Women’s MMA Report: Tiburcio captures Invicta FC gold, Pennington chokes out Evans-Smith

Herica Tiburcio

Brazilian rising star Herica Tiburcio made the most of a golden opportunity in her Invicta FC debut this past Friday at Invicta FC 10 in Houston, where she submitted Michelle Waterson with a third-round guillotine choke to become the new atomweight champion in the event’s “Fight of the Night.”

Tiburcio (9-2) immediately took the fight to Waterson (12-4) and landed kicks and punches early in the main event. She caught a kick and took down Waterson, but the defending champion countered with an armbar from her back. Tiburcio escaped to her feet and landed some nice knees in the clinch before Waterson threw her back down to the ground. Tiburcio swept into top position, and Waterson threatened with another armbar attempt.

In Round 2, Waterson reversed an early takedown and wound up in top position as the fight hit the mat. Tiburcio attacked with a heel-hook attempt, and Waterson punched her way free. The fighters stood, and Waterson’s left eye began to swell shut from the punches. She pulled guard, and Tiburcio transitioned from north-south position to side control, and she then secured a keylock that had Waterson in all sorts of trouble. Tiburcio switched to a tight armbar in the dying seconds, but Waterson was saved by the bell.

With momentum on her side, Tiburcio scored an early takedown in Round 3 after catching a side kick. She moved to side control and pulled guard with an arm-in guillotine choke seconds later. Waterson couldn’t escape and tapped out on the mat at the 1:04 mark.

A jubilant Tiburcio celebrated her title-winning effort in the cage following the thrilling fight. The 21-year-old originally was set to make her Invicta FC debut this past month before visa issues forced her out of a planned bout against former Jewels champion Ayaka Hamasaki.

Seven of Tiburcio’s victories have come via submission, and she’s won four straight bouts since suffering a competitive decision loss to Claudia Gadelha. Her only other setback came in December 2012, when Camila Lima defeated her in one of the year’s most controversial judges’ decisions. The diminutive Tiburcio now stands as MMA’s top female atomweight.

In addition to her $1,500 “Fight of the Night” bonus, Tiburcio also pocketed an extra $1,000 as one of two “Performance of the Night” winners at Invicta FC 10.

Evinger mauls Dandois, Modafferi defeats Lee at Invicta FC 10

Tonya Evinger

Veteran bantamweight Tonya Evinger (16-5) extended her winning streak to six with a dominant second-round submission victory in the Invicta FC 10 co-main event. Evinger finished the returning Cindy Dandois (5-2) with an armbar in a one-sided fight.

As expected, Dandois immediately looked to take the action to the ground, but Evinger took her back in the opening minute and transitioned to side control soon after. From the top, Evinger dropped punches and elbows, and moved to mount. Dandois rolled to her side, and Evinger briefly looked to secure a rear-naked choke. She mounted Dandois again and landed more hard strikes from the top. The round ended with both women attempting toe-holds.

Evinger stuffed a takedown and took Dandois’ back once again in Round 2. She landed punches and worked her way into an inverted triangle choke. Dandois escaped, though, and Evinger quickly switched to an armbar. She rolled through and extended her opponent’s arm, forcing Dandois to tap out at the 1:23 mark of the second round.

Evinger’s impressive victory likely solidified her spot as the No. 1 contender for a shot at the recently vacated Invicta FC bantamweight title next year. The talented wrestler is 3-0 under the Invicta FC banner with back-to-back submission wins in 2014.

Another skilled veteran also picked up a key victory on the Invicta FC 10 main card. “TUF 18” alum Roxanne Modafferi (17-11), arguably MMA’s most improved female fighter in 2014, earned a well-deserved split-decision victory over short-notice replacement Andrea Lee (2-1) in a featured flyweight bout.

Modafferi controlled most of the opening round on the ground after taking her opponent down, but Lee rallied back in the final 90 seconds and landed some nice knees in the clinch. She picked up the pace in Round 2 and scored with punches and chopping leg kicks, but Modafferi answered with a vicious head kick and another takedown. Lee reversed into a top-side crucifix and used short elbows to set up a move to mount, and she then threatened with an armbar before the bell.

The competitive bout appeared to be even after 10 minutes, and Modafferi scored a critical takedown in the final round. She got the mount and landed some solid elbows that forced Lee to give up her back. Modafferi was unable to finish the fight with a rear-naked choke, but she kept Lee pinned down until the bell and clearly won the final round.

One judge oddly scored the fight 29-28 for Lee. The remaining two had it 30-27 and 29-28 for Modafferi. She has won both of her Invicta FC fights this year and has shown tremendous improvement since joining the Syndicate MMA team. Lee put forth a solid showing in defeat and remains one of the division’s best prospects.

Bennett outpoints Maia, Grasso shines on Invicta FC 10 undercard

DeAnna Bennett

Utah native DeAnna Bennett (6-0) kept her perfect pro record intact with a close and contentious decision victory on the Invicta FC 10 undercard. Bennett narrowly outpointed Brazilian standout Jennifer Maia (9-4-1) in a battle between two of the top contenders in the competitive women’s flyweight division.

Bennett started strong with punch-kick combos in Round 1 and countered overhand rights from Maia by clinching against the cage. Maia landed knees, but Bennett scored a takedown just before the bell. Maia threw her opponent to the mat with a spinning arm-drag takedown in Round 2 and fought off a Bennett guillotine choke. The fight returned to the feet, and Maia pressed the action with punches, but Bennett landed a nice right hook in the final seconds.

Maia landed combinations early in Round 3 and followed with knees and more punches as the round progressed. Bennett eventually scored with a front kick and a flurry, but Maia fired back with punches and a knee before the end of the fight. The Brazilian appeared to have won at least two of the three rounds, but all three judges disagreed. Scores were 29-28 twice and 30-27 for Bennett, who stayed unbeaten with the unanimous-decision win.

In her return to featherweight, Peggy Morgan (3-2) got back on the winning track with a close decision win over Andria Wawro (3-2), who weighed in heavy for the 145-pound fight that was contested entirely on the feet. Wawro landed overhand rights in all three rounds, and both women were effective with elbow strikes in the clinch. Morgan kept Wawro at bay with stiff jabs as the fight progressed, and her ability to control the distance weighed heavily in the judges’ minds. At the end of three rounds, Morgan took home a unanimous-decision victory with scores of 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27.

Mexican knockout artist Alexa Grasso (6-0) continued her climb up the strawweight rankings with an impressive first-round stoppage of recent WSOF title challenger Alida Gray (4-2). Grasso rocked Gray with a flurry early in the fight and she followed with more punches. Gray recovered and landed some hard shots of her own, but Grasso dropped her with a four-punch flurry that ended with a devastating left hook. Gray collapsed on the ground and Grasso unloaded with punches for the TKO victory at the 1:47 mark of Round 1. She earned a $1000 “Performance of the Night” bonus and is one of the fastest rising new stars in the women’s strawweight division.

Earlier on the Invicta FC 10 card, Jinh Yu Frey (3-1) rebounded from a contentious split decision loss in September by submitting Cassie Robb (0-3) in an atomweight bout. Frey closed the distance early and landed a big knee in the clinch. She took her opponent’s back on the feet, and Robb countered with reverse elbow strikes. Frey jumped on Robb’s back and used a rear-naked choke to drag her to the mat. Robb couldn’t escape from the choke and was forced to submit at the 2:36 mark of Round 1.

Opening up the action at Invicta FC 10, flyweight prospect Rachael Ostovich (2-1) took a well-deserved split decision victory over Evva Johnson (1-1) in a bout between two former amateur champions. Both fighters tried for takedowns in Round 1, and Ostovich got the better of the striking exchanges on the feet. Johnson caught a kick and took her down late in the round, but Ostovich swept into her half-guard before the bell. Ostovich battered Johnson with hard punches on the ground in the second round and finished the round with a leg-sweep trip. Johnson rallied in Round 3 and landed ground and pound after flattening out Ostovich. It was not enough to steal back the fight, however, and only one judge scored the bout 29-28 in her favor. The remaining two both had it 29-28 for Ostovich.

Pennington chokes out Evans-Smith at UFC 181

Raquel Pennington

“TUF 18” semifinalist Raquel Pennington picked up her second UFC victory in stunning fashion this past Saturday at UFC 181 in Las Vegas. In a FOX Sports 1-televised prelim, Pennington recovered after a shaky start and choked out CFA women’s champion Ashlee Evans-Smith with one second remaining in the opening round of the bantamweight fight.

Pennington (5-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) initiated a clinch early in Round 1, and Evans-Smith (3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) reversed position against the cage. She scored a takedown soon after and slammed her way out of a Pennington triangle-choke attempt. The fight returned to the feet, and Evans-Smith opened a bad cut on Pennington’s forehead with a knee strike. She trapped her in a standing headlock, but Pennington pulled her head out and took Evans-Smith’s back.

In the ensuing clinch, Evans-Smith flurried with punches to the head and body, and she followed with more knees to the cut on Pennington’s head. Pennington scored a takedown and landed a knee of her own on the way up. Then, with mere seconds remaining in the round, Evans-Smith gave up her back, and Pennington locked on a standing bulldog choke. She used it to drag Evans-Smith to the ground and choked her unconscious just as the bell sounded.

As a bloodied Pennington stood up and began walking to her corner between rounds, Evans-Smith remained flat on the mat. The fight was waved off, and Pennington was declared the winner via technical submission at the 4:59 mark of Round 1. The thrilling win got Pennington back on track following a razor-thin decision loss to Jessica Andrade in March.

Esparza, Namajunas advance to ‘TUF 20' semifinals

Carla Esparza

Former Invicta FC strawweight champion Carla Esparza and highly touted prospect Rose Namajunas became the final two semifinalists with key victories this past week during Episode 11 of “The Ultimate Fighter 20: A Champion Will Be Crowned.” Esparza defeated Team Pettis stablemate Tecia Torres while Namajunas kept Team Melendez’s hopes alive by submitting Scottish striker Joanne Calderwood with a second-round kimura.

Esparza (the show’s No. 1 seed) was relentless in her pursuit of the takedown in Round 1, and she got Torres (No. 3) down on multiple occasions in the opening five minutes. Torres scrambled up each time, but Esparza slammed her down one final time before the end of the round and landed hard punches from top position. It was more of the same in Round 2, and Esparza got Torres back down again. Torres returned to her feet, and the fighters exchanged knees in the clinch. Torres worked for a takedown of her own, but Esparza stuffed it and took Torres down once more.

At the end of two rounds, one judge scored the fight even at 19-19. The remaining two both saw it 20-18 for Esparza, who advanced on with the majority-decision win.

In the fourth quarterfinal, Namajunas (No. 7) showed again why she’s one of the fastest rising stars in the women’s strawweight division by upsetting early tournament favorite Calderwood (No. 2) in one of the most impressive performances of the season thus far.

Namajunas opened the action in Round 1 with front kicks and lead left hooks. She attempted a flying triangle choke and her signature flying armbar, but Calderwood escaped on both occasions. Namajunas landed knees to the body, and the fighters traded takedowns. Namajunas worked for a heel hook and used a kimura to sweep into top position before the bell.

Calderwood started strong in Round 2 with a front kick to the body and a series of knees in the clinch. Namajunas responded with punches and pulled Calderwood to the mat with a kimura attempt. Calderwood initially defended well, but Namajunas adjusted her grip and wrenched on Calderwood’s arm until she was forced to submit at the 2:05 mark of Round 2.

Tonight’s 12th episode of “TUF 20” features both semifinal matchups. In one, Esparza faces off against friend and training partner, former Invicta FC atomweight champion Jessica Penne (No. 4). In the other, Namajunas squares off against Canadian standout Randa Markos (No. 14), who looks to advance on to the championship final with another upset victory.

The two semifinal winners will then meet at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale on Friday in Las Vegas to determine the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight champion.

Da Silva victorious in Princesses of Pain headliner

Kate Da Silva

POP bantamweight champion Kate Da Silva (8-2) earned a hard-fought decision victory on Nov. 29 in the main event of Princesses of Pain’s latest all-female card in Auckland. Da Silva defeated Australian standout Rhiannon Thompson (4-2) in a back-and-forth matchup.

Da Silva showcased her much-improved striking skills in the opening round and controlled the fight on the ground after scoring a takedown. Thompson reversed a takedown and landed some solid strikes from the top, and she came on strong as the fight progressed. After a competitive final round, the bout went to the scorecards. One judge scored the fight a draw. The remaining two both had it for Da Silva, who took the majority-decision win.

Da Silva’s now won three of her past four fights. Thompson remains winless in 2014, but she has put on strong showings in both of her short-notice bouts against formidable opponents.

Complete “Princesses of Pain: Da Silva vs. Thompson” results:

• Kate Da Silva (8-2) def. Rhiannon Thompson (4-2) via majority decision
• Tairi Ford (3-0) def. Gaela Nixon (0-1) via unanimous decision
• Gentiane Lupi (1-0) def. Alex Sorthis (0-1) via TKO (punches) – Round 1
• Hera Tamati (1-1) def. Catherine Drinnan (0-1) via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2
• Charlene Watt (2-1) def. Bridget Lord (0-1) via unanimous decision
• Genevieve Pini (1-0) def. Marie Brown (0-1) via KO (punches) Round 2
• Sabrina Compton (1-0) def. Tamala Herewini (0-1) via submission (armbar) – Round 1
• Gloria Suddens (1-0) def. Bente Hollen (0-1) via submission (armbar) – Round 1
• Tracey Burns (1-0) def. Barbara Verlinden (0-1) via split decision
• Natalie Harper (1-0) def. Serina Cole (1-2) via unanimous decision

Quick results

Suvi Salmimies (2-0-1) and Isabelle Pare (1-0-1) fought to a split draw at Cage 28 on Nov. 28 in Helsinki, Finland. Both fighters entered the back-and-forth fight after picking up TKO victories earlier this year. Salmimies took the bout on extremely short notice after another planned fight fell through, and she and Pare went toe-to-toe on the feet. Salmimies scored big takedowns, but Pare was active from her back with armbars and triangle-choke attempts. The fight ultimately went to the scorecards, and the judges were unable to determine a winner.

Ania Fucz (2-0) def. Cinja Kiefer (1-1) via TKO (punches) at the 49-second mark of Round 2 at “MMA Bundesliga: It’s Lanna Time 2” on Nov. 29 in Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Fucz reversed a throw attempt and unloaded with unanswered hammerfists on the ground for the TKO stoppage. She remains unbeaten in her young MMA career.

Kathina Catron (5-5) def. Rachael Smith (0-2) via unanimous decision at “Extreme Beatdown: Beatdown at 4 Bears 12” on Nov. 29 in New Town, N.D. Catron returned to the win column with the three-round victory after suffering a pair of submission setbacks earlier this year.

Also on the Extreme Beatdown card, Roma Pawelek (1-0) def. Ashleigh Heustis (2-1) via TKO (punches) at the 1:45 mark of Round 2. Pawelek made a successful pro debut in the fight following an impressive run as an amateur and handed Heustis her first pro loss.

Mariana Morais (8-2) def. Cristina Mejia (1-4) via unanimous decision at Peru Fighting Championship 19 on Dec. 3 in Lima, Peru. At just 19 years of age, Morais is one of Brazil’s brightest female prospects. She has fought seven times in 2014 and is currently riding a four-fight winning streak that includes three submission finishes.

Juliana Velasquez (1-0) def. Priscila de Souza (5-4) via unanimous decision at “Team Nogueira: MMA Fight Live 4” on Dec. 4 in Rio de Janeiro. Velasquez kicked off her pro career with a big win over the much more experienced de Souza, who was coming off of back-to-back first-round stoppage victories in November.

Ana Julaton (2-1) def. Walaa Abas Mohamed Kamaly (2-2) via unanimous decision at “One FC 23: Warrior’s Way” on Dec. 5 in Manila, Philippines. Boxing champion Julaton displayed significant improvements in her overall game in her third MMA fight and rebounded from a decision loss in her most recent fight, for One FC in August. She remains one of the top female stars on the One FC roster.

Also on the One FC 23 card, Jujeath Nagaowa (2-0) def. Tharoth Sam (2-1) via TKO (punches and elbows) at the 3:34 mark of Round 2. Nagaowa has earned TKO victories in both of her One FC bouts this year. She overwhelmed Sam with strikes and handed the Cambodian fighter her first professional defeat in the atomweight bout.

Megan Anderson (4-1) def. Zoie Shreiweis (1-3) via submission (armbar) at the 1:32 mark of Round 1 at “Roshambo MMA 4: In the Cage” on Dec. 6 in Chandler, Queensland, Australia. Anderson posted her fourth straight victory in the fight and avenged her lone pro defeat by submitting Shreiweis in quick fashion.

Jessica Zomcik (2-0) def. Stacey Sigala (1-2) via submission (armbar) at the 1:16 mark of Round 1 at “Gladiators of the Cage: The North Shore’s Rise to Power 7” on Dec. 6 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Zomcik has followed up on her stellar 9-3 amateur run with quick submission wins in both of her pro bouts this year. She previously finished Summer Bradshaw with an armbar in March.

Ariel Beck (1-1) def. Angela Hayes (6-8) via unanimous decision at “FightForce: Butte Brawl 17” on Dec. 6 in Butte, Mont. Beck earned her first pro win with the three-round victory over the much more experienced Hayes, who was competing for the first time since suffering a decision loss to Holly Holm exactly one year prior.

Renata Baldan (4-1) def. Luciana Dias (1-1-1) via unanimous decision at MMA Super Heroes 8 on Dec. 7 in Sao Paulo. Baldan returned to her winning ways with the decision victory after suffering her first pro loss to Aline Sattelmayer in August. She previously won three straight fights for MMA Super Heroes earlier this year.

Also on the MMA Super Heroes 8 card, Mariana Leonardo dos Santos (4-2) def. Karina Santana de Oliveira (1-2) via TKO (retirement) at the 5:00 mark of Round 1. All four of dos Santos’ victories this year have come inside the distance. She has won two of her past three bouts.

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.