Invicta Add 15 to its Roster Including Peggy Megan and Roxanne Modafferi

Invicta Add 15 to its Roster Including Peggy Megan and Roxanne Modafferi

Invicta Fighting Championships has announced the signing of fifteen women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes to the Kansas City based promotion. The fifteen new athletes are spread across all five of the current weight classes in the women’s world championship MMA promotion and represent the next chapter in the history of Women’s MMA.

Since the inaugural Invicta FC live event in April 2012, Invicta has maintained its goal of showcasing current stars of Women’s MMA, but also building the stars of the future. To date over a dozen athletes have made their professional debuts fighting for Invicta FC, a trend that continues with the signings announced today.

“Invicta has always endeavored to balance delivering the athletes fans know and love, with an eye towards building the next generation of female MMA stars,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp. “It has always been important to give the fans new athletes to cheer for, and to give the athletes themselves a platform to showcase their talent for the entire world to see.”

Continuing another Invicta FC trend, recently signed athletes hail from all corners of the globe, including as far away as New Zealand. “Women’s MMA is truly a global sport, and at Invicta we have scoured the globe in order to bring the best talent to our fans,” said Knapp. “There is talent all around the globe, and our goal at Invicta has been to provide athletes with a worldwide platform to display their talent.”

Newly minted Invicta FC Matchmaker Julie Kedze is excited with the options the new signings represent for Invicta. “This new class provides me with added depth to put together match ups that we believe the fans want to see.” remarked Kedzie.

Invicta currently plans to hold six world class MMA events in 2014, with the first tentatively planned for early April.

The following is a complete list of the most recent signings by Invicta FC, led by Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) veterans Peggy Morgan and Roxanne Modafferi.

Atomweight (105lbs)
Amber Brown- 3-1, United States

Strawweight (115lbs)
Livia Renata Souza- 5-0, Brazil
Karolina Kowalkiewicz – 4-0, Poland
Mellony Geugjes -0-1 MMA, 18-5-2 Kickboxing, 10-0 PRO Boxing, Netherlands
Herica Tiburcio- 7-2, Brazil
Ashley Greenway- Pro Debut, United States

Flyweight (125lbs)
Rachel Ostovich- 0-1, United States
Joanna Jedrzejczyk –  4-0, Poland
Valerie Letourneau – 4-3, Canada
Delaney Owen – Pro Debut, United States

Bantamweight (135lbs)
Peggy Morgan- 2-1, United States
Roxanne Modafferi – 15-11, United States
Cindy Dandois- 5-1, Belgium
Irene Aldana-  3-1, Mexico

Featherweight (145lbs)
Faith Van Duin- 4-0, New Zealand

Invicta FC’s most recent event on December 7th saw Barb “Lil’ Warrior” Honchak (9-2) make the first defense of her Flyweight World Title (125 Pounds) against Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (6-4-1). Invicta FC also crowned it’s very first Bantamweight World Champion (135 pounds), when Lauren Murphy (8-0) defeated Miriam “The Queen of Mean” Nakamoto (2-1) by way of TKO (knee injury).

Cris Cyborg Meets Jorina Baars for Lion Fight Welterweight Title March 28

Cris Cyborg Meets Jorina Baars for Lion Fight Welterweight Title March 28

Lion Fight will make an immediate return to action at The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas Friday, March 28 and as CEO Scott Kent announced tonight on AXS TV’s Inside MMA, he has already signed the best pound-for-pound female fighter in the world, Cyborg for a women’s welterweight championship fight on the card.

Kent stated to Inside MMA that LION FIGHT 14’s main event will be a fight between WBC Muay Thai Champion Gregory Choplin and European Champion Marco Pique in the main event, and that on tap for the co-main event is the first-ever women’s welterweight title fight between Cyborg and Hollander Jorina Baars, who holds rank as a European Muay Thai Champion.

LION FIGHT 14 will be broadcast live on AXS TV in The UFC starting at 10 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. PT) with play-by-play and commentary by Pat Miletich and “The Voice” Michael Schiavello. This will be the seventh LION FIGHT event on AXS TV, who renewed their broadcast licensing deal with the Muay Thai promotion earlier this year.

“We are excited to have ‘Cyborg’ back with us March 28 for LION FIGHT 14 in Las Vegas,” said Kent. “In her last fight, Cyborg absolutely dominated French Muay Thai Champion Jennifer Colomb, leaving no question that she is a legitimate two-sport athlete who can win impressively in both MMA and Muay Thai. She also showed she is an aggressive fighter who has the power and pace to finish fights. I think she won over a lot of new fight fans in our ring, and they can’t wait to see her in action again.”

“I am excited to be fighting for LION FIGHT again, and I am grateful for the chance to fight for the belt,” said Cyborg. “I had a great experience last time I fought for Scott Kent and I promise to bring it to my opponent again this time. Jorina Baars has a lot of experience but I am training very hard for the win and another knockout. I promise the fans this will be another exciting fight!”

“I’ve heard and seen a lot of good things about Cris Cyborg,” said Baars. “I’m very happy to be offered the opportunity to fight her with Lion Fight. I only know one way to fight and that’s to win.”

LION FIGHT 14 also features the return of Thai fighting legend Malaipet who will be facing American Shane Oblonsky. More bouts for LION FIGHT 14 will be announced soon.
- See more at: http://www.lionfight.com/news/2014/02/cris-cyborg-signs-with-lion-fight-set-to-fight-for-first-womens-welterweight-title-at-lion-fight-14/#sthash.74aNb4Xp.dpuf

SANDEE to Launch Joanne Calderwood “Badmofo” Signature Series

SANDEE to Launch Joanne Calderwood “Badmofo” Signature Series

Team SANDEE Fighter Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood is to get her own range of SANDEE gloves and Shingaurds we can exclusively reveal today.

The new signature range exclusive to www.sandeeboxing.com will be named “Badmofo” after the name she goes by on Twitter.

The new design will be done in conjunction with Joanne and will reflect her Scottish roots combined with the premium quality expected from SANDEE in Thailand.

Here are some more details of the new BadMofo range

*         SANDEE JoJo Calderwood “Badmofo” Range Launching in May 2014

*         Signature design of Professional Training Gloves + Muay Thai Shin Guards

*         Colours – White / Scotland Blue / Black

*         To be Available in 10/12/14/16oz  in Velcro Boxing Gloves, M/L in Shinguards

*         Handcrafted in Thailand exclusively by SANDEE

In reference to Joanne’s Scottish heritage, the “Badmofo” logo will be in classic Celtic Script Font

Inside the Cage or Muay Thai Ring,  JoJo certainly lives up to her BadMofo name as one of the sports most vicious strikers, and has now notched up 8 straight wins in MMA and will later take part in the The Ultimate Fighter Season 20, which for the first time feature and all female contest.

The winner of TUF20 will be crowned the first straw weight female UFC champion and hopefully that will be Team SANDEE’s BadMofo JoJo, who would become the first British UFC Champion in the history of the sport.

Outside of the cage however she couldn’t be nicer (we think anyway) but we wouldn’t like to be on the receiving end of one of her trademark elbows.

Source: sandeeboxing.com

30 Bold Predictions for 2014

30 Bold Predictions for 2014
by Chris Houten @mrhouts

What we know so far about MMA in 2014: The UFC will stage the most shows they have ever in a calendar year, some notable UFC champions will be out injured in 2014, and Cage Warriors will continue their global expansion.... and thats about it.

We are in for a rough and ready ride in 2014, with some twist and turns along they way. Call them brave, call them bold, or call them just plain stupid, but here is my bold predictions for 2014 in no particular order.

1. The UFC will finally sign Mamed Kalidov in 2014, he will likely headline the promotions visit to Poland 
2. 2 UFC champions will lose their belts in 2014 - Chris Weidman and Anthony Pettis 
3. Nick Diaz will return to MMA in 2014
4. One of the Diaz brothers will fight for a UFC title in 2014 
5. Conor McGregor remains undefeated in the UFC in 2014, books a number 1 contender fight before the end of the year 
6. Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson fight each other putting on a fight of the year candidate 
7. At least 3 of the current Cage Warriors champions fight in the UFC in 2014 
8. Cathal Pendred wins TUF 19 
9. Rosi Sexton will sign with Invicta
10. Brad Pickett fights for the flyweight title in 2014 
11. Joanne Calderwood will KO ever opponent she faces in the TUF 20 house until she face Carla Esparza who out wrestlers her on route to winning the strawweight title 
12. Cain Velasquez doesn't fight in 2014 due to injury 
13. Paul Daley signs for Glory World Series before the end if the year taking a hiatus from MMA 
14. Chael Sonnen retires 
15. As do Dan Henderson and Frank Mir who both lose their next fights 
16. Holly Holm signs for the UFC; loses number 1 contender bout to Alexis Davis by submission 
17. Arnold Allen wins The CW featherweight title vacated by Jim Alers who joins the UFC 
18. Jose Aldo moves to lightweight before the year is out 
19. Jim Wallhead wins the Bamma Welterweight title 
20. Pat Barry returns to kickboxing after dropping to Light-heavyweight; Pat is knocked out in the first round of his 205 debut 
21. A minimum of 5 British fighters will be cut for the UFC in 2014 
22. James Brum will sign for the UFC in 2014 
23. The UFCs planned trip to Istanbul will not take place
24. Nick Newell wins the WSOF lightweight title in 2014
25. Norman Parke remains undefeated in the UFC in 2014, moves into the Top 10 in the Lightweight rankings
26. Johny Hendrick with beat Robbie Lawler to become the UFCs new Welterweight champion; he loses the title to Carlos Condit before the end of the year
27. Rampage Jackson will fight for the Bellator Light-Heavyweight title in 2014
28. Michael Bisping finally gets a shot the Middleweight title
29. Invicta gets TV deal in 2014
30. Lyoto Machida becomes only the 3rd man to become a 2 weight champion in the UFC

Agree? Let me know in the comments section below what you like, don't like, or what you think is just plain crazy!

TUF 20 Preview: Sam Heard Previews The UFCs New Strawweight Division

TUF 20 Preview: Sam Heard Previews The UFCs New Strawweight Division
by Sam Heard - @SamHeard_

It has been a week since the UFC’s hugely discussed announcement that they would be introducing a Woman’s Strawweight division (106-155lbs), making it the tenth weight division to be featured on MMA’s premier promotion. To compete in this division, the UFC has signed 11 of Invicta’s most exciting Strawweight fighters. Equally exciting as this initial announcement was the development that these 11 fighters would be supplemented with a further 5 signings and would compete in the first ever all-women’s Ultimate Fighter. The winner of the show will become the inaugural UFC Strawweight champion. The stakes in a TUF show have never been higher; even in what I believe to be the most exciting entry into the series – ‘TUF 4: The Comeback’ – the prize was a title shot rather than the belt itself. To fight fans less familiar with Invicta, some of these new signings will be unfamiliar – rest assured they are certainly top-tier. Here is Kingdom MMA’s summary of the 11 new fighters and who to look out for when they compete on The Ultimate Fighter’s 20th instalment:

Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (9-2)
Invicta’s reigning Strawweight champion must surely be one of the favourites to exchange her Invicta belt for UFC gold. Her strong collegiate-level wrestling base has been supplemented by improved striking and BJJ skills. Her only losses earlier in her career came via contentious Split-Decision and an unlucky Armbar submission.

Claudia “Claudinha” Gadelha (11-0)
Gadelha was supposed to challenge Esparza for her title only 10 days ago on the Invicta FC 7 card but was prevented by illness. Her flawless record alone is indicative of her prowess in the cage.  Gadelha may be seen as the Ronda Rousey of the Strawweight division, picking up 5 of her 11 wins by first round Armbar.

Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood (8-0)
Scotland’s own Joanne Calderwood has established a reputation as one of the most feared fighters in the Strawweight division. As is often the case with fighters hailing from the United Kingdom, JoJo is an explosive striker who turned to MMA after being a high level Kickboxing competitor. Though her last win at the aforementioned Invicta 7 event came via decision, 4 of her 8 wins have come via nasty KOs, certainly making her one to watch in the upcoming TUF competition.

Felice “Lil Bulldog” Herrig (9-5)
A popular character in the Invicta promotion thanks to her effervescent personality and entertaining promotion of fights, Lil Bulldog has bite behind her bark thanks to her background in high level Muay Thai. Sure to create some very juicy television when she goes into the TUF household.

Tecia “Tiny Tornado” Torres (4-0)
Though she has yet to achieve a stoppage in her 4 fight career, Torres’ training with American Top Team shows us how serious she takes her fight career. Known for possessing a very well rounded skillset, supplemented by her great natural athleticism. She achieved a Unanimous Decision victory over Felice Herrig on the Invicta 7 card – don’t be surprised if there’s still bad blood that’ll resurface in the house.

Juliana “Ju Thai” Lima (6-1)
Brazil’s Ju Thai has lived up to her nickname as a skilled Muay Thai specialist, with an all-round MMA game which has developed greatly in her last few ventures into the cage. Training under world renowned Vinicius Draculino has no doubt improved her skills exponentially.

Alex “Astro Girl” Chambers (4-1)
Formerly a fringe title contender in Invicta’s Atomweight division, Australia’s Chambers has agreed to move up to Strawweight to get a chance at competing in the UFC. With two first round KOs documenting her powerful striking, she is by no means a one-trick-pony as she has also shown to have some slick submissions.

Bec “Rowdy One” Hyatt (5-3)
The second Australian to have been added to the UFC’s Strawweight division, Hyatt has garnered a great deal of renown due to her love-her-or-hate-her ‘Mike Bisping-style’ effect on fans. With three of her five wins coming via submission, the Rowdy One has shown a great deal of skill on the matt despite Kickboxing having been her entry point into MMA.

Emily Kagan (3-1)
Training out of New Mexico with Greg Jackson, Kagan implements the smart fight IQ always associated with Jackson’s fighters. Though she is the most senior of the UFC’s Strawweight signings at 32, her professional MMA record is fairly thin. Don’t be fooled by this though as she has trained BJJ since the age of 18.

Rose “Thug Rose” Namajunas (2-1)
Thug Rose became the focus of the wider MMA world earlier this year with her amazing victory over Kathina Catron via Flying Armbar after just 12 seconds. I look forward to see what Namajunas will try to top that with, though at only 21 she has plenty of time to try. Attempting a demanding technique like that in her second professional fight demonstrates how comfortable she is in the cage.

Paige “12 Gauge” VanZant (3-1)
Aged only 19, VanZant has already got 4 fights under her belt and has bucket loads of potential. She’s recently joined Team Alpha Male’s new female contingent so expect to see her skills improve vastly while training alongside killers like Urijah Faber and Chad Mendes. Expect the 12 Gauge to be upgraded with explosive rounds and laser sight.

It’s safe to say that the twentieth series of The Ultimate Fighter will be one to look forward to. Not only is there that all-important UFC Championship at stake but it seems that the Strawweights who the UFC have signed are of a very high level – based on their records (which as we known isn’t the only indicator) they are superior fighters to the Female Bantamweights who have just competed on TUF 18, many of whom had far lesser MMA records. From an entertainment standpoint, the fighters will already know one another so when placed in the TUF house it’s safe to assume that pre-existing tensions will quickly rise to the surface. In a year which has seen gigantic steps forward in the world of Women’s MMA this development can be seen as the very ripe cherry on top.

Cris Cyborg Takes Muay Thai Fight Meets Martina Jindrova at Lion Fight 11

Cris Cyborg Take Muay Thai Fight Meets Martina Jindrova at Lion Fight 11

Lion Fight Promotions and the D Las Vegas today added a blockbuster women’s matchup to the September 20th LION FIGHT 11 event in announcing that two-time MMA world champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino will take on multiple standup world champion Martina Jindrova.

Scott Kent, CEO of Lion Fight Promotions said, “As one of the best female fighters in the world, we are thrilled that Cris Cyborg is going to fight full rules Muay Thai and take on World Champion Martina Jindrova on September 20. Both of these fighters are fierce, aggressive strikers who like to end fights. With Cosmo Alexandre vs. Nampon and Kevin Ross vs. Tetsuya Yamato already set for Lion Fight 11, Cyborg vs. Jindrova now fully stacks this card.”

Fighting out of San Diego, California, Cris Cyborg Justino is one of the top-ranked female mixed martial artists in the world. With a pro MMA record of 12-1-0-1, she is the former Strikeforce Featherweight Champion and current Invicta FC Featherweight Champion. She has fought in numerous Muay Thai competitions in her native Brazil and is considered one of the most dangerous strikers in the world.

“This is a great fight for me at Lion Fight 11, I fought Muay Thai in Brazil and I love competing in this sport,” said Cyborg. “I’m really excited for this fight. I love to fight. I can’t wait to go to Vegas and get in that ring on September 20.” 

Kent and Lion Fight matchmaker Christine Toledo worked with former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, Cyborg’s manager, to secure this fight. Ortiz expressed confidence and enthusiasm in her return to the Muay Thai ring.

 “We are excited about the baddest woman on the earth fighting Muay Thai at Lion Fight 11 live on AXS TV in Las Vegas,” said Cyborg’s manager Tito Ortiz, former UFC Champion. “Cris is not only the best, but the most exciting fighter to watch and I’m sure September 20 will be full of excitement.”

Fighting out of TKBC Prague in Holland, the 22-year old 5’8” Jindrova has a pro Muay Thai record of 17-5 with three knockouts. Originally, from Kaznejov, Plzensky Kraj, Czech Republic, she is a world champion across four standup fighting organizations. She was a two-time boxing champion in her native Czech Republic. She went undefeated in standup fighting for four years before moving to Holland to train among the world’s best coaches and kickboxers. On September 20 she will fight in the United States against her most accomplished opponent to date.

“I know Cyborg is a huge MMA star and this is a big challenge for me to fight an opponent like her,” said Jindrova. “She is very strong with hard punches, kicks and knees. But this is not an MMA, this is Muay Thai and she will be fighting me against my rules. I’m very proud to be on this historic Lion Fight 11 card and am ready to make a great knockout win for the fans.” 

In Lion Fight 11’s main event Brazilian superstar Cosmo Alexandre takes on two-time WMC Champion and Rajadamnern Stadium Champion Nampon. In the co-main event, American Muay Thai star Kevin Ross will square off against former WBC Muay Thai Japan Champion Tetsuya Yamato.

Felice Herrig Signs Multi-Fight Deal with Invicta FC

Felice Herrig Signs Multi-Fight Deal with Invicta FC

Twenty-eight year-old Strawweight (115 pounds) superstar Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig (9-4) of Crystal Lake, Ill. has signed an exclusive, multi-fight agreement with women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion Invicta Fighting Championships.

Herrig, a winner of four consecutive fights and protégé of MMA star Jeff Curran, will make her Invicta FC debut later this year.

“I couldn’t be happier than I am now, after signing with Invicta FC,” said Herrig.  “I have seen them do so much for women and really give them a chance to shine.  I don’t think anyone realized how big Invicta FC would become, and I am truly proud to say I have found a home with them.

“We are excited about bringing Felice, one of the brightest, young talents in the women’s field of MMA, under the Invicta FC umbrella,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp.  “Felice has overcome a lot of stiff competition, thus far, during her career, and we are looking forward to seeing her perform against some of the top women in the world who fight for Invicta FC.”

A seasoned striker who began her fight career as a kickboxer, Herrig was initially introduced to a national audience as a competitor on Fight Girls, the Oxygen network reality series that followed a group of women Muay Thai fighters vying for greatness in Thailand’s national sport.  Herrig emerged victorious over a champion in Thailand before the series concluded.

Herrig went on to become a world Muay Thai champion, winning the International Kickboxing Federation bantamweight crown on November 15, 2008 by earning a unanimous decision over Katie Meehan in Chicago.  She also enjoyed a stint fighting in Chuck Norris’ now-defunct kickboxing promotion, World Combat League.

In her last MMA fight on March 28, Herrig earned a split decision victory over Heather Clark in Tampa, Fla.

Stay tuned to Kingdom MMA for all the latest on Invicta FC and Womens MMA

CWFC unveils plans to rejuvenate women's divisions

Plans unveiled for women's divisions

CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship has begun the process of rejuvenating its women’s divisions by securing the signatures of 18 female fighters across four different weight classes.

CWFC is pleased to reveal details of its plans to establish itself as the epicentre of women’s MMA in Europe, with agreements also already in place with several other female fighters to sign exclusive five-fight deals with the promotion.

More signings will be announced shortly, but those who have already put pen to paper range from experienced stars like Spanish-based veteran Karla Benitez (10-4) to unbeaten English prospect Laura Howarth (3-0).

Cage Warriors has consistently supported women’s MMA in recent years, helping some of the sport’s top fighters to showcase their talents, including Rosi Sexton, Sheila Gaff, Joanne Calderwood, Katja Kankaanpaa and Aisling Daly.

The promotion will now take that to the next level, with women’s MMA bouts to become a regular feature on CWFC cards as the next wave of female stars are provided with the global platform they deserve.

“This is a hugely significant development for CWFC but it’s by no means new territory for the promotion,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan. “With the exception of the UFC, Cage Warriors is now not only the busiest promotion in MMA, but it’s also the place to be for female fighters outside the USA.

“The women we’ve signed are now with a promotion that’s broadcast live on TV into 150 million homes around the globe, as well as being streamed live worldwide. We’ll be bringing a lot of exposure their way and helping them to make names for themselves, as we’ve done in the past with the likes of Conor McGregor and many others.

“Cage Warriors invests from £25,000 to £50,000 in each fighter over the terms of their contracts, so you can rest assured that their stock will rise rapidly as their time with us continues and develops. We reward fighters’ commitment to us by investing in them like this.

“I’d like to thank Rosi Sexton for her assistance and advice in putting these plans in place. Her knowledge and experience helped me to make the decisions I needed to make.”

Sexton, a former CWFC champion, clocked up a 6-0 Cage Warriors record during her career before recently making history by becoming the first female fighter in the UK to compete in the UFC.

She said: “Cage Warriors have supported me throughout my career and gave me the opportunities which have led to where I am today. I’m very excited to see them making this huge commitment to developing women’s MMA, which will give many more up-and-coming female fighters a chance to show what they can do.

“For a long time Europe has been in need of a really strong women’s division within a single promotion, to give the female fighters the opportunity to fight regularly against good opponents on top quality shows. It gives all the female fighters out there something to aim towards. This is just the first step and I can’t wait to see how it develops.”

Fighters have been signed in the women’s atomweight, strawweight, flyweight and bantamweight divisions, with Cage Warriors also keen to develop a featherweight division in due course.

See below for details of the 18 fighters who have signed exclusive five-fight contracts:

CATHERINE COSTIGAN
Division: Atomweight
Record: 2-0
Age: 33
Country: Ireland

VANESSA REINSCH
Division: Atomweight
Record: 1-1
Age: 25
Country: Germany

VANESSA RICO
Division: Atomweight
Record: 0-1
Age: 32
Country: Spain

KARLA BENITEZ
Division: Strawweight
Record: 10-4-0-1nc
Age: 34
Country: Spain

IRENE CABELLO
Division: Strawweight
Record: 1-1
Age: 20
Country: Spain

KIRSTY DAVIS
Division: Strawweight
Record: 0-0
Age: 36
Country: Spain

CHLOE HINCHCLIFFE
Division: Flyweight
Record: 1-3-0-1nc
Age: 24
Country: England

KATE JACKSON
Division: Flyweight
Record: 4-2
Age: 26
Country: England

RACHAEL MCMILLAN
Division: Flyweight
Record: 0-0
Age: 25
Country: England

SLAVKA VITALI
Division: Flyweight
Record: 2-0
Age: 38
Country: Italy

LJ ADAMS
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 1-1
Age: 29
Country: England

EMMA DELANEY
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 0-0
Age: 31
Country: England

LAURA HOWARTH
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 3-0
Age: 26
Country: England

KERRY HUGHES
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 0-0
Age: 28
Country: England

AMANDA KELLY
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 0-0
Age: 31
Country: England

AGNIESZKA NIEDZWIEDZ
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 3-0
Age: 18
Country: Poland

EEVA SIISKONEN
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 2-0
Age: 31
Country: Finland

HANNAH STEPHENS
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 1-1
Age: 22
Country: England

Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

Sarah Kaufman vs Sara McMann Offical for UFC on Fox Sports 1

Sarah Kaufman vs Sara McMann Offical for UFC on Fox Sports 1

by Tommy Strong - @strong_Tea

Its been a very busy week for fight announcements , and the latest to be confirmed is 2004 Olympic Wrestling Silver medalist Sara Mcmann (7-0) taking on former Strikeforce Bantamweight champion Sarah Kaufman (16-2) at UFC on Fox Sports 1. The event will take place on August 28th 2013 in Indianapolis. 

Mcmann who is undefeated in her MMA career,  made easy work of her last opponent Sheila Gaff (10-5-1NC) with a TKO inside the 1st round at UFC 159 in April. 

With lots of talk on Mcmann being the best equipped woman fighter to challenge the current UFC bantamweight Ronda Rousey , this fight with Kaufman should show us if she is ready to challenge for the belt! 

Kaufmann a former Strikeforce bantamweight champion, has yet to debut for the UFC since signing with them. Her last fight was a debut fight for Invicta where she fought and defeated Leslie Smith in a split decision which was voted fight of the night! 

Another women's fight announced this week is a bantamweight bout that see's Sheila Gaff vs Amanda Nunes at UFC 163 on August 3rd in Rio de Janeiro . Nunes (7-3) with an impressive 6 of her 7 wins coming via knockout will be making her UFC debut after her last 2 fights being with Invicta. Nunes is coming into the bout on the back of a unanimous decision loss to Sarah D'Alelio at Invicta 4.

Gaff (10-5-1NC) lost her last fight inside the 1st round via TKO, at the hands of Sara Mcmann at UFC 159. With both fighters having a very impressive knock out record between, them Im sure we will be in for a fun fight!!

And lastly and by no means least, Liz Carmouche will now be facing the newcomer Jessica Andrade at UFC on Fox 8 on July 28th. Liz was scheduled to fight Miesha Tate , but Tate was called upon by the UFC to step up and replace the injured Cat Zingano and be coach for the TUF 18 series, and to face the current bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. 

Liz (8-3) became the first woman in the UFC to headline a PPV event when she fought UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey at UFC 157 in February. In what proved to be Ronda's hardest test to date. Coming very close to snatching the belt away from Ronda before having to tap to the arm bar specialist. 

Liz will now face Jessica Andrade (9-2) at UFC on Fox 8, and in doing so will become the first women again to fight on Fox. Her opponent Andrade still only a young fighter at 21 years of age, will have a big step up in class having to fight Liz. Though the young brazilian will be looking to make a name for herself come July.

Press Release: Invicta FC 6 to Broadcast Live on PPV in The US

Invicta FC 6 to Broadcast Live on PPV in The US

Two of the premier women mixed-martial-arts fighters in the world, Cris Cyborg (11-1) and Marloes Coenen (21-5), headline the July 13^th Invicta Fighting Championships 6 pay-per-view event, airing live from Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.Brazilian KO artist Cyborg, arguably the top pound-for-pound fighters in women’s MMA, and equally dangerous Dutch submission specialist Coenen, will battle in a five, five-minute round rematch for the inaugural Invicta FC World Featherweight (145-pounds) title. “Cyborg” won their first meeting on January 30, 2010, in an action-packed fight that ended on a technical knockout (punches) in the final round. 
“We are excited about bringing the Invicta FC brand of women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts to television for the first time with this tremendous rematch between two of the world’s top women fighters,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp.  “This is yet another step forward for women’s MMA and we are extremely proud to be leading the charge.”
 
“Invicta FC 6,” presented by Invicta Fighting Championships, is being distributed in  North America by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9:00 p.m. ET – 6:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DISH,  Avail-TVN in the United States, as well as Bell TV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $14.95.

“We’re excited to be distributing Invicta FC 6 to MMA fans in the U.S.,” Integrated Sports Media president Doug Jacobs said.  ”Women’s MMA has exploded and Invicta Fighting Championships has led the charge.  Fighting stars from all over the world are coming out July 13^th for Invicta FC 6. Cyborg is one of the most recognizable and entertaining superstars in women’s MMA.  Fans really enjoy watching her fight and she’s in tough again with another bonafide star, Coenen.  It’s our pleasure to be part of this great top-to-bottom women’s MMA show on July 13^th.”

The co-main event showcases a pair of undefeated strawweights (115 lbs.) sporting identical 9-0 professional records, Japanese invader and JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki and Brazilian sensation Claudia Gadelha, in a three-by-five-minute-rounds match.

Three-time Invicta FC fight winner Sarah D’Alelio (7-3), fighting out of San Jose (CA), takes on unbeaten Texas bantamweight (135 lbs.) prospect Lauren Taylor (6-0), while California (Pleasant Hills) striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-3-1) shoots for her third “Fight of the Night” performance, dropping down from bantamweight to flyweight (125 lbs.)for a throw-down with another gifted Brazilian, Jennifer Maia (7-2).

Also scheduled to fight on the undercard are atomweight (105 lbs.) Jessica Penne (10-2, California) vs. Nicdali “The Queen Queen” Rivera-Calanoc (8-6, Oklahoma), strawweight (Joanne Calderwood (6-0, Scotland) vs. Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider (6-6, Missouri), featherweight Ediane “India” Gomes (10-2, Florida) vs. Julia Budd (5-2, Canada), strawweight “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (5-2, Australia) vs. Mizuki Inaoue (5-1, Japan), bantamweight Miriam Nakamoto (2-0), California) vs. Duda “Diamond” Yankovich (1-1, Brazil), strawweight Rose Namajunas (2-0, Minnesota) vs. Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (2-0, Florida), strawweight Ashley Cummins (3-1, Missouri) vs.Emily Kagan (2-1, New Mexico), featherweight Mollie Estes (1-2, Missouri) vs. Veronica “The Heartbreaker” Rothenhausier (1-0, California), and atomweight Livia Von Plettenberg (1-1, Austria) vs. Cassie Robb (0-1, Colorado).

All fights, excluding the main event and co-main event, feature three, five-minute round fights.  All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Video: CFA 11 - Fallon Fox vs Allanna Jones (Full Fight)

Video: CFA 11 - Fallon Fox vs Allanna Jones (Full Fight)

Female fighter Fallon Fox has garnered a lot of press over the last few months, and not down to her fighting style but due to being the first transgender fighter .

On May 24th Fox took on Jones in the co-main event at CFA 11 from BankUnited Center in Corral Gables, Florida.

AXS TV in the US provided a live broadcast of the event and now has released the full video of the fight below.

The winner of bout moves on to the final of CFA's 145-pound women's tournament, and features some rather controversial moments.

Leslie Smith Drops to 125, Meets Jennifer Maia in Invicta FC 6 Title Eliminator

 Leslie Smith vs Jennifer Maia Set for Invicta FC6 Title Eliminator

On the heels of her second-career Invicta Fighting Championships “Fight of the Night” performance, crowd-pleasing, prolific striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-3-1) of Pleasanton, Calif. has signed a new, multi-fight agreement with the women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion and will drop from bantamweight (135 pounds) to flyweight (125 pounds) and challenge Jennifer Maia (7-2) of Curitiba, Brazil. at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Saturday, July 13.

The winner of the Invicta FC 6 matchup between Smith and Maia will be awarded a title shot against newly crowned Invicta FC World Flyweight Champion Barb Honchak (8-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa.

“We are excited to bring Leslie under the Invicta Fighting Championships umbrella for the long-term and to watch her compete in a new weight class that is becoming super competitive in our promotion,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp.  “Since we launched our live event series last year, Leslie has demonstrated incredible tenacity and athleticism by putting on some of the most memorable fights in our cage.  She is a true warrior as is her opponent Jennifer Maia, so we are looking forward to an explosive matchup between two of the sport’s stars on what will be Invicta FC’s biggest fight card to date.”

The 30-year-old Smith engaged in an all-out war with former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman at Invicta FC 5 at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on April 5.  Following the conclusion of the three-round contest that many believe Smith won, however, Kaufman was awarded a controversial, split decision, prompting widespread boos from the displeased, capacity crowd.

Smith also won “Fight of the Night” honors at the inaugural Invicta FC event on April 28, 2012, after slugging it out relentlessly with fellow striker Kaitlin Young for the duration of their three-round bantamweight bout.  The fight was declared a majority draw, setting up a much-anticipated rematch at Invicta FC 3 on Oct. 6 that saw Smith take charge and finish Young with an onslaught of punches from mount position in the second round (2:19) of the matchup.

Maia, a 24-year-old submission specialist, notched her first victory in the Invicta FC cage with a stunning upset, unanimous decision win over superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel on April 5.  Recognized as one of Brazil’s quickest rising stars, Maia made quick work of each of her first four professional career opponents, scoring a first round TKO (punches) in her pro debut on Suelen Pinheiro Ribeiro in 2009, and submitting each of her next three opponents inside the first round.

Rosi Sexton signing for the UFC "still doesn't feel real"

Kingdom MMA Exclusive Interview with Rosi Sexton

by John Haigh @JohnBJayHaigh

In the last week it was announced that the UFC had signed the first British women to the women’s bantamweight roster. That women is Dr Rosi Sexton.

Having fought all over Europe and North America with only two defeats in her 15 fight professional career, she is considered one of the best female bantamweights in the world. Rosi is also a registered osteopath and continues to work as well as compete in MMA.

On Thursday 11th April Rosi was kind enough to answer a few questions for Kingdom MMA.

John: First of all how did the deal come about, had it been on the cards for a while or did it come out of the blue?
Sexton: It's something I discussed with my coach a couple of months back. We decided to make a push for the UFC. It's always been a dream of mine, and until recently I never really thought they would have a women's division in time for me. So when the opportunity came up, I knew I had to give it my best shot.
The actual offer itself all happened very quickly though. I got the call from my manager on Wednesday lunchtime, and 24 hours later it was all signed. It's still not quite sunk in yet!

John: How does it feel to be the first British women to be signed by the UFC and what does it mean to you to be part of UK MMA history?
Sexton: It's incredible - it still doesn't feel real! I'm excited to have this opportunity.

John: Do you think your signing will open the flood gates for other British women into the UFC women’s division?
Sexton: I hope so. There are some very talented up and coming female fighters in Britain, and it would be great to see them make it to the UFC.

John: If you hadn't signed with the UFC would you have tried out for this season of TUF?
Sexton: That wouldn't have been possible, as there's no way I'd be able to leave my son for 6 weeks. I did consider it, but it wouldn't have been fair to him.

John: Now you’re a UFC fighter do you see yourself fighting more often or continuing as you do now fighting and practising as an osteopath?
Sexton: I'm still working as an osteopath. It's a job that enables me to be flexible, so it fits well with my training time. I'm not looking past this fight at the moment - we'll see what happens in the future. I love my job though, so I certainly won't be giving it up altogether.

John: You’ll be fighting at 135lbs in the UFC, does that make training for this fight any harder going up a weight class?
Sexton: I'm never going to be the biggest fighter at 135, so I expect to be giving up a bit of weight. At the same time, not having to worry about a big weight cut means that I'm able to train harder in the run up to the fight, and I can concentrate on eating for performance. I'm planning to make the most of that!

John: What’s your view on your opponent Alexis Davis, seems to be a very good match up?
Sexton: She's a very good grappler, and I'm expecting a tough fight!

John: How’s the training camp going, are you going to train as you have done in the past or will you be doing anything specific for this fight?
Sexton: Every fight is unique, and we generally plan the fight camp depending on the opponent and the game plan.

John: Is there anybody in particular you would like to fight?
Sexton: I'm just happy to be fighting in the UFC. There are some great fighters in that division - I'll take who they throw at me!

John: As a fan who is your favourite fighter?
Sexton: It's hard to pick just one favourite, but I'm a big fan of Frankie Edgar.

John: If you could fight anywhere in the world where would it be and why?
Sexton: I'd love to fight close to home. Either Manchester or Liverpool would be amazing.

John: Finally is there any sponsors or training partners you would like to thank?
Sexton: Yep! All my coaches and training partners - Paul Rimmer, Peter Irving, Danny Withington, Steve Campbell, Mo Haghighatdoust, the guys and girls at Next Generation, Sean and Z at Strength and Performance, Tim Budd at Global Therapies.

My management - Graham Boylan and Ian Dean at Intensiti FM.

PhD Nutrition have sponsored me for over 6 years now, and looked after me all the way here. Scramble are also very good to me!

All my friends and family who help me out, and put up with me while I'm training for a fight!

Thanks from everyone at Kingdom MMA for taking the time to answer some questions and we are looking forward to the fight on June 15th at UFC 161.

Invicta FC 5 Results

Invicta 5 Results

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April, 5, 2013) –In an unforgettable night of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) action, Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (11-3) of Albuquerque, N.M. submitted Jessica Penne (10-2) of Huntington Beach, Calif. with an armbar in the fourth round of their main event showdown to become the new Invicta Fighting Championships world atomweight (105 pounds) champion at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Friday, April 5, live on InvictaFC.com.

In the co-main event of the star-studded, 13-bout women’s world championship doubleheader, Pat Miletch-protégé Barb Honchak (8-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa earned a unanimous decision over Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vanessa Porto (15-6) of Sao Paulo, Brazil to become the first Invicta FC flyweight (125 pounds) champion in history.

In her first start since Dec. 2011, pound-for-pound sensation Cris Cyborg (11-1) of Curitiba, Brazil showed no signs of rust, pulverizing a courageous Fiona Muxlow (6-3) of Townsville, Queensland Australia in a featherweight (145 pounds) matchup.

Cyborg dropped Muxlow in the opening seconds of the contest with a right hand and smothered Muxlow, who made it to her feet but couldn’t fend off the relentless attacks of Cyborg.  A final barrage of punches prompted the referee to step in and stop the fight, giving Cyborg the TKO win in the first round and earning her a second meeting with fellow superstar Marloes Coenen, whom Cyborg stopped by way of third round (3:40) TKO (punches) on Jan. 30, 2010.

Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-3-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif. and Sarah Kaufman (16-2) of Victoria BC, Canada engaged in an all-out slugfest for three straight rounds in a bantamweight (135 pounds) barnburner highlighted by Smith putting Kaufman on the canvas with a head kick.  Kaufman rallied in the third round with a double leg takedown and, after they stood up, a hard right hand before being declared the winner by split decision.

Jennifer Maia (7-2) of Curitiba pulled off a stunning upset, earning a unanimous decision over Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-3) of Cincinnati, Ohio.  Maia neutralized Gurgel’s offense against the cage fence for the majority of the first two rounds and, in the third stanza, opened up with kicks and punches before the bout came to a close.

In the opening main card bout of the night, “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (5-2) of Brisbane, Australia took the fight to previously undefeated Jasminka Cive (5-1) of Graz, Austria from the outset of their strawweight (115 pounds) matchup, mounting Cive and unloading a storm of punches to the head.  From mount, Hyatt secured Cive’s arm and transitioned to armbar, forcing Cive to tap from the hold.

Complete Invicta FC 5 Results:

Main Card:
Bec Hyatt def. Jasminka Cive via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:30
Julia Budd def. Mollie Estes via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:04
Lauren Taylor def. Kaitlin Young via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Jennifer Maia def. Zoila Frausto Gurgel via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Sarah Kaufman def. Leslie Smith via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Cris Cyborg def. Fiona Muxlow via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:46
Barb Honchak def. Vanessa Porto via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 48-47)
Michelle Waterson def. Jessica Penne via submission (armbar) – Round 4, 2:31

Preliminary Card:
Alex Chambers def. Jodie Esquibel via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:35
Rose Namajunas def. Kathina Catron via submission (flying armbar) –  Round 1, :12
Katja Kankaanpaa def. Juliana Carnerio Lima via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Miriam Nakamoto def. Jessamyn Duke via KO (knee) – Round 1, 2:20
Simona Soukupova def. Cassie Rodish via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 3:20

Video: Joanne Calderwood 'You Don’t Have To Be Loud To Be Heard’ Documentary

'You Don’t Have To Be Loud To Be Heard’

Ahead of her Cage Warriors debut in her home country, Scotland on Saturday April 14th, Joanne Calderwood (5-0) sat down with Cage Warriors to produce an insightful documentary looking at the 26-year-old strawweight’s preparations at the Griphouse gym in Glasgow for her upcoming bout against Sally Krumdiack.

Currently ranked 8th in the world at Stawweight, Calderwood features in the co-main event at Cage Warriors 53 at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow. 

'You don't have to be loud to be heard' is produced by Tommy Lakes, and is a must watch for all Cage Warrior, UK MMA, and Womens MMA fans alike.
 
Joanne Calderwood: 'You Don’t Have To Be Loud To Be Heard’

More more on Cage Warriors 53, stay tuned to the Calendar section on our site.

Invicta FC 5: Penne vs Watson (Fight Card)

Invicta FC 5: Penne vs Watson
Date: April 5th, 22:00 GMT 
Ameristar Casino Hotel, Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Fight Card
Jessica Penne vs Michelle Waterson
Vanessa Porto vs Barb Honchak
Fiona Muxlow vs Cris Cyborg
Sarah Kaufman vs Leslie Smith
Zoila Frausto Gurgel vs  Jennifer Maia
Kaltlin Young vs Lauren Taylor
Julia Budd vs TBA
Bec Hyatt vs Jasminka Cive
Simona Soukupova vs Cassie Rodish
Jessamyn Duke vs Miriam Nakamoto
Katja Kankaanpaa vs Juliana Carneiro Lima 
Veronica Rothenhausier vs Mollie Estes
Alex Chambers vs Jodie Esquibel
Rose Namajunas vs Kathina Catron