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Women’s MMA Report: UFC books Rousey vs. Davis, Kaufman defeats Smith again

alexis-davis-ufc-170Undefeated UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey makes her next title defense on July 5 at “UFC 175: Weidman vs. Machida” in Las Vegas. Rousey faces decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Alexis Davis in what will likely serve as the co-main event on the card. Officials announced the championship fight this past week.

Rousey (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has reigned atop the 135-pound women’s division since she captured the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title from rival Miesha Tate in March 2012. The gifted judoka retained the belt by submitting former champ Sarah Kaufman five months later and has since gone on to win three straight UFC fights in impressive fashion.

After making history by winning the first-ever UFC women’s bout this past year, Rousey submitted Tate for a second time in December and then made a quick return to the cage to face fellow Olympic medalist Sara McMann at UFC 170 in February. The headliner ended in just 66 seconds when Rousey dropped McMann with a knee to the body to earn her first TKO victory. All 11 of Rousey’s previous pro and amateur wins had ended via armbar.

Davis (16-5 MMA, 3-0 UFC) also sports an unblemished record inside the UFC octagon and is the most accomplished submission grappler to challenge Rousey to date. With black belts in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Japanese jujutsu, Davis has put her grappling skills to good use in MMA by submitting some of the women’s bantamweight division’s biggest names. All three of her UFC fights have gone the distance, however, and she narrowly defeated former top-ranked flyweight Jessica Eye in her most recent fight at UFC 170.

Prior to the announcement that Rousey will face Davis in July, rumors swirled regarding the potential return of former EliteXC and Strikeforce star Gina Carano. Both Rousey and UFC president Dana White stated that Carano deserved an opportunity to challenge for the UFC women’s bantamweight championship if she returned to MMA. However, Carano has not fought since August 2009, when Cristiane Justino stopped her in a Strikeforce women’s featherweight title fight. Reactions from fans, fighters and media to the idea of a Rousey-Carano UFC title bout were largely negative.

Carano is reportedly still in talks to make a comeback in the UFC, but it will be Davis who receives the next shot at Rousey’s title.

Kaufman defeats Smith in TUF Nations Finale rematch

sarah-kaufman-leslie-smith-tuf-nations-finaleFormer Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Sarah Kaufman (17-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) overcame two late opponent changes and scored her first UFC victory on Wednesday at the TUF Nations Finale in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Kaufman earned a dominant unanimous decision win over onetime Invicta FC rival Leslie Smith (6-5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC).

Kaufman and Smith initially met in a closely contested bout at Invicta FC 5 one year ago. Kaufman was dropped by a head kick in the second round, but she recovered and rallied back in Round 3 en route to a razor-thin and contentious split-decision victory. Smith’s loss to Kaufman denied her a UFC contract for the time being. She subsequently dropped down to 125 pounds and challenged unsuccessfully for the Invicta FC flyweight championship in December.

When Kaufman’s original opponents, Shayna Baszler and Amanda Nunes, were both forced to withdraw from the event due to injuries, Smith stepped into the TUF Nations Finale rematch with Kaufman on just eight days’ notice. Kaufman had clearly learned from the first fight, however, and she put on one of the best performances of her career on Wednesday.

Kaufman was effective right from the beginning of the fight with knees to the body and inside-leg kicks that dropped Smith on two occasions. She landed crisp combinations that snapped back Smith’s head and ducked under many of Smith’s looping punches. By Round 3, Kaufman was comfortably ahead on the scorecards, but she didn’t coast to victory. She took down Smith in the final minute and transitioned to back control, but Smith scrambled back to her feet, and the entertaining fight ended with an exchange of big punches.

Kaufman’s precise striking and varied attacks on the feet propelled her to a commanding victory on the scorecards. All three judges saw the fight 30-27 in Kaufman’s favor. She has tasted defeat just one time in her past seven fights. Smith’s game performance in defeat was enough to earn her some well-deserved praise from Dana White.

Shafir wins pro debut at ‘Chaos at the Casino 4’

On April 12 highly touted judoka Marina Shafir (1-0) stepped into the ring for her long-awaited pro MMA debut at “Lights Out Promotions: Chaos at the Casino 4” in Inglewood, Calif. Shafir submitted Chandra Engel (0-2) with her signature armbar in the first round.

Shafir, who went 5-0 as an amateur with five first-round submission wins, reversed a takedown attempt from Engel in the opening seconds. She transitioned from back control to an armbar, but Engel used her leg to create space and escaped soon after. Engel wound up in her opponent’s guard, but Shafir exploded out and took mount. She rained down punches, and Engel gave up her back. Shafir locked on a second armbar, and this time Engel had nowhere to go. She tapped out at the 1:57 mark of Round 1, giving Shafir a quick win in her pro debut.

Although her pro career has just begun, Shafir still has her sights set on a future showdown with current Invicta FC featherweight champion “Cyborg” Justino. Shafir, who trains with best friend and reigning UFC champion Rousey, believes that she will be ready to face Justino by mid- to late-2015. As Shafir begins her climb up the women’s featherweight rankings, Justino is rumored to be defending her Invicta FC title against Ediane Gomes at Invicta FC 8.

Nakai faces D’Alelio in non-title bout at Pancrase 258

rin-nakai.jpgBantamweight Queen of Pancrase Rin Nakai (15-0-1) makes her return to action on May 11 at Pancrase 258 in Tokyo. The eccentric champion faces Invicta FC contender Sarah D'Alelio (7-5) in a non-title fight on the card. Pancrase officials announced the bout this past week.

Nakai became the first 135-pound Queen of Pancrase in December 2012 when she defeated Danielle West in a rematch from their controversial fight 15 months prior. The second bout between was not without controversy, either, as West’s failure to make weight resulted in a number of stipulations being attached to the fight that made it virtually impossible for her to win. Nakai prevailed via unanimous decision to win the inaugural title.

Since capturing the belt, Nakai has fought twice for Pancrase in non-title bouts. This past May, she submitted King of the Cage champ Brenda Gonzales with a first-round rear-naked choke. She most recently posted a close majority decision win over MMA pioneer Tara LaRosa at Pancrase 252 in September. The victory was unquestionably Nakai’s biggest to date.

D’Alelio signed on with the upstart Invicta FC promotion in early 2012 and has fought on six of the organization’s seven cards. After scoring back-to-back submission wins over Vanessa Mariscal and Vanessa Porto, D’Alelio suffered a loss to “TUF 18” competitor Shayna Baszler at Invicta FC 3. She rebounded with a lopsided unanimous-decision win over current UFC contender Amanda Nunes. D’Alelio’s two most recent fights for Invicta FC each ended in competitive defeats, and she now looks for a fresh start in Japan.

Pancrase recently announced changes to its rule structure and scoring. Bouts will be contested inside a cage rather than in a ring, and a 10-point must system will be used. Soccer kicks are no longer permitted, but elbow strikes are allowed. Preliminary-card bouts, which previously used two five-minute rounds, will now be contested over three three-minute rounds. Championship fights, or featured matchups such as the Nakai-D’Alelio bout, will still use three five-minute rounds. If D’Alelio defeats Nakai next month, she will receive a rematch for the title.

Kankaanpaa returns home, Alyona Rassohyna on May 17

Invicta FC strawweight contender Katja Kankaanpaa (8-1-1) competes in her home country of Finland for her next bout at Fight Night 10 on May 17. Kankaanpaa is set to face Ukrainian prospect Alyona Rassohyna (8-2) on the card, which takes place in the city of Lappeenranta.

Kankaanpaa was curiously excluded from the list of confirmed participants on “The Ultimate Fighter 20” that was announced earlier this year; many observers felt the Finnish standout would be a shoo-in to be chosen for the show. She most recently suffered the first defeat of her career, a close decision loss to unbeaten star Joanne Calderwood at Invicta FC 7, but Kankaanpaa put on a solid showing in the back-and-forth fight.

With “TUF 20” plans out of the picture, Kankaanpaa instead will stay busy by fighting at home next month. Her opponent, Rassohyna, is a proven finisher who has totaled six submission victories to date. She’s fought seven consecutive times for Oplot Challenge, and all seven of her fights for the promotion have ended via first-round armbar. Her lone defeat in the past three years came when Anna Bezhenar submitted her at Oplot Challenge 4. Rassohyna is currently riding a four-fight winning streak.

In addition to the Kankaanpaa-Rassohyna bout, the Fight Night 10 card also includes two additional women’s matchups. Vuokko Katainen (2-1) faces unbeaten Russian fighter Julia Borisova (3-0), and Suvi Salmimies (0-0) makes her pro debut against Yana Lyashko (0-1).

Miesha Tate battles Liz Carmouche tonight at UFC on FOX 11

miesha-tate-22-featured.jpgTonight, in Orlando, Fla., onetime Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate (13-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) and former UFC title challenger Liz Carmouche (9-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) face off in a pivotal matchup at “UFC on FOX 11: Werdum vs. Browne.” Tate and Carmouche meet in the co-main event on the card, and both women are in need of a big win.

Tate became the third Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion in July 2011, but she lost the title to current UFC champ Rousey in her first defense. Since relinquishing the belt, Tate has encountered mixed success. She rallied back from the brink of defeat on two occasions and submitted Julie Kedzie in her final fight for Strikeforce. This past April, Tate made her UFC debut against undefeated rising star Cat Zingano and got off to a strong start in the first two rounds before succumbing to strikes in Round 3.

When Zingano sustained a knee injury, Tate stepped in to coach opposite Rousey on “The Ultimate Fighter 18.” The rivalry between the two fighters only intensified leading up to their rematch at UFC 168 in December. Tate put forth the best effort of any of Rousey’s opponents to date and took the champion into Round 3 for the first time in her career. However, Rousey ultimately secured an armbar that forced Tate to submit. While still a contender in the division, Tate has lost three of her past four fights, and a loss to Carmouche would be devastating.

Carmouche challenged Rousey in the inaugural UFC women’s bantamweight title fight in February 2013. She had the champion in some trouble early in the fight, but Rousey escaped and forced Carmouche to submit to an armbar very late in Round 1. Former U.S. Marine Carmouche rebounded from the loss by stopping Jessica Andrade at UFC on FOX 8. However, her most recent fight ended in a one-sided unanimous-decision defeat to Davis. Like Tate, Carmouche also needs a big victory tonight.

The winner of the Tate-Carmouche showdown will take one step back up toward title contention as the division becomes more and more competitive. A defeat will likely drop the loser out of the championship hunt for at least the remainder of 2014, if not for good.

Quick results

Carolina Karasek (3-0) def. Fernanda Gadea (1-2) via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) at the 3:40 mark of Round 1 at “Octagon Fighting Championship: Sobradinho Fight 2” on April 9 in Sobradinho, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Karasek has stopped all three of her opponents in the first round.

On the same Octagon Fighting Championship card, Bruna Vargas (2-0) def. Rafaela Garcia (0-1) via unanimous decision. Vargas previously earned a second-round submission victory in her October professional debut.

Rosy Duarte (5-2) def. Cristina Araujo (0-1) via submission (armbar) in Round 1 at “Ox MMA/Revolucao MMA: Ox Revolution” on April 10 in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. Duarte has won four of her past five fights and her lone defeat during that time came via split decision.

Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger (3-1) def. Rosa Acevedo (1-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) at “RFA 14: Manzanares vs. Maranho” on April 11 in Cheyenne, Wyo. Jones-Lybarger got back on the winning track following her first pro loss in July. She dominated most of the bout with Acevedo en route to victory.

Arlene Blencowe (4-4) def. Kenani Mangakahia (2-2) via submission (triangle choke) at the 4:04 mark of Round 3 at FightWorld Cup 17 on April 12 in Nerang, Queensland, Australia. Blencowe has finished back-to-back opponents and picked up her biggest win to date in the fight.

Debi Studer (1-0) def. Mara Emerita Romero Mendieta (0-1) via submission (guillotine choke) in Round 2 at “Martial Arts Xtreme Fight Championship: Max Monster 2” on April 12 in Sempach, Lucerne, Switzerland. Studer made a successful pro MMA debut with the submission win.

Agnieszka Niedzwiedz (6-0) def. Gemma Hewitt (1-1) via submission (triangle choke) at the 3:59 mark of Round 1 at Cage Warriors 67 on April 12 in Swansea, Wales. Niedzwiedz was in complete control of the fight from start to finish. The 19-year-old Polish standout mounted Hewitt in the opening round and rained down punches and elbows. She locked on a triangle choke and continued to batter a bloodied Hewitt with strikes until she finally tapped out. Niedzwiedz remains one of the top female prospects in Europe.

Polyana Viana Mota (3-0) def. Thais Santana (3-3) via TKO (punches) in Round 1 at Araguatins Fight Night MMA on April 12 in Araguatins, Tocantins, Brazil. Viana Mota has finished all three of her opponents to date. She previously earned a second-round submission win in February.

Naiara Pereira de Oliveira (2-0) def. Jackeline Sales Ferreira Leite (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 1:59 mark of Round 1 at “Arena Combat Championship 2: Goias vs. Para” on April 12 in Goiania, Goias, Brazil. Pereira de Oliveira has knocked out both of her pro opponents.

Rosangela dos Santos (1-0) def. Fabrina Vanessa (0-1) via split decision at Rolim Fight Combat 2 on April 12 in Rolim de Moura, Rondonia, Brazil. Dos Santos made a successful pro debut with the close decision victory.

Mariana Morais (4-0) def. Mariana Leonardo dos Santos (2-1) via submission (straight armbar) at the 44-second mark of Round 1 at “Talent MMA Circuit 8: Etapa Valinhos 2014” on April 12 in Valinhos, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Morais has earned first-round finishes in all four of her pro fights to date. The 18-year-old prospect made her pro debut shortly after her 17th birthday.

Brianna VanBuren (3-1) def. Katie Klimansky-Casimir (1-3) via TKO (retirement) at the 5:00 mark of Round 1 at “Rogue Fights 26: Fight Night 3” on April 12 in Redding, Calif. VanBuren has won back-to-back fights this year and captured the Rogue Fights women’s strawweight title with the victory. She previously upset Patricia Vidonic at Rogue Fights 25 in January.

Lacey Schuckman (10-7) def. Melissa Myers (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 1:35 mark of Round 1 at “Fight To Win: Animals” on April 18 in Denver, Colo. Schuckman moved up to 125 pounds for the short-notice flyweight fight and had little trouble in securing a victory. The fight marked the second time in 10 months that the Colorado commission sanctioned a bout between Schuckman and a pro debutant. This past June, Schuckman easily defeated a vastly overmatched Jody Lynn Reicher (2-8 as an amateur) with an armbar in just 28 seconds.

Upcoming fights

Trisha Clark (2-7) faces Amanda LaVoy (2-5) at Kansas City Fighting Alliance 10 on April 19 in Independence, Mo. Clark last fought in March 2013, when Invicta FC fighter Nina Ansaroff stopper her in the second round. LaVoy has already faced some of the sport’s top female fighters at 115 and 125 pounds, but she has not fought since late 2011.

Rachel Kemker (1-2) faces Kilistina Makihele (0-0) at “SteelFist Fight Night 24: New Era” on April 19 in Farmington, Utah. Kemker looks to rebound from a TKO loss in her most recent bout. Makihele makes her pro debut in 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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