Women’s MMA Report: Invicta FC 16 lineup set; Frausto victorious in return to 135

Ayaka Hamasaki

Following a successful event this past month, Invicta FC showcases its next all-female fight card on March 11 in Las Vegas. An atomweight title fight between reigning champion Ayaka Hamasaki and top contender Amber Brown headlines Invicta FC 16, and the card features eight additional matchups in three weight classes.

Hamasaki (12-1) dropped down to 105 pounds in 2014 following her lone career setback, against upcoming UFC title challenger Claudia Gadelha, at Invicta FC 6. She posted back-to-back wins in Japan against former Jewels champion Naho Sugiyama and current Deep Jewels titleholder Mei Yamaguchi before returning to the Invicta FC cage this past year. At Invicta FC 13 in July, Hamasaki captured the atomweight belt with a thrilling five-round split-decision victory over Herica Tiburcio.

Brown (6-1) has enjoyed a steady rise up the 105-pound rankings during the past three years thanks to victories over some of the division’s top prospects. After suffering her lone professional loss in a short-notice strawweight bout against recent Deep Jewels and WSOF title challenger Emi Fujino, Brown moved down to atomweight and has since compiled a solid four-fight winning streak. She demolished Catherine Costigan at Invicta FC 13 in July and most recently submitted short-notice replacement opponent Shino VanHoose at Invicta FC 15.

With flyweight champion Barb Honchak sidelined, Invicta FC officials have elected to create an interim title that will be up for grabs in the Invicta FC 16 co-feature. Vanessa Porto (18-6), who dropped a five-round decision to Honchak at Invicta FC 5, faces off against Brazilian compatriot Jennifer Maia (12-4-1) for the Invicta FC interim flyweight title.

Porto is 3-2 under the Invicta FC banner and has racked up three straight victories since the loss to Honchak. In her most recent appearance for the promotion, Porto avenged a loss by defeating Roxanne Modafferi at Invicta FC 12 in April. Maia has not fought for Invicta FC since late 2014, when she dropped a controversial decision to DeAnna Bennett. She returned home to Brazil and won three straight fights, including two by knockout, this past year.

Also confirmed for Invicta FC 16 is a strawweight bout between would-be title challenger Alexa Grasso (7-0) and Stephanie Eggink (4-2). Grasso is one of the brightest prospects in the division, and she has won all three of her Invicta FC bouts, but injuries have twice derailed plans for her to challenge for Invicta FC title gold. Eggink had her three-fight winning streak snapped by Katja Kankaanpaa, who submitted her with a fifth-round brabo choke at Invicta FC 8.

Grasso’s teammate, Irene Aldana (5-2), will also be in action at Invicta FC 16. The popular bantamweight meets “The Ultimate Fighter 18” competitor Jessamyn Duke (3-3), who returns to Invicta FC after struggling in the UFC. Aldana has knocked out or submitted her opponents in all five of her wins, and she looks to rebound from a loss to Invicta FC bantamweight champ Tonya Evinger in July. Duke seeks redemption after suffering three straight defeats in UFC bouts.

In other Invicta FC 16 action, Modafferi (18-12) and Bennett (8-1) face off in a flyweight contenders’ bout. Modafferi was on the cusp of a title shot until her loss to Porto in April, but she bounced back with a third-round TKO victory at Invicta FC 14. Bennett struggled with the weight cut to 115 pounds during her brief run as a strawweight, and she has benefited from two contentious decision wins in the Invicta FC cage. After coming up short in a strawweight title bout this past month, Bennett now moves back up to 125 pounds.

Rounding out the Invicta FC 16 card, former atomweight champion Herica Tiburcio (9-3) faces Jinh Yu Frey (4-1). Additionally, highly touted flyweight prospect Andrea Lee (4-1) squares off against Sarah D’Alelio (8-6), who makes her 125-pound debut. Kelly McGill (2-0) puts her undefeated record on the line against multi-time amateur champion Amberlynn Orr (0-0), who makes her pro debut as a bantamweight following an 11-1 run as an amateur. In the strawweight opener, Ashley Greenway (0-0) meets fellow pro debutant Sarah Click (0-0).

Frausto outpoints Herrera at Tachi Palace Fights 26

Zoila Frausto

The victory did not come as easily as many had predicted, but former Bellator strawweight champion Zoila Frausto (13-5) halted a four-fight losing skid with a much-needed win on Feb. 18 at “Tachi Palace Fights 26: Brawl in the Hall” in Lemoore, Calif. Frausto edged Corina Herrera (2-2), who took the bout on short notice. The fight was Frausto’s first at 135 pounds since her Strikeforce loss to Miesha Tate in March 2010.

Herrera reversed a takedown and fought off an armbar early in Round 1, but Frausto took her back down into mount and attacked with more submission attempts. Herrera escaped from a second armbar, but Frausto finished the round strong with punches and elbows.

In Round 2, Frausto countered Herrera’s early aggression on the feet by taking her back down into mount. Frausto locked on an armbar, but Herrera slammed her way free and rocked Frausto with big punches on the feet. Frausto regained her composure and landed some nice kicks before the bell, but the close fight appeared to be even after 10 minutes.

Following an exchange of punches in Round 3, Frausto attempted a standing arm-triangle choke and took down Herrera into mount once again. Herrera swept into top position and landed punches and elbows, but she slowed down in the late stages of the round, and Frausto took advantage by picking her apart with liver kicks.

Frausto’s late rally proved to be enough to seal a unanimous-decision victory with scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27. The win was Frausto’s first in MMA since October 2012, when she defeated Casey Noland at Bellator 78.

Nunes meets Shevchenko at UFC 196

Amanda Nunes

In addition to the championship co-main event, a second women’s bantamweight bout is featured prominently at “UFC 196: McGregor vs. Diaz” on March 5 in Las Vegas.

Hard-hitting Brazilian standout Amanda Nunes (11-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who once again finds herself on the cusp of UFC title contention, battles multi-time kickboxing champion Valentina Shevchenko (13-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on the UFC 196 pay-per-view main card.

Nunes has earned first-round finishes in all four of her UFC victories, and she most recently submitted former title challenger Sara McMann at UFC Fight Night 73. Shevchenko made her octagon debut on short notice in December and earned a well-deserved decision victory over former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman. The Nunes vs. Shevchenko winner could find herself in a UFC title fight later this year.

The UFC women’s bantamweight championship is up for grabs in the UFC 196 co-feature when new champion Holly Holm (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) looks for the first defense when she meets Miesha Tate (17-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC).

Smith vs. Nakai added to UFC Fight Night 85

Leslie Smith

Returning from lengthy layoffs, bantamweights Leslie Smith (7-6-1 MMA, 1-2 UFC) and Rin Nakai (16-1-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) are set to collide in a pivotal matchup on March 20 at “UFC Fight Night 85: Hunt vs. Mir” in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Smith thrilled audiences during her six-fight stint with Invicta FC, which included a flyweight title challenge in late 2013. She made her UFC debut on short notice against former Invicta FC rival Sarah Kaufman in April 2014 and dropped a one-sided decision, but she rebounded with a quick and emphatic TKO victory over Jessamyn Duke three months later. Smith’s most recent fight took place in November 2014, when she faced Jessica Eye at UFC 180. The bout was waved off in the second round after Smith suffered a gruesome injury that nearly severed her ear and led to a TKO loss.

Queen of Pancrase champion Nakai also steps back into the octagon for the first time in well over a year. The Japanese veteran became the inaugural Pancrase 135-pound women’s champion in late 2012, and she made her long-awaited UFC debut after scoring big victories over Tara LaRosa and Sarah D’Alelio. At UFC Fight Night 52 in September 2014, Nakai suffered her first professional setback when Tate outpointed her.

In addition to the Smith-Nakai bout, UFC Fight Night 85 also features a previously announced strawweight fight between Seo Hee Ham and hometown star Bec Rawlings.

Two female fights highlight UFC on FOX 19 card

Tecia Torres

Unbeaten strawweight Tecia Torres (7-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) looks to take a step toward UFC title contention when she competes April 16 at “UFC on FOX 19: Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson” in Tampa, Fla. Torres faces Rose Namajunas (4-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a rematch from July 2013.

Torres and Namajunas first clashed at Invicta FC 6 in a competitive and action-packed bout that concluded with Torres taking a well-deserved unanimous-decision victory. Both fighters subsequently signed with the UFC and took part in “The Ultimate Fighter 20.” Torres’ run on the show was a disappointing one, but Namajunas advanced to the tournament final with three impressive submission wins. Carla Esparza defeated her at the TUF 20 Finale to claim the inaugural atomweight belt.

Since her time on “TUF 20,” Torres has earned three decision victories inside the octagon. She recently defeated RFA champion Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger at UFC 194 in December. Namajunas bounced back from her loss to Esparza by quickly submitting Angela Hill at UFC 192. She then stepped in on short notice to face UFC poster girl Paige VanZant in the UFC Fight Night 80 headliner. The lopsided fight ended when Namajunas submitted a battered and bloodied VanZant with a fifth-round rear-naked choke.

Also confirmed for UFC Fight Night 85 is a bantamweight bout between recent title challenger Bethe Correia (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and “TUF 18” semifinalist Raquel Pennington (6-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC). Correia talked her way into a title shot by defeating two of then-champion Ronda Rousey’s closest allies, Duke and Shayna Baszler. However, she was brutally knocked out by Rousey in just 34 seconds at UFC 190. Pennington rebounded from a razor-thin split-decision loss to current UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holm by submitting rival Jessica Andrade at UFC 191. Andrade edged out Pennington in the pair’s first fight at UFC 171.

Aguilar meets Lima in high-stakes UFC 197 bout

Jessica Aguilar

After a rough start to her UFC career, former WSOF champion Jessica Aguilar (17-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) seeks her first octagon victory on April 23 at “UFC 197: Cormier vs. Jones 2” in Las Vegas. Aguilar is set to face off against Brazilian standout Juliana Lima (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who has won back-to-back fights.

Prior to signing with the UFC, Aguilar won 10 straight fights, including notable but controversial victories over Carla Esparza and Megumi Fujii (twice). She became the first and only WSOF women’s strawweight champion in early 2014. This past year, Aguilar joined the UFC roster and famously declared that she had “decided to become UFC champion.” She was immediately placed in a title eliminator bout against Claudia Gadelha at UFC 190, but she struggled to mount any offense against the Brazilian and dropped a one-sided unanimous decision.

Some observers dismissed Lima as a title threat at 115 pounds following her loss to future UFC champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC on FOX 12, but she’s proven critics wrong by getting back on track with two key victories. After defeating Nina Ansaroff at UFC Fight Night 56, Lima earned one of her biggest wins to date when she dominated highly touted grappler Ericka Almeida en route to an easy unanimous-decision verdict at UFC Fight Night 65. With a victory over Aguilar, Lima could potentially earn a strawweight title shot this year.

Bragayrac among winners at Kuna Fight Paraguay

Kuna Fight Paraguay showcased its inaugural all-female event on Feb. 6 in the city of Asuncion. In the bantamweight main event, Peruvian prospect Stephanie Bragayrac (7-3) earned her second straight first-round finish by submitting newcomer Yazmin Marzo (0-1). Full card results below.

• 135: Stephanie Bragayrac (7-3) def. Yazmin Marzo (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:13
• 115: Alicia Andino (1-0) def. Veronica Grenno (2-1) via unanimous decision
• 115: Patricia Alujas (1-0) def. Silvia Gonzalez (2-1) via DQ (hair pulling) – Round 3, 1:34
• 110: Emilce Ortiz (1-0) def. Ana Cardoso (1-1) via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:45
• 115: Monica Quiroga (1-1) def. Ruth Roja (0-1) via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:45
• 125: Angelica Bordon (1-0) def. Charline Acosta (0-1) via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 0:30
• 115: Laura Patino (1-0) def. Beatriz Acosta (0-1) via unanimous decision
• 135: Sally Ortigoza (1-1) def. Claudina Candia (0-1) via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:55
• 120 (amateur): Araceli Rojas def. Katherin Souludre via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 2:10

Quick results

Strawweight – Jennifer Olsim (1-0) def. Dolores Meek (0-2) via submission (armbar) at the 4:57 mark of Round 1 at “Underground Battle MMA Championship 13: Foreign Invasion” on Jan. 22 in Manila.

Bantamweight – Amanda Oliveira de Lemos (5-0-1) and Mayra Cantuaria Rodrigues (2-0-1) fought to a majority draw at Jungle Fight 85 on Jan. 23 in Sao Paulo.

Strawweight – Also on the Jungle Fight 85 card, Simone Aparecida da Silva Duarte (2-0) def. Camilla Guimaraes Reis (0-2) via submission (armbar) at the 51-second mark of Round 2.

Bantamweight – Priscila de Souza (12-6) def. Luana Carvalho (0-1) via unanimous decision at Baixada Top Fight 5 on Jan. 24 in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Strawweight – Also at Baixada Top Fight 5, Maria Oliveira Mota (2-2) def. Priscila Gomes (0-2) via knockout (punches) at the 1:24 mark of Round 1.

Catchweight (108) – Jenny Huang (3-0) def. Amira Badr (0-1) via submission (triangle choke) at the 3:09 mark of Round 2 at “ONE Championship 37: Clash of Heroes” on Jan. 29 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Flyweight – Mabelly Lima (3-0) def. Polly Lima (0-1) via unanimous decision at Limo Fight Championship 17 on Jan. 29 in Limoeiro do Norte, Ceara, Brazil.

Flyweight – Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (3-0) def. Amber Tackett (1-2) via submission (armbar) at the 2:09 mark of Round 1 at “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” on Jan. 29 in Fresno, Calif.

Bantamweight – Katarzyna Sadura def. Alina Dubosa (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 16-second mark of Round 1 at “Fight Night 1: Zmierzch” on Jan. 30 in Zgierz, Lodz, Poland.

Strawweight – Valesca Machado da Silva (1-0) def. Nayara Hemily Cascardo (2-4) via unanimous decision at New Corpore Extreme 4 on Jan. 30 in Rio de Janeiro.

In other strawweight action at New Corpore Extreme 4, Istela Nunes de Souza (3-0) def. Thais Camila de Oliveira (0-1) via unanimous decision, Karoline Martins Moreira (3-0) def. Jamile Farias dos Santos (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 3:08 mark of Round 1, and Thaisa Santiago Gasparoto (1-0) def. Priscila Gomes (0-2) via TKO (punches) at the 48-second mark of Round 1. At bantamweight, Alexandra de Cassia Rodrigues (2-1) def. Juliana Rezende da Silva Aquino (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 2:17 mark of Round 1.

Flyweight – Diana Reyes (1-4) def. Lisbeth Lopez Silva (0-3) via submission (armbar) in Round 2 at Chako’s Fighting League 2 on Jan. 30 in Ixtlahuaca de Rayon, Mexico.

Atomweight – Jeong Eun Park (1-2) def. Xiaoni Liu (0-1) via submission (arm-triangle choke) at the 2:24 mark of Round 2 at Road FC 28 on Jan. 31 in Seoul.

Catchweight (132) – Maguy Berchel (2-1-1) and Maria Casanova (0-1-1) fought to a draw at “100% Fight 27: Last Man Standing” on Feb. 4 in Aubervilliers, France.

Bantamweight – Eeva Siiskonen (5-3-2) and Iren Racz (4-4-1) fought to a majority draw at Lappeenranta Fight Night 15 on Feb. 6 in Kotka, Kymenlaakso, Finland.

Catchweight (120) – Jaimelene Nievera (3-1) def. Charlene Gellner (0-4) via submission (kneebar) at the 1:39 mark of Round 2 at Dragon House 22 on Feb. 6 in San Francisco.

Atomweight – Hisae Watanabe (20-6) def. Ye Ji Lee (0-2) via TKO (punch) at the 3:00 mark of Round 2 at “WSOF Global Championship 2: Japan 1” on Feb. 7 in Tokyo.

Strawweight – Also on the WSOF GC 2 card, Anna Bezhenar (2-1) def. May Ooi (2-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).

MMAjunkie 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.