-0) faces former Valkyrie competitor Kimie "Sakura" Okada (0-5-1). VanHoose made her MMA debut for Pancrase in October and needed just 51 seconds to choke out Nana Ichikawa with a rarely-seen Ezekiel choke. In December, she defeated Asami Higa under the Jewels banner. Okada remains in search of her first pro win and will be an underdog to the teen prospect next month.