Women’s MMA Report: Jessica Andrade wins at UFC 171, Invicta FC signs new prospects

This past Saturday night, Brazilian rising star Jessica Andrade picked up her second octagon victory at “UFC 171: Hendricks vs. Lawler” in Dallas, Texas. The 22-year-old posted a split decision win over “TUF 18” semifinalist Raquel Pennington in a featured bantamweight bout on the preliminary card.

Andrade (11-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Pennington (4-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) traded hard punches right away and Andrade looked to set up an early takedown against the cage. Pennington countered with a standing guillotine choke, but Andrade escaped and she repeatedly threw Pennington down to the ground. Pennington worked for an armbar from her back, but Andrade used the opportunity to pass to side control and she tried for a guillotine of her own before the bell.

In Round 2, Andrade put together punching combinations and Pennington countered with some solid knees from the clinch. Andrade mixed up her strikes with leg kicks and flurries of punches, and she swarmed on Pennington with a barrage of left and right hooks against the cage. As time ticked down in the second round, Andrade continued to get the better of the striking exchanges, but Pennington trapped her in another tight guillotine choke in the final minute.

The close bout was still very much up for grabs heading into Round 3 and Andrade got off to a quick start with a series of lunging hooks that backed Pennington up. Pennington secured a clinch and landed more knees that set off a lengthy exchange of power punches. She took Andrade down twice and finished the round strong with a combination on the feet.

One judge scored the back-and-forth bout 29-28 for Pennington. The remaining two returned 29-28 scorecards for Andrade, who took the split decision victory. Though seen by some as being undersized for the bantamweight division, Andrade, who spent part of her career competing at 121 pounds, continues to make big improvements to her overall MMA game with each passing fight. She has won four of her past five bouts and two straight in the UFC.

Invicta FC signs unbeaten prospects Jinh Yu Frey and Amanda Bobby Cooper

Invicta Fighting Championships continues to replenish its depleted roster with the additions of Sugar Creek Showdown women’s atomweight champion Jinh Yu Frey (2-0) and former four-time amateur titleholder Amanda Bobby Cooper (1-0). Officials confirmed the signings this past week and both women are expected to debut for the promotion in the coming months.

Following a five-fight amateur career, Frey dropped down to 105 pounds for her pro debut this past April. She submitted Invicta FC veteran Meghan Wright in just over two minutes to become the inaugural SCS women’s atomweight champion. However, it was Frey’s most recent title defense against Darla Harris at SCS 18 in July that officially put her on prospect watch.

Just past the 3:00 mark in Round 1, Frey rocked Harris with a head kick and floored her with a vicious follow-up left cross that left Harris prone and unconscious on the mat. Video of the devastating knockout was picked up by mainstream media and has now been viewed close to 2.3 million times. Frey sat out for the remainder of 2013 while rehabbing a broken hand that she sustained in the win over Harris, but she is now eager to make an impact upon Invicta FC’s atomweight division this year.

Cooper began her amateur career at age 19 in late 2010 and fought primarily for the Capital City Cage Fighting Championships promotion in her home state of Michigan. She captured CCCFC titles at both 125 and 135 pounds, and posted an impressive knockout win of her own when she stopped Tori Music in just eight seconds. The victory earned Cooper the Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting women’s flyweight title and she went on to capture another 125-pound championship for Total Warrior Combat this past year. Her 8-3 amateur record included eight stoppage wins.

On Feb. 15, Cooper made her long-awaited pro debut against fellow multi-time amateur champion Brittany Dugas for King of the Cage in Minnesota. After close to 10 full minutes of action, Cooper locked on an armbar that forced Dugas to submit with one second remaining in Round 2. The win earned Cooper a spot on the Invicta FC roster and the 22-year-old is one of the promotion’s brightest young prospects at 125 pounds.

Invicta FC has now signed a total of 17 new fighters during the past month, but the promotion has yet to announce a date and location for its upcoming eighth all-female event.

Kalindra Faria wins ninth straight at XFCi 2

Former flyweight contender Kalindra Faria made a successful move down to the strawweight division on Saturday night at XFC International 2 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Faria (13-3-1) ran her winning streak to nine by outpointing Aline Serio (7-5) for a second time in the co-main event.

Faria and Serio first faced off for the inaugural Pink Fight 121-pound women’s title in March 2012. Faria captured the belt with a three-round unanimous decision win. Early in Saturday’s rematch, Faria clinched with Serio against the cage and the fighters battled for position until the referee separated them. Faria slammed Serio to the mat and punched from top position. She tried for a guillotine choke as Serio stood and both women landed hard combinations.

Faria took Serio back down in Rounds 2 and 3. She threatened with a rear-naked choke and a face lock in the second stanza, but Serio escaped each time. Serio countered Faria’s takedowns with guillotine chokes in the final round and she landed her best combination of the fight on the feet. However, Faria finished the fight strong with elbows to Serio’s thigh and face.

In spite of Serio’s comeback in Round 3, all three judges scored the bout 30-27 for Faria, who won for the ninth straight time. She looks for her second victory in March next weekend.

Mei Yamaguchi vs. Gina Iniong added to PXC 43 main card

Final Valkyrie featherweight (115-pound) champion Mei Yamaguchi (11-6-1) drops down to 105 pounds for her atomweight debut at Pacific Xtreme Combat 43 on March 29 in Pasig City, Philippines. Yamaguchi meets local favorite Gina Iniong (2-1) in a featured main card matchup.

In early 2010, Yamaguchi shocked the MMA world in Japan by upsetting MMA pioneer Yuka Tsuji in just 76 seconds to become Valkyrie’s second champion at 115 pounds. Following Valkyrie’s collapse, she picked up two wins for Pancrase and later went 3-1 under the Jewels banner. After suffering a razor-thin split decision loss to Patricia Vidonic in her PXC debut in October, Yamaguchi opted to make a fresh start in the atomweight division.

Iniong began her MMA career eight days after Yamaguchi shocked Tsuji in Japan. The talented kickboxer showed that she was more than just a striker by earning a first-round submission win in her MMA debut. She dropped a competitive decision in her second fight and took a lengthy hiatus from MMA before making her return to the sport at PXC 41 in November. Iniong dropped French foe Nathalie Heidel with a vicious right hook and finished her with punches on the ground to earn her first TKO victory.

PXC 43 will stream for free and on a slight time delay on March 29 on the promotion’s official Livestream channel.

MMA Super Heroes women’s strawweight tournament begins on March 30

One of Brazil’s fastest rising promotions, MMA Super Heroes, stages its third event on March 30 in Sao Paulo, and the card once again features female fighters in prominent roles. MMA Super Heroes 3 is highlighted by a one-night women’s strawweight tournament and also includes two additional non-tournament bouts involving some of the country’s top female talent.

In one of two tournament semifinal fights, Michele Angelo (1-1) takes on Roberta Pereira da Silva Gomes (0-2). Both women look to rebound from defeats in their most recent fights. The other semifinal pits newcomer Renata Baldan (0-0) against Bruna Matos (0-1). Baldan makes her pro debut on the card. Matos dropped a competitive decision in her MMA debut. The winners of the semifinals will then face off later in the night to determine a tournament champion. In case of injury, Luciana Treze (0-0) faces Graziele Ricotta (0-1) in a reserve bout.

While the women’s tournament is a key part of the MMA Super Heroes 3 event, the best female fighters on the card will be in action in non-tournament bouts. Kalindra Faria (13-3-1) aims for her tenth straight win when she faces Argentinian prospect Laura Balin (4-1). Grappling ace Herica Tiburcio (7-2) returns to MMA Super Heroes to face Aline Sattelmayer (5-4).

Faria makes a quick return to the cage after defeating Aline Serio this past weekend and she looks to make it two in a row at 115 pounds. Her opponent, Balin, opened her pro career with four straight victories including three finishes. She suffered her first professional defeat in June when she dropped a unanimous decision to Vanessa Guimaraes.

Tiburcio is one of Brazil’s most skilled female grapplers at 115 pounds and she has submitted six opponents to date including highly-touted prospect Kinberly Novaes on the inaugural MMA Super Heroes card in July. She most recently scored a first-round armbar victory in November. Sattelmayer sports a modest record, but she has already competed against some of the best female fighters in Brazil including Faria and Camila Lima. She is 3-1 in her past four fights and her lone defeat during that time came in an October rematch against unbeaten standout and recent Invicta FC signee Livia Renata Souza.

Vanessa Porto returns to Brazil, faces Ana Maria at Fatality Arena 6

Former Invicta FC flyweight title challenger Vanessa Porto (16-6) competes at home for the first time in more than two years when she faces decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Ana Maria (5-4) at Fatality Arena 6 on March 30 in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Porto has not fought in Brazil since she won the Pink Fight 132-pound women’s title with a one-punch knockout in March 2012.

As one of Brazil’s most experienced female fighters, Porto has faced a who’s who of the sport during her nine-year pro career. She holds key wins over Juliana Werner (thrice), Tonya Evinger, Hitomi Takano, Germaine de Randamie, Kalindra Faria and Jennifer Maia. Under the Invicta FC banner, she defeated former flyweight contenders Tara LaRosa and Zoila Frausto Gurgel. Porto is one of only two women to have ever submitted Maria in MMA competition, a feat that she accomplished with a second-round rear-naked choke when the pair first fought in May 2006.

Maria has long been regarded as an elite grappler in her home country, but she has encountered mixed success in MMA competition. After falling to Porto in her second fight, Maria rebounded with a 35-second submission win over current UFC standout Amanda Nunes. She then suffered three consecutive defeats in 2008 and took a three-year hiatus from fighting after submitting Aline Nery in May 2010. Since making her return this past year, Maria has looked impressive in victories over Aline Serio and Maria Elisabete Tavares.

The Fatality Arena 6 card also includes a second women’s bout between the aforementioned Serio (7-5) and Bianca Daimoni (3-1). Serio’s three-fight winning streak was snapped by Kalindra Faria in the pair’s rematch earlier this month. She has knocked out or submitted five opponents to date. Daimoni opened her pro career with three devastating knockout wins and she now looks to rebound from her first loss at XFC International 1 in February.

Quick results

Catherine Costigan (4-0) def. Irene Cabello (1-2) via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) at Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 65 on March 1 in Dublin, Ireland. The fighters battled back and forth on the feet and in the clinch in Round 1 and Cabello appeared to hold a slight edge in the exchanges. She trapped Costigan in a triangle choke throughout the middle stanza. In Round 3, Costigan mixed up her strikes well and scored a takedown that allowed her to control the round on the mat. Two judges scored the close first round for Costigan, who took a split decision victory as a result and kept her unbeaten record intact.

Tania Pereda (1-0) def. Anely Jimenez (7-2) via unanimous decision at Xtreme Kombat 22 on March 1 in Naucalpan de Juarez, Mexico. Pereda opened up her pro career with a big win over former top prospect Jimenez, who has now dropped back-to-back fights.

Jessica Zomcik (1-0) def. Summer Bradshaw (0-2) via submission (armbar) at the 3:17 mark of Round 1 at “North American Allied Fight Series: Driven MMA 1” on March 1 in Canton, Ohio. Zomcik followed up on her stellar 9-3 run as an amateur by winning her pro debut in front of a familiar NAAFS crowd. She sports a 6-3 overall record under the NAAFS banner.

Rosa Acevedo (1-0) def. Sharice Davids (1-1) via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27) at “Legion Combat Sports 18: Purgatory” on March 1 in Torrington, Wyo. Acevedo made a successful pro debut on the card following a six-fight stint as an amateur. Davids, who was also a standout amateur fighter, had her five-fight winning streak snapped by the decision loss.

Danielle Taylor (1-0) def. Maia Kahaunaele-Stevenson (0-3) via unanimous decision at “King of the Cage: Beaten Path” on March 6 in Highland, Calif. With the win, Taylor rebounded from the first loss of her career in January when she relinquished her KOTC women’s strawweight title in her final amateur fight.

Mariana Leonardo (1-0) def. Pamela Rivelles (0-2) via TKO (punches) at the 35-second mark of Round 2 at “Talent Draft 1: Babuino Gold Team” on March 7 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Leonardo made a successful pro debut in the fight. Rivelles, who was competing for the first time since a 2008 bout against Ediane Gomes, remains in search of her first pro win.

Debora Ferreira (2-0) def. Betina Baino (0-2) via TKO (punches) at the 4:21 mark of Round 2 at Collision Fight 7 on March 8 in Soledade, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Ferreira has finished both of her pro opponents to date with strikes.

Randa Markos Thomas (4-1) def. Lynnell House (2-1) via submission (armbar) at the 1:57 mark of Round 1 at Provincial Fighting Championships 2 on March 8 in London, Ontario, Canada. The main event tapout victory earned Markos Thomas the PFC women’s strawweight title.

Takayo Hashi (14-4-1) and Ji-Yeon Kim (0-0-2) fought to a unanimous draw after two rounds at “Road FC Korea 2: Korea vs. Japan” on March 9 in Seoul, South Korea. Hashi was competing for the first time since she defeated Roxanne Modafferi two years prior. Kim previously fought to a draw against another Japanese standout, Shizuka Sugiyama, in November.

Michelle Young (1-0) def. Jennifer Johnston (1-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 1:28 mark of Round 1 at “Alaska Fighting Championship 106: Stacked” on March 12 in Anchorage, Alaska. Young earned her first professional victory with the quick win.

Lena Tkhorevska (3-1) def. Anna Moldavchuk (1-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 39-second mark of Round 1 at “Professional League of MMA 29: Extra” on March 15 in Legionowo, Masovia, Poland. Tkhorevska has earned first-round finishes in all three of her pro wins.

Stephanie Bragayrac (1-1) def. Pamela Boveda Aguirre (1-1) via TKO (head kick) at the 1:46 mark of Round 1 at “GP Super 8: Quarterfinals” on March 15 in Asuncion, Paraguay. This bout was a rematch from September when Aguirre submitted Bragayrac with a first-round armbar. Bragayrac avenged her past loss with the quick stoppage win.

Deise Lee Rocha (5-4) def. Priscila de Souza (3-2) via unanimous decision at Gladiator Combat Fight 4 on March 15 in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil. Rocha has won three of her past four fights and her lone defeat during that time came against Legacy FC title contender Juliana Werner.

Karine Silva (2-0) def. Helaine Ribeiro (0-4) via KO (elbows) at the 4:03 mark of Round 1 at “Victory Iron Girls: Victory 1” on March 15 in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Silva remains undefeated and she has knocked out three of her four pro and amateur opponents to date.

On the same Victory Iron Girls card, Gisele Moreira (1-1) def. Kessiny Mara (0-3) via submission (armbar) at the 2:12 mark of Round 2. Moreira picked up her first pro win in the fight after suffering a vicious knockout loss to Bianca Daimoni in her October pro debut.

Fallon Fox (4-1) def. Heather Bassett (1-1) via submission (armbar) at the 44-second mark of Round 2 at Xtreme Fighting Organization 50 on March 21 in Chicago, Ill. Fox rebounded from her first career defeat against Ashlee Evans-Smith in the finals of the much-discussed CFA women’s featherweight tournament by defeating Bassett in Friday’s bantamweight fight.

Upcoming fights

Ginny Connors (1-1) faces Rachael Head (0-0) at “Storm MMA: Storm Damage 4” on March 22 in Tuggeranong, Australia. Connors returns to Storm MMA for the first time since she advanced to the semifinals of the promotion’s inaugural women’s featherweight title tournament in August. Head makes her professional debut on the card.

Dora Perjes (5-0) faces Eleonora Tassinari (1-1) at “World Free Fight Association: MMA Revolution” on March 22 in Budapest, Hungary. This bout will be contested for the WFFA 110-pound women’s title. Perjes has submitted all five of her MMA opponents to date and she competes in front of hometown supporters in the title fight. Tassinari looks to rebound from her first defeat by upsetting Perjes and capturing the inaugural championship.

Iryna Shaparenko (5-0) faces Kamila Porczyk (1-0) at “KSW 26: Materla vs. Silva” on March 22 in Warsaw, Poland. Shaparenko made her pro MMA debut shortly after celebrating her 18th birthday in July and she has submitted four of her five opponents. The teen prospect seeks her biggest victory to date when she faces former three-time Miss Universe Fitness winner Porczyk, who earned her first MMA victory in June.

Lina Akhtar Lansberg (1-1) faces Emma Delaney (0-1) at Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 66 on March 22 in Ballerup, Denmark. Lansberg earned her first professional victory one year ago and she looks to pick up win number two against Delaney, who dropped a razor-thin split decision to Laura Howarth at Cage Warriors 62 in December.

Elodie Puget (1-1) faces Vanessa Rico (0-1) at “Cage Warriors Fighting Championship: Fight Night 10” on March 28 in Amman, Jordan. Puget returns to action for the first time since suffering her first loss against Simona Soukupova in late 2012. Rico also seeks her first pro win after dropping her debut to Catherine Costigan in June.

Rachael Swatez (4-4) faces Kris Pomerleau (0-0) at Unified MMA 18 on March 28 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Swatez looks to get back on track after suffering back-to-back losses against “TUF 18” winner Julianna Pena and Pena’s teammate Elizabeth Phillips. Pomerleau makes her pro debut after winning two fights in the amateur ranks.

On the same Unified MMA 18 card, Diana Atkin (0-0) faces Michelle House (0-0). Both fighters compete as professionals for the first time.

Melanie Lacroix (2-1) faces Brooksie Bayard (0-0) at “BAMMA USA: Badbeat 12” on March 28 in Commerce, Calif. Lacroix returns to MMA competition for the first time since she suffered her lone defeat at a ShoXC event in August 2008. Bayard turns pro following a 4-0 amateur run.

Also on the BAMMA USA card, Kyra Batara (0-0) makes her much-anticipated pro debut against Misha Nassiri (1-0). Batara posted a 4-1 record as an amateur and won two titles for Tuff-N-Uff. The 19-year-old now battles Nassiri, who won her January pro debut in just 29 seconds.

Vanessa Melo (2-2) faces Gloria Bravo (1-1) at XFC International 3 on March 29 in Osasco, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Melo enters the fight after securing a first-round submission victory in her most recent bout in November. Bravo looks to rebound from her first career defeat.

Also at XFCi 3, Vanessa Guimaraes (2-2) faces Marcela Yineris (0-0). Guimaraes had her two-fight winning streak snapped in December when she was defeated by Aline Sattelmayer. Yineris makes her pro debut on the card.

Nikki Lowe (0-0) faces Natalie Roy (0-0) at “Triple A MMA 5: Redemption at the Rock” on March 29 in Albuquerque, N.M. Lowe amassed a 5-3 record in the amateur ranks and looks for her fourth straight victory. Roy also competes as a professional for the first time in the fight.

MMAjunkie.com publishes the Women’s MMA Report every few weeks. Its author, Robert Sargent, is a veteran MMA journalist who also runs MMARising.com. Feel free to email us at news [AT] mmajunkie.com with any questions, news tips or suggestions.