Women’s MMA Report: Rousey-Holm set for UFC 193, Letourneau upsets Moroz

Ronda Rousey

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is set to headline her fourth UFC card when she steps back into the octagon on Nov. 15 at UFC 193 in Melbourne.

Rousey, who was originally expected to face rival Miesha Tate for a third time at UFC 195 in January, instead battles former boxing world champion and undefeated MMA fighter Holly Holm in the UFC 193 main event.

Rousey (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) retained her title with a 34-second knockout victory over Brazilian challenger Bethe Correia earlier this month at UFC 190. Only one of her past four fights, a 66-second TKO triumph over fellow Olympic medalist Sara McMann at UFC 170, has made it out of the first minute. The gifted judoka has rapidly become one of the UFC’s biggest stars.

Holm (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), like most of Rousey’s opponents, enters the November title tilt as a massive underdog despite her famed striking pedigree. The former pound-for-pound boxing queen struggled in her February UFC debut against Raquel Pennington, but did just enough to eke out a split-decision win. She most recently handed Marion Reneau a one-sided defeat at UFC Fight Night 71 this past month.

Holm had agreed to face Sarah Kaufman in what would have been her toughest test to date, but she was surprised by the UFC’s abrupt decision to change course and place her in the title fight with Rousey in November. While few analysts are giving Holm much of a chance, she does pose a threat to Rousey on the feet. Six of Holm’s MMA wins have ended via knockouts due to kicks.

Letourneau upsets Moroz at UFC Fight Night 74

Valerie Letourneau

Competing in her home country for the third straight time, former bantamweight Valerie Letourneau (8-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) made it 2-for-2 at 115 pounds with a big victory on Aug. 23 at UFC Fight Night 74 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Letourneau defeated strawweight rising star Maryna Moroz (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in a featured contender’s bout on the event’s main card.

Letourneau dominated Round 1 with ground-and-pound after dropping Moroz with an early and powerful right hook. Moroz was aggressive on the feet with kicks and combinations in the second stanza, and she hurt Letourneau with a right hand and swarmed on her with more punches. However, Letourneau recovered and fired back with a one-two before the bell.

Early in Round 3, Letourneau knocked down Moroz with a counter hook after catching a kick. She stayed on top in Moroz’s guard throughout the round and avoided her attempts to secure a late submission. Moroz eventually battled back to her feet and landed body kicks and an uppercut, but her last-minute rally was not enough to steal back the fight. Scores were 30-27 and 29-28 (twice) for Letourneau, who took the unanimous-decision win.

Letourneau’s victory may lead to a greater reward than first imagined. UFC officials are now considering matching up the American Top Team standout with undefeated UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 195 on Jan. 2 in Las Vegas. Jedrzejczyk was originally scheduled to face top contender Claudia Gadelha in a rematch on the card, but a lingering Gadelha finger injury has prompted UFC matchmakers to explore backup options.

Andrade vs. Pennington rematch booked

Jessica Andrade

Stepping in on short notice, Brazilian contender Jessica Andrade (13-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) seeks her second straight win when she battles “TUF 18” semifinalist Raquel Pennington (5-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 191 in Las Vegas. The bantamweight rematch was officially added to the card earlier this month.

Andrade bounced back from a loss to former title challenger Liz Carmouche in her July 2013 UFC debut with three straight victories, including a split-decision verdict over Pennington at UFC 171. Marion Reneau snapped her winning streak at UFC Fight Night 61, but Andrade got back on track this past month by dominating Sarah Moras at UFC Fight Night 71.

Pennington followed up on her “TUF 18” run by winning her official UFC debut against Roxanne Modafferi at the TUF 18 Finale. Andrade narrowly edged her in the pair’s first meeting in March 2014, but Pennington earned a highlight-reel finish in her next fight when she choked out Ashlee Evans-Smith at UFC 181. She most recently dropped a razor-thin split decision to upcoming UFC title challenger Holly Holm in February.

The Andrade-Pennington rematch airs on the FOX Sports 1-televised prelims. The event also features a main-card strawweight bout between Paige VanZant and Alex Chambers.

Daly faces Almeida in Dublin

Aisling Daly

Hometown fan favorite Aisling Daly (15-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) steps back into the octagon in front of a partisan crowd on Oct. 24 at UFC Fight Night 76 in Dublin. The Irish star meets grappling ace Ericka Almeida (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in a strawweight bout.

Daly’s UFC tenure has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs. She was eliminated during the quarterfinal round of “TUF 20” but overcame a rough weight cut en route to a first-round submission win over Alex Chambers at the TUF 20 Finale. At UFC 185 in April, she suffered a loss to Canadian standout Randa Markos in an entertaining bout.

Almeida, the reigning Jungle Fight women’s strawweight champion, made her UFC debut on short notice at UFC Fight Night 67 in May. She was unable to get anything going in the fight and ultimately dropped a lackluster decision to countrywoman Juliana Lima.

Quick results

Flyweight – Aline Cruz da Silva (1-1) def. Daniela Gomes da Silva Ferreira (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 4:06 mark of Round 1 at “Arena Combat 3: Marmota vs. Bad Face” on Aug. 8 in Goiania, Goias, Brazil. Cruz notched her first pro win in the fight after dropping her debut in September.

Bantamweight – On the same Arena Combat 3 card, a bout between Dayane Mestrinha (3-6) and Mayra Cantuaria Rodrigues (0-0) was declared a no-contest due to a premature stoppage from the referee.

Bantamweight – Jessica Negrao (2-1) def. Debora Rodrigues (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 1:50 mark of Round 3 at Torres Fight Championship 1 on Aug. 8 in Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Negrao rebounded from a loss in September with her second submission win.

Bantamweight – Bianca Daimoni (5-1) def. Priscila de Souza (8-6) via TKO (kick to the body) at the 2:35 mark of Round 2 at Americas Fighting Championship 5 on Aug. 8 in Cascavel, Parana, Brazil. Daimoni has won back-to-back fights since suffering her lone pro loss this past year. All five of her victories have come via knockout.

Bantamweight – Giselle Campos (4-2) def. Sirleia Gomes Barbosa Barros (0-3) via submission (anaconda choke) at the 4:09 mark of Round 1 at Personal Open Fight 8 on Aug. 8 in Altamira, Para, Brazil. This bout was a rematch from June. Campos once again prevailed via first-round submission. She has tasted defeat just once since dropping her pro debut to Carina Damm.

Strawweight – Calie Cutler (4-1) def. Lindsay Garbatt (2-1) via unanimous decision at “Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting 59: Homeland Pride” on Aug. 8 in Taylor, Mich. Cutler handed Garbatt her first pro loss and rebounded from a setback in April with the victory.

Flyweight – Hera Tamati (4-2) def. Brooke McLeod (0-2) via TKO (punches) at the 3:10 mark of Round 2 at “Minotaur 1: Unleashed” on Aug. 14 in Parkville, Victoria, Australia. Tamati picked up her fourth victory in her past five fights. She previously advanced to the finals of a 123-pound Princesses of Pain tournament in May.

Featherweight – Peggy Morgan (4-3) def. Jessica Miele (4-2) via unanimous decision at CES MMA 30 on Aug. 14 in Lincoln, R.I. “TUF 18” veteran Morgan earned a much-needed victory after dropping three of her past four bouts.

Strawweight – Yoo Jin Jung (2-3) def. Naouel Bourbia (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 4:07 mark of Round 1 at “Top Fighting Championship 8: Heart of a Champion” on Aug. 15 in Seoul. Jung has now posted back-to-back first-round stoppage wins since opening her career with three tough defeats against formidable opponents.

Catchweight (121) – Bruna Ellen (2-0) def. Pamela Mara Assis (0-1) via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) at the 4:28 mark of Round 1 at Max Fight 16 on Aug. 15 in Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Ellen kept her undefeated record intact with her second win under the Max Fight banner.

Flyweight – Ariane Lipski (4-3) def. Marta Souza (2-7-1) via unanimous decision at Striker’s House Cup 52 on Aug. 15 in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil. Lipski has won two fights in a row for Striker’s House Cup since joining the promotion in June.

Catchweight (129) – Viridiana Gonzalez (3-0) def. Nayeli Martinez (0-1) via TKO (head kick and punches) at the 2:27 mark of Round 2 at World Fighters Championship 14 on Aug. 15 in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Gonzalez has finished all three of her WFC foes to date.

Strawweight – Pearl Gonzalez (5-1) def. Valeria Mejia (1-1) via TKO (punches) at the 3:34 mark of Round 1 at “XFO 56: Outdoor War 11” on Aug. 15 in Island Lake, Ill. Former XFC champion Gonzalez has won five straight fights including three in a row this year.

Catchweight (112) – Andy Nguyen (1-0) def. Corrie Ward (0-2) via TKO (punches) at the 4:48 mark of Round 3 at “Vengeance Fighting Alliance: Round 5” on Aug. 15 in Lake Charles, La. Following a very lengthy amateur career, Nguyen made her long-awaited pro debut and overwhelmed Ward with punches late in the fight.

Flyweight – Hannah Zeciri (1-0) def. Brenda Rodriguez (0-3) via unanimous decision at “Cageside Promotions: Kansas City Fighting Alliance 16” on Aug. 15 in Grandview, Mo. Zeciri kicked off her pro career with the three-round victory.

Catchweight (129) – Rachael Swatez (5-4) def. Chaleur Jones (1-3) via unanimous decision at “Super Fight League 42: Fight Night at the Corral” on Aug. 15 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Swatez, who missed weight, walked away with her first pro victory since March 2011.

Lightweight – Sara Snow (1-0) def. Paola Ramirez (0-1) via unanimous decision at “Gladiator Challenge: Showdown” on Aug. 15 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Snow made a successful pro debut in the fight following a brief amateur career.

Strawweight – On the same Gladiator Challenge card, Maia Kahaunaele-Stevenson (1-3) def. Alexis Trinidad-Marquez (0-1) via unanimous decision. Kahaunaele-Stevenson claimed her first pro victory after opening her career with a trio of losses.

Strawweight – Jessica Correa Delboni (2-0) def. Cristiane Lima Silva (0-1) via unanimous decision at Rei da CBX 2 on Aug. 16 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Delboni made a successful return to action following a two-year hiatus.

Bantamweight – Taila Santos (12-0) def. Gisele Moreira (3-2) via unanimous decision at Aspera Fighting Championship 23 on Aug. 16 in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Santos continues to dominate all challengers in Brazil and remains one of the country’s top female prospects.

Atomweight – Satomi Takano (7-6) def. Jeong Eun Park (0-2) via majority decision at Road FC 25 on Aug. 22 in Wonju, Gangwon, South Korea. Recent Deep Jewels title challenger Takano made it two-for-two inside the Road FC cage with a hard-fought win over 18-year-old Park, who took another Deep Jewels contender, Emi Fujino, to an equally competitive majority decision at Road FC 23. Takano has won four of her past five bouts.

Catchweight (132) – Iren Racz (4-2) def. Lilla Vincze (2-5) via TKO (punches) in Round 2 at Venum Victory World Series 3 on Aug. 22 in Debrecen, Hajdu-Bihar, Hungary. Racz has earned TKO triumphs in back-to-back fights.

Strawweight – Debora Dias Nascimento (1-1) def. Natasha Frazao (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 4:38 mark of Round 1 at Jungle Fight 80 on Aug. 22 in Sao Paulo. Dias Nascimento rebounded from a TKO loss in May by picking up her first pro win.

Flyweight – Kathy Long (2-0) def. Mixia Medina (0-1) via unanimous decision at Ascension Muay Thai and Kickboxing 3 on Aug. 22 in Tijuana, Baha California, Mexico. UFC 1 commentator and former kickboxer Long, competing for the first time in more than six years, earned her second pro MMA victory at age 51.

Bantamweight – Also on the AMK 3 card, Colleen Schneider (8-6) def. Diana Reyes (0-4) via TKO (doctor stoppage) at the 3:51 mark of Round 3. Schneider has won three of her past four fights and next competes at Pancrase 270 in October.

Flyweight – Sarah Alpar (5-3) def. Susy Watson (3-3) via TKO (punches) at the 4:33 mark of Round 2 at “Sugar Creek Showdown 27: Survival” on Aug. 22 in Hinton, Okla. With the victory, Alpar regained the vacant SCS women’s flyweight championship that she lost to current Invicta FC fighter Delaney Owen in January 2014.

Flyweight – Jeana Pinelli (1-1) def. Jackie Vandenburgh (0-1) via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) at Dragon House 21 on Aug. 22 in San Francisco. Pinelli rebounded from a loss in her pro debut with the hard-fought decision victory.

Flyweight – Aitek Emadi (2-2) def. Griet Eeckhout (0-1) via majority decision at “MMA Bundesliga: Heroic Battle 9” on Aug. 23 in Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Emadi got back on track with the two-round decision win after suffering her first stoppage loss in March.

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.