Women’s MMA Report: Ronda Rousey retains UFC title, Gina Carano comeback rumored

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey successfully retained her title for the third time on Feb. 22 at “UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann” in Las Vegas. The bronze medalist judoka stopped fellow Olympian Sara McMann with a devastating knee to the body just 66 seconds into Round 1 of their main event fight.

Competing for the second time in two months, Rousey (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) made a statement with her quick win over McMann (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), but she had to fight through early adversity in order to secure her first TKO victory.

In the opening seconds of the fight, McMann scored with a series of right hooks that briefly sent the champion off-balance. Rousey regained her composure and clinched against the cage, where she landed short knees and elbow strikes while pinning McMann against the fence. Rousey continued to target McMann’s midsection with knees and she landed one to the liver that dropped the standout wrestler to the ground. McMann was unable to get back to her feet and referee Herb Dean intervened to stop the fight at the 66-second mark of Round 1.

While some observers took issue with Dean’s quick stoppage of the bout, McMann was all class in her post-fight speech and she accepted responsibility for not being able to recover more quickly from Rousey’s pinpoint knee strike. Rousey, who had previously finished all eight of her pro opponents with armbars, stated after the fight that targeting McMann’s body with strikes had been a key part of her game plan.

As the list of potential challengers for Rousey’s title continues to grow, a new name entered the fray this past week. Former EliteXC and Strikeforce superstar Gina Carano (7-1) has been rumored as a possible future opponent for Rousey later this year.

Carano has not fought since she suffered her lone career defeat in an August 2009 Strikeforce women’s featherweight title bout against current Invicta FC champion Cristiane Justino. She has since transitioned to acting in Hollywood and appears in the upcoming film “Fast & Furious 6,” which is scheduled to premiere in May.

As a result of her lengthy hiatus from fighting, as well as past struggles with making weight, it would seem unlikely that Carano would be awarded an immediate UFC title shot should she return to MMA. However, UFC president Dana White has confirmed that he would be interested in signing Carano to the UFC roster should an opportunity present itself.

No matter whom she faces next, Rousey remains the premier female fighter in MMA today and her TKO victory over McMann showed that she is capable of more than just submitting her opponents. To date, only one of the 27-year-old’s fights has made it out of the first round.

Following UFC 170 win, Alexis Davis eyes bantamweight title fight

Hours before Rousey and McMann took to the cage for their main event showdown at UFC 170, a second female fight headlined the preliminary portion of the card. Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Alexis Davis (16-5 MMA, 3-0 UFC) picked up her third straight Octagon victory by outpointing rising star Jessica Eye (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in a closely-contested battle.

Leading up to the fight, Eye became the center of attention among MMA media after it was revealed that she had failed a post-fight drug test following her October split decision victory over Sarah Kaufman at UFC 166. After two days of confusion, it was ultimately determined that Eye had tested positive for cannabinoids. She incurred a fine and a probationary suspension, and her win against Kaufman was overturned to a no decision. At the same time, Eye was dealing with another serious matter at home as her father battled brain cancer.

In spite of the personal and professional adversity, Eye fought as planned at UFC 170 and she put on a strong showing against top contender Davis. Eye landed some nice combinations and short uppercuts in the first round, but Davis finished the round strong with a takedown in the final minute. She dominated Eye on the mat in Round 2 with rear-naked choke and keylock attempts, as well as some nasty elbows from top position.

With the fight still potentially up for grabs, both Davis and Eye were active with punch-kick combos in Round 3. Eye stuffed Davis’ takedown attempts and she scored with punches and leg kicks throughout the round. After 15 minutes, one judge scored the close bout in favor of Eye, but the remaining two both sided with Davis, who took the narrow decision win.

Sporting a perfect 3-0 record inside the UFC, and with wins in eight of her past nine fights overall, Davis could be next in line for a shot at UFC champion Rousey. However, with former number one contender Cat Zingano targeting a return in the coming months, Davis may be forced to wait a little longer for her crack at UFC championship gold.

Emi Tomimatsu loses fight, wins Deep Jewels interim title

Japan’s all-female Deep Jewels promotion crowned a new interim lightweight (52-kilogram/114.4-pound) champion on Feb. 16 at Deep Jewels 3 in Tokyo, but the event’s controversial championship bout between grappling specialist Emi Tomimatsu (7-7) and teen prodigy Mizuki Inoue (7-2) remains a topic for discussion for all the wrong reasons.

During the pre-fight weigh-ins, Inoue came in 1.76 pounds heavy on her first attempt. She weighed in a second time, but remained 1.21 pounds over the 114.4-pound limit. As is customary when a fighter misses weight in Japan, Inoue was penalized with two yellow cards, which roughly equates to a two-point deduction on the scorecards. However, unfortunately for the 19-year-old, her punishment for failing to make weight was not over.

In addition to the yellow cards, Inoue was also given a second penalty that, while rare, has been used on occasion in Japan during recent years. Under the rules for the fight, Inoue was deemed to be ineligible to win on the official record. A Tomimatsu win would stand as is, while an Inoue victory would be declared to be a disqualification loss for the teenager. While many have questioned why Inoue would compete in a fight that she could not win, MMA in Japan is based around honor, and backing out of a fight after missing weight would be seen as a sign of disrespect that could have made it difficult for Inoue to find fights in the future.

The planned championship fight between Tomimatsu and Inoue was changed to a non-title bout and Tomimatsu was crowned as the first Deep Jewels interim lightweight champion prior to the bout. Though a title was no longer on the line, the Tomimatsu-Inoue bout was not shortened to the standard length of two rounds and it remained a three-round affair.

Inoue was in complete control of the fight in Rounds 1 and 2 and she repeatedly scored with combinations of stiff jabs and right hands. She took Tomimatsu down in both rounds and threatened with chokes and armbars. Tomimatsu escaped from each submission attempt, but she remained on the defensive throughout the first 10 minutes.

In Round 3, Inoue landed more jabs and right crosses that kept Tomimatsu at a distance. She eventually tried for a trip takedown from the clinch, but Tomimatsu sprawled and wound up on top in Inoue’s guard. Inoue locked on an armbar and referee Ryogaku Wada stepped in for the technical submission stoppage at the 3:57 mark of Round 3.

Had she made weight for the fight, Inoue would now stand as the reigning Deep Jewels lightweight champion. However, she instead suffered the second defeat of her career as a result of the disqualification loss. A title rematch between Tomimatsu and Inoue may take place at Deep Jewels 4 later this year, but an official decision has not yet been made.

Shizuka Sugiyama wins quickly in Deep Jewels 3 co-feature

One of the top stars on the Deep Jewels roster, Shizuka Sugiyama, earned her 11th career victory in the Deep Jewels 3 co-main event. Sugiyama (11-3-1) made quick work of veteran Mizuho Sato (6-6-1) in an open-weight bout and she will likely compete for a newly-created Deep Jewels bantamweight title in her next fight.

Sugiyama landed a series of unanswered right hands in the opening minute and she used her reach advantage to keep Sato on the defensive. Another combination of punches caused Sato’s eye to swell up and the ringside doctor was called in to check on her condition. He deemed Sato to be unfit to continue due to her rapidly-swelling eye and Sugiyama was awarded a TKO victory at the 1:15 mark of Round 1.

The win got Sugiyama back on track following a majority draw against Ji-Yeon Kim in November. She is unbeaten since 2010 and has earned TKO finishes in each of her past four victories.

Former Jewels champion Naho Sugiyama was also victorious at Deep Jewels 3. Sugiyama (10-3) took a narrow split decision win over highly-regarded opponent Satomi Takano (3-3) in a featherweight (48-kilogram/105.6-pound) contender’s bout.

Sugiyama landed a series of lead left hooks in the opening round and she scored a takedown in the final minute, but Takano got back to her feet and she dropped Sugiyama with a right hand just before the bell sounded. In Round 2, both women landed leg kicks, knees and punches. Takano threw Sugiyama to the mat, but Sugiyama swept into top position before time expired. The bout went to the scorecards and Sugiyama emerged as the victor. She has won back-to-back fights under the Deep Jewels banner.

Elsewhere on the Deep Jewels 3 card, 42-fight veteran Masako Yoshida (18-19-5) outpointed Miyoko Kusaka (4-8-1). Yoshida stuffed Kusaka’s takedown attempts in Round 1, but Kusaka finally managed to get her down in the second round. Yoshida countered with a tight triangle choke from the bottom and she punished Kusaka with punches while trapping her in the triangle all the way until the final bell. All three judges scored the fight for Yoshida, who took the unanimous decision win and upped her Deep Jewels record to 2-1.

Grappling specialist Yuko Oya (7-3) scored her third submission victory by stopping the returning Mamiko Mizoguchi (2-6-2). The fighters traded wild punches in the opening minutes and Oya took Mizoguchi down into back control. She flurried with punches and locked on a rear-naked choke that forced Mizoguchi to submit at the 4:31 mark of Round 1.

Opening up the MMA portion of the card, Sachiko Fujimori (3-0) kept her undefeated record intact by submitting newcomer Shiori Hori (0-1). Fujimori defended against Hori’s takedown attempts in Round 1 and she reversed position on the mat when Hori did succeed in getting her down. A scramble ensued and Fujimori threatened with an armbar before the end of the round. In Round 2, Fujimori took Hori’s back and locked on a standing rear-naked choke for the tapout win at the 23-second mark of the second round.

In a Deep Jewels 3 grappling bout, Brittany Ann Decker made a successful debut for the promotion by submitting Haruka Kojima. Decker worked for guillotine chokes in the first round, but Kojima escaped on each occasion. Early in Round 2, Decker secured another guillotine and she switched to a front choke that forced Kojima to submit at the 33-second mark.

Deep Jewels 3 also featured the retirement of one of Japan’s most popular female fighters, Mika Nagano. The card was originally scheduled to include a retirement exhibition match between Nagano and Saori Ishioka, but the exhibition was canceled in the weeks leading up to the event when Nagano announced that she is pregnant with her first child. Nagano leaves the sport with a record of 14-9 that included 11 submission victories. The talented wrestler was not able to capture a major title during her MMA career, but the 30-year-old built up a significant fan base over the course of her six years in the sport.

Kailin Curran victorious at PXC 42, requests title fight

Unbeaten strawweight prospect Kailin Curran (3-0) made it three-for-three inside the PXC cage with an impressive unanimous decision victory at Pacific Xtreme Combat 42 on Feb. 28 in Mangilao, Guam. Curran defeated South Korean fighter Yoo Jin Jung (0-1), who put on a solid showing in her MMA debut.

Curran and Jung battled back and forth on the feet throughout the action-packed three-round bout. Curran pressed the action with combinations of punches and kicks, but Jung landed counter right hands. Curran remained the aggressor in Round 2 and she knocked Jung down with a front kick to the body. Back on the feet, Curran hurt Jung with a body shot and swarmed on her with more punches, but she was unable to secure a finish.

Both women landed combinations in the final round and Curran continued to mix things up with front kicks. She scored with a hard right hook and a head kick, but Jung remained on her feet and the fighters traded power punches in the final minute. The fight went to the scorecards and the judges rewarded Curran with a unanimous decision win. Following the bout, the 22-year-old Curran requested a PXC women’s strawweight title fight for later this year.

Invicta FC expands roster, makes plans for eighth event

As Invicta Fighting Championships gears up for its eighth fight card in the coming months, the all-female promotion has replenished its depleted roster with the addition of 15 new fighters in five weight classes. The new group of signees, which was announced this past month, includes some of the top female prospects from countries all over the world.

Invicta FC’s featherweight and atomweight divisions each received one new addition. At 145 pounds, undefeated Storm MMA women’s champion Faith Van Duin (4-0) joins the fray after winning three fights in one night in August. The New Zealander has finished three of her four opponents to date. In the 105-pound division, New Mexico’s Amber Brown (3-1) looks to follow up on her big victory over former Japanese contender Kikuyo Ishikawa in July when she makes her Invicta FC debut later this year. Her lone defeat came at 115 pounds against Emi Fujino.

“TUF 18” veterans Peggy Morgan (2-1) and Roxanne Modafferi (15-11) are arguably the two biggest names to join the Invicta FC roster thanks to their recent stints on the UFC’s reality show competition. Standing over six feet tall, Morgan has a significant height and reach advantage over most of her bantamweight foes and she holds a notable victory over Revelina Berto from this past year. Joining Morgan in the Invicta FC bantamweight division is one-time featherweight contender Cindy Dandois (5-1) from Belgium and devastating knockout artist Irene Aldana (3-1). Dandois has been inactive during the past three years, but she holds wins over former Strikeforce champion Marloes Coenen and UFC veteran Sheila Gaff. Mexico’s Aldana knocked out her first three opponents in a combined time of 78 seconds.

With Modafferi dropping back down to flyweight for her Invicta FC debut, the veteran will have plenty of company at 125 pounds. Undefeated Polish prospect Joanna Jedrzejczyk (4-0), Canadian striker Valerie Letourneau (4-3) and former multi-time amateur champion Rachael Ostovich (0-1) are the latest fighters to join Invicta FC’s flyweight division. Jedrzejczyk scored her biggest win in June when she outpointed Russian standout Julia Berezikova and she has since remained active in Muay Thai competition. Letourneau had a brief stint on “TUF 18” and now looks to get back on the winning track following a loss to recent UFC signee Claudia Gadelha in April 2012. Hawaii’s Ostovich captured three titles in two different weight classes during her six-fight amateur career. In her January pro debut, she suffered her first defeat when she was stopped by Jennifer Liou.

As expected, Invicta FC’s strawweight division received the greatest number of roster additions. The promotion’s 115-pound weight class all but disappeared when most of its top fighters departed in order to compete on “The Ultimate Fighter 20” later this year. In their place, Invicta FC officials have signed six new fighters at 115 pounds.

Brazilian rising star Livia Renata Souza (5-0), KSW champion Karolina Kowalkiewicz (4-0) and BJJ ace Herica Tiburcio (7-2) could all jump right into Invicta FC strawweight title contention when they make their respective debuts for the promotion. Renata Souza won all five of her pro fights in 2013 and earned four submission victories along the way. Poland’s Kowalkiewicz, who is already one of the sport’s most popular female fighters, captured KSW gold in June and she makes her first title defense against Invicta FC veteran Jasminka Cive in May. Tiburcio has submitted six of her opponents to date including highly-touted prospect Kinberly Novaes.

Elsewhere at 115 pounds, Dutch striking sensation Mellony Geugjes (0-1) and former amateur standouts Delaney Owen (1-0) and Ashley Greenway (0-0) round out the Invicta FC roster additions. Geugjes sports a combined boxing and kickboxing record of 28-5-2, but her lone MMA bout ended in a quick submission loss in December. Owen’s 7-2 amateur run included three submission victories. She made a successful pro debut in January by submitting Sarah Alpar to win the vacant Sugar Creek Showdown women’s flyweight title. Greenway amassed a 5-1 record as an amateur and her lone defeat came against “TUF 20” star Tecia Torres.

Invicta FC 8 was initially targeted for April, but an exact date and location have not yet been announced. The event may mark the promotion’s first foray outside of the Kansas City area.

Women’s bouts highlight upcoming UFC cards

Tonight, top Brazilian prospect Jessica Andrade (10-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and “TUF 18” semifinalist Raquel Pennington (4-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) face off in an intriguing matchup at “UFC 171: Hendricks vs. Lawler” in Dallas, Texas. The bout is one of a series of recently-announced women’s fights that highlight upcoming UFC cards.

Andrade made her MMA debut at age 19 and maintained a very active fighting schedule in Brazil. She won nine of her first 11 fights and knocked out or submitted her opponents in all nine victories. This past July, Andrade made her UFC debut against former title challenger Liz Carmouche and put on a strong showing in defeat before she was stopped by Carmouche in the second round. She rebounded with a lopsided decision win over Rosi Sexton in October.

Pennington opened her pro career with wins in three of her first four fights before suffering back-to-back losses to standouts Cat Zingano and Leslie Smith. She qualified for “TUF 18” this past year and advanced to the semifinals by defeating Tonya Evinger and Jessamyn Duke. In her official UFC debut at the TUF 18 Finale, Pennington edged out Roxanne Modafferi in a closely-contested three-round fight. She now looks to take another step towards contender status at 135 pounds by defeating one of Brazil’s brightest prospects this weekend.

April is poised to be one of the UFC’s busiest months to date, with four events in a 15-day span. Three of the four cards feature female competitors, beginning with a rematch between former Strikeforce champ Sarah Kaufman (16-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Shayna Baszler (15-8 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at the TUF Nations Finale on April 16 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

Kaufman and Baszler first faced off at Strikeforce Challengers 2 in June 2009. Kaufman prevailed via a close decision and she went on to become the first Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion. Following a razor-thin decision win over Leslie Smith at Invicta FC 5, Kaufman made her long-awaited Octagon debut at UFC 166 in October and dropped an equally contentious decision to Jessica Eye. The loss was recently overturned as a result of Eye’s positive test for cannabinoids and Kaufman now seeks her first UFC victory.

Baszler has long been regarded as one of the best female grapplers in MMA and she has submitted 14 of her 15 conquered opponents. Following her loss to Kaufman, Baszler went on to capture titles for Freestyle Cage Fighting and The Cage Inc. She went 1-2 under the Invicta FC banner and joined the “TUF 18” cast this past year. Baszler was seen as a strong favorite to win the competition, but she was upset by eventual winner Julianna Pena in the quarterfinal round. She now gets a chance to both avenge her past loss to Kaufman and enter the UFC title picture.

Three days after Kaufman and Baszler do battle in Quebec, former UFC title challengers collide when Miesha Tate (13-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) faces Liz Carmouche (9-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) at “UFC on FOX 11: Werdum vs. Browne” on April 19 in Orlando, Fla.

Tate is coming off of a coaching stint on “TUF 18” opposite bitter rival Ronda Rousey. In December, she suffered her second loss to Rousey when she was submitted via third-round armbar in a UFC women’s bantamweight title fight. Tate is one of the division’s most popular fighters, but she is 1-3 in her past four fights and winless inside the Octagon. Her opponent, Carmouche, also seeks a much-needed victory after dropping a decision to Alexis Davis in November. Carmouche was also submitted by Rousey when she challenged unsuccessfully for UFC title gold in the promotion’s first female fight. She was originally set to face Tate at UFC on FOX 8 in July and earned her lone UFC win by stopping late replacement Jessica Andrade.

One week after the Tate-Carmouche showdown, undefeated Brazilian standout Bethe Correia (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on “TUF 18” quarterfinalist Jessamyn Duke (3-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at “UFC 172: Jones vs. Teixeira” on April 26 in Baltimore, Md.

Correia made a name for herself at home in Brazil with six straight victories including a win over Erica Paes, the lone woman to have ever defeated Invicta FC featherweight champion Cristiane Justino. In December, Correia made her Octagon debut against veteran contender Julie Kedzie at UFC Fight Night 33 and walked away with a razor-thin split decision victory. Duke kicked off her pro career with two impressive stoppage wins for Invicta FC and signed on to take part in “TUF 18” this past year. Her run on the show ended when she was defeated by Raquel Pennington in an all-out war during the quarterfinals, but she rebounded with a decision win over castmate Peggy Morgan at the TUF 18 Finale. Duke has since relocated to train alongside Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler and Marina Shafir, and she is a top prospect at 135 pounds.

Quick results

DeAnna Bennett (3-0) def. Sharon Jacobson (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 2:12 mark of Round 1 at “Showdown Fights 13: Lopez vs. Castillo” on Jan. 24 in Orem, Utah. Bennett remains one of the top female flyweights not currently signed to a major promotion. She holds a key victory over “TUF 18” winner Julianna Pena.

Justine Kish (4-0) def. Randa Markos Thomas (4-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) at “Resurrection Fighting Alliance 12: Ortega vs. Koch” on Jan. 24 in Los Angeles, Calif. Kish struggled to make the 115-pound limit for her strawweight debut, but she showcased her excellent striking skills in the fight itself. By mixing up her strikes with kicks, knees and punching combinations, Kish stayed a step ahead in the exchanges on the feet. Markos Thomas rallied back with a strong third round, but it was not enough to steal a victory on the scorecards.

Delaney Owen (1-0) def. Sarah Alpar (4-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 2:38 mark of Round 3 at “Sugar Creek Showdown 21: No Surrender” on Jan. 25 in Hinton, Okla. The win earned Owen the SCS women’s flyweight title in her pro debut. She has since signed on as one of the newest additions to the Invicta Fighting Championships roster.

Brittney Elkin (1-0) def. Summer Bradshaw (0-2) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at “Sparta Combat League: Validation” on Jan. 25 in Denver, Colo. Elkin made a successful pro debut in the fight following a brief stint as an amateur.

Jennifer Liou (2-0) def. Rachael Ostovich (0-1) via TKO (knee to the body and punches) in Round 2 at “Destiny MMA: Na Koa 4” on Jan. 25 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Liou entered the bout as an underdog against the hometown favorite, Ostovich, but put on a very impressive performance in victory. She made a quick return to the cage and earned her second pro win this past month.

Lily Kazak (2-2-1) def. Anna Bezhenar (1-1) via unanimous decision at Oplot Challenge 97 on Jan. 31 in Kharkov, Ukraine. The bout was ruled a draw after 15 minutes and went to a fourth round in order to determine a winner. Kazak prevailed and earned her second straight win.

On the same Oplot Challenge 97 card, Irina Pilipenko (2-0) def. Catherine Nishchenko (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 28-second mark of Round 1. Pilipenko has finished both of her professional opponents via a form of knockout.

Raquel Magdaleno (1-0) def. Amanda Lovato (0-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) at “North American Fighting Championship: Super Brawl 2” on Jan. 31 in Milwaukee, Wis. Two-time amateur champion Magdaleno kicked off her pro career with a key win by defeating Lovato and she returns to the NAFC cage for her next fight in May.

Stephanie Essensa (1-0) def. Jennifer Stumborg (0-1) via technical submission (rear-naked choke) at the 1:48 mark of Round 1 at Havoc Fighting Championship 4 on Jan. 31 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Essensa earned her first pro win in the fight and she is set to compete again for Havoc FC when she takes on Lynnell House on May 2.

Shauna Carew (3-1) def. Sarah Lagerstrom (0-3) via split decision at “Roshambo MMA 2: In the Cage” on Feb. 1 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Carew’s five-round decision victory earned her the inaugural Roshambo MMA women’s pinweight title at 100 pounds.

Anne Merkt (2-1) def. Luana Souza (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 4:47 mark of Round 2 at “Free Fight Association: We Love MMA 7” on Feb. 1 in Oberhausen, Germany. Merkt rebounded from a loss in the finals of the No Compromises FC women’s title tournament by earning her first submission win against Souza.

Bianca Reis (2-2) def. Graziele Ricotta (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 2:17 mark of Round 1 at Legion Fight Championship 2 on Feb. 1 in Indaiatuba, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Reis returned to the win column after dropping fights against Camila Lima and Livia Renata Souza.

Suzie Montero (2-2) def. Allanna Jones (2-4) via unanimous decision at “Maxximo Fighting Championship 23: Rumble in Paradise” on Feb. 1 in Daytona Beach, Fla. Montero posted the biggest win of her career in the main event fight. Jones has dropped three straight bouts.

Lissette Neri (5-0) def. Tierra Arnold (2-1) via unanimous decision at “Gladiator Challenge: Uprising” on Feb. 1 in San Jacinto, Calif. All five of Neri’s wins have come under the Gladiator Challenge banner and she has finished three opponents to date. Arnold suffered her first defeat after opening her career with back-to-back wins.

On the same Gladiator Challenge card, Ashley Yoder (1-0) def. Catalina Madril (0-3) via submission (armbar) at the 15-second mark of Round 1. Yoder made a successful pro debut with the quick tapout win.

Priscila de Souza (3-1) def. Cristina Mejia (1-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) in Round 3 at Peru Fighting Championship 16 on Feb. 5 in Lima, Peru. This title bout was a rematch from November. De Souza earned her second submission win over Mejia in the championship fight.

Viviane Pereira (4-0) def. Nicleide Machado (0-1) via TKO (punches) in Round 1 at Bitetti Combat 19 on Feb. 6 in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Pereira has knocked out three straight opponents including Invicta FC fighter Duda Yankovich and she is a rising star in Brazil.

Julia Jones (1-0) def. Jenny Silverio (0-1) via unanimous decision at “Fight Time 18: Guts & Glory” on Feb. 7 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Jones scored her first professional win in the bout following a four-fight amateur career.

Jessy Rose Clark (3-1) def. Zoie Shreiweis (1-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 3:33 mark of Round 1 at Unarmed Combat Unleashed 2 on Feb. 8 in Emerald, Queensland, Australia. The win earned Clark the UCU women’s bantamweight title. She returns to action in July to face Lana Kate, who has won back-to-back fights.

Polyana Viana Mota (2-0) def. Mirelle Oliveira do Nascimento (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 1:20 mark of Round 2 at “Piaui Fight MMA: Gladiators 2” on Feb. 8 in Teresina, Piaui, Brazil. Viana Mota has finished both of her opponents since making her pro debut in December.

Claudia Rey (4-0) def. Kessiny Mara (0-2) via TKO (punches) in Round 1 at Nitrix Champion Fight 19 on Feb. 8 in Balneario Camboriu, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The victory was Rey’s third straight knockout win. She made a quick return to the cage and scored another victory one week later.

Silvana Gomez Juarez (3-0) def. Bianca Daimoni (3-1) via submission (armbar) at the 4:49 mark of Round 3 at “XFC International 1: Sao Paulo” on Feb. 8 in Osasco, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Argentina’s Gomez Juarez kept her undefeated record intact with her third stoppage win. Daimoni suffered her first defeat after brutally knocking out her previous three opponents.

On the same XFC card, Mayerlin Rivas (1-0) def. Daiana Torquato (1-2) via unanimous decision. Rivas made a successful pro debut with the three-round victory.

Rebecca Heintzman (2-0) def. Rachel Sazoff (0-2) via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) at “Cage Fury Fighting Championships 31: Heckman vs. Lentz” on Feb. 8 in Atlantic City, N.J. This bout was a rematch from the pair’s amateur title fight in late 2012. Heintzman earned her second win over Sazoff in the rematch, though the judges’ decision was a controversial one and many felt that Sazoff had done enough to earn a victory.

Reagan Benedetti (1-0) def. Cheryl Chan (0-3) via technical submission (arm-triangle choke) at the 2:23 mark of Round 2 at CageSport 29 on Feb. 8 in Tacoma, Wash. Benedetti followed up on her stellar career as an amateur by picking up an impressive win in her pro debut. Chan, a former amateur standout in her own right, remains in search of her first pro win.

Also on the CageSport 29 card, Katie Howard (1-0) def. Miriam Cardoso Cerqueira (0-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28). Howard scored her first professional victory in the bout following a nine-fight amateur career.

Christina Tatnell (4-1) def. Helen Malone (2-1) via TKO (punches) at the 43-second mark of Round 2 at “Valor Fight 7: Potter vs. Butt” on Feb. 15 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. Tatnell has racked up four straight wins since she dropped her October 2012 pro debut to Bec Rawlings on just 24 hours’ notice.

Milana Dudieva (9-3) def. Anastasia Plisenkova (1-2) via submission (armbar) at the 32-second mark of Round 1 at Oplot Challenge 100 on Feb. 15 in Kharkov, Ukraine. The much-needed win got Dudieva back on track following untimely losses to Jessica Andrade and Pannie Kianzad.

Laura Howarth (2-0) def. Amanda Kelly (1-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 64 on Feb. 15 in London, England. Howarth mounted very little offense in the fight, but her takedowns in the first two rounds allowed her to take a lead on the scorecards. Kelly battered Howarth with vicious knees and standing elbows in Round 3, but it was not quite enough to steal back a victory.

Claudia Rey (4-0) def. Priscila Stadler (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 15-second mark of Round 1 at Striker’s House Cup 34 on Feb. 15 in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil. Fighting for the second time in a one-week span, Rey picked up her third first-round stoppage win.

Amanda Bobby Cooper (1-0) def. Brittany Dugas (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 4:59 mark of Round 2 at “King of the Cage: Unrestricted” on Feb. 15 in Walker, Minn. Both fighters entered the much-anticipated flyweight bout following amateur careers that included multiple title reigns in two different weight classes. Cooper prevailed in the fight and she remains one of the sport’s top young prospects in the 125-pound women’s division.

Dora Perjes (5-0) def. Zita Varju (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 39-second mark of Round 2 at “Kickboxing League 3: The League 2” on Feb. 16 in Budapest, Hungary. Perjes has submitted all five of her opponents to date. The 24-year-old Hungarian holds a 50-second armbar victory over recent Invicta FC signee Mellony Geugjes.

Maria Cariaco (2-0) def. Paola Rojas (0-1) via unanimous decision at Striker Fighting Championship 13 on Feb. 20 in Barranquilla, Colombia. Cariaco has won two straight fights.

Lena Buytendijk (1-2) def. Anissa Haddaoui (0-1) via unanimous decision at Battle Under The Tower 2014 on Feb. 22 in Steenwijk, The Netherlands. This bout was a rematch from a 2009 kickboxing match. Buytendijk earned her first MMA victory in the two-round fight.

Magdalena Sormova (2-0) def. Weronika Zygmunt (0-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 2:52 mark of Round 2 at MMA Challengers 9 on Feb. 22 in Katowice, Poland. Sormova has choked out both of her pro MMA opponents to date.

Katharina Albinus (2-2) def. Fruzsina Nagy (0-2) via TKO (punches) at the 4:59 mark of Round 1 at No Compromises Fighting Championship 3 on Feb. 22 in Bremen, Germany. Albinus mounted Nagy late in the opening round and she flurried with punches for the last-second stoppage.

Michelle Nicolini (2-0) def. Lanchana Green (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 2:27 mark of Round 1 at “Made 4 The Cage 13: Nemesis” on Feb. 22 in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, England. Decorated BJJ world champion Nicolini has made quick work of each of her MMA opponents thus far, finishing both with armbars in the first round.

Jennifer Liou (2-0) def. Jillian Lybarger (0-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) at “King of the Cage: Radar Lock” on Feb. 22 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Liou followed up on her victory over Rachael Ostovich in January by scoring another key win against Lybarger, whose long-awaited pro debut was spoiled by the defeat.

Valentina Shevchenko (10-1) def. Hellen Bastos (2-2) via TKO (punches) in Round 2 at Fusion Fighting Championship 6 on Feb. 26 in Santiago de Surco, Lima, Peru. Shevchenko has won three straight fights since suffering her lone defeat against former Strikeforce and UFC title challenger Liz Carmouche in September 2010.

Alexis Dufresne (5-0) def. Kim Couture (3-8) via TKO (punches) at the 45-second mark of Round 1 at Reto de Campeones 3 on Feb. 28 in Mexico City, Mexico. Dufresne has finished all five of her opponents in the first round. Couture has lost five straight fights.

Elizabeth Phillips (3-1) def. Rachael Swatez (4-4) via TKO (punches) at the 1:19 mark of Round 3 at Conquest of the Cage 15 on Feb. 28 in Airway Heights, Wash. Phillips has put together a three-fight winning streak since dropping her pro debut to Miriam Nakamoto.

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.