Bellator 190 Results - Lara defeated Ovchynnikova

Last night, Alejandra Lara defeated Lena Ovchynnikova via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:09 of Round 3
That makes Alejandra Lara 7-1-0 now and drops Lena to 12-5-0.

Lena Ovchynnikova vs Alejandra Lara - MMA

Tonight at Bellator 190, one of my favorite MMA fighters Lena "Hunter" Ovchynnikova (12-4-0) will be taking on Alejandra "Azul" Lara (6-1-0).
As you know I stopped predicting fights a LONG time ago but this should be a good one.
The fight takes place at the Nelson Mandela Forum in Florence, Italy.

Good Luck Gina Carano and Cristiane Santos

Well here we go.
Only five days till what is the most hyped female mma match ever.
I love it really, when I started this blog back in 2007, I started going down a list I made of female mma fighters and tried to do bios and at least one pic of each one.
Why?
Because I always root for the underdog.

Female MMA really didn't get much attention, a lot of people frowned on it.
Two women out there beating the crap out of each other didn't appeal to everyone.
But having spent 14 years in martial arts (not MMA mind you) I had some idea of what these women go through to get out there and do their best.
And I hate it when someone works that hard and gets overlooked.
So I tried in my own way to get these ladies out there and hopefully get some attention for them.

You'll note that you don't (and never will) see pictures of bikini clad women here just for the sake of having them.
Now if a fighter is good looking (Kyra Gracie, Gina Carano, Michelle Waterson, Erin Toughill, LaTasha Marzolla just to name a few) I have no problem with posting an attractive picture of them.
But no matter how good you look, if you get in the ring with another woman that's there to take you down and take you out, it wont matter.
This blog is for fighters both known and unknown.

And that brings me back to the upcoming match up.
(I know I went off on a mini rant there)
Here is a chance for female MMA to really shine and pick up some fans.
You'll have the MMA poster girl Gina Carano going up against a fighting machine Cris Santos.
As of right now, no one is injured and we can expect to see both women go in there and give everything they've got.
This could be the match that really puts women's MMA on the map.
There's already talk of the winner facing Erin Toughill at a future date.

So I wish both women luck and cross my fingers that the match will be as good as the hype leading into it.

Not only does the sport need a good show, but so do all those ladies out there in little known gyms pounding away at bags and wondering if they'll ever get the chance to climb into a ring and show everyone just how good they really are.

More on the Kim Couture, Miesha Tate Fight

I mentioned the upcoming Kim Couture / Miesha Tate fight in my last entry.
Here is an article from Beau Dure over at USA TODAY about the fight, and rumors of unrest between Tate, Couture and Cris "Cyborg" Santos......

Lacking stars, depth, women's MMA has yet to deliver a big hit
By Beau Dure, USA TODAY
Kim Couture has only two professional mixed martial arts bouts, but she's ready for a step up in competition after her last opponent.
"I don't know if you saw the last fight, but that's kind of what happens when I fight someone with an equal record," Couture (1-1) says of the first-round knockout of Lina Kvokov, who appeared to have stage fright.
Couture next fights Miesha Tate, who has a 6-1 MMA record and experience in international grappling competition. The bout on Strikeforce's Challenger Series card May 15 in Fresno features two fighters with an acute interest in pushing women's MMA forward after a couple of missteps (Showtime, 11 p.m. ET).

You can read the full article here

Reid vs Waterson and Santos vs Akano Results

Elena “Baby Doll” Reid (3-0) beat Michelle "The Karate Hottie" Waterson (7-3) at Saturday's Extreme Beatdown event.
Elena won with a TKO 1:50 into the second round.

And Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (6-1) defeated Hitomi Akano (14-5) in the third round.

If you missed it, you can see the fight here:

Felice Herrig Updates

http://www.mmamadhouse.com/

I didn't know a lot about Felice Herrig when I did my first entry on her back in 2007.
Then she was on Oxygen's reality series "Fight Girls".
At the time she was a 22 year old, working at a salon in Wheeling, giving facials, manicures and pedicures.
Gina Carano mentored Felice and she won her first fight against Gina Reyes.
As one of the five finalists in Thailand, Felice won her fight against a champion Thai fighter.

She recently lost a three round, split decision to Iman "Mannie" Achhal at UWC 5: MAN "O" WAR in Fairfax Virginia.
But she is now looking forward to her next fight at XFO 29 on Friday April 17, 2009.

You can see more of Felice at http://chicagosmma.com/

MMA News: Cristiane Santos versus Hitomi Akano

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (6-1) of Brazil will be facing “Smack Girl” Champion Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano (14-5) of Japan at the "Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz " event on April 11th at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

I think this will be a very interesting match up, because the two women are almost polar opposites.
On the one hand you have Santos' Muay Thai striking and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, and on the other hand you have Akano's submission skills.
Cristiane is of course the co-holder (along with Gina Carano) of the number one ranking in the WAMMA.
So what would a loss to Akano do to that standing?
And what would that do for Akano?

Hitomi was the very first lady I profiled on this blog back in February of 2007.
She has won 11 of her 14 fights with a submission. 10 of them were armbars and 5 were in the first round.
She beat fellow female MMA fighter Hari Hari in 38 seconds in the first round with an armbar.

Cristiane has won 4 of her fights in the first round, and 2 of those were by corner stoppage, her opponents corner men threw in the towel after the first round.
But the only loss she has had was via a leg lock submission, and submissions are Hitomi's bread and butter.
All of Hitomi's losses were by decision.

Cristiane has the height, weight and age advantage, but in MMA, sometimes that doesn't mean a lot.

Rosi Sexton and The WAMMA Top Ten Rankings

Female Mixed Martial Arts fighter Dr Rosi Sexton (9-1-0) has signed a four fight deal with the US based Bellator Fighting Championships.
Rosi will fight in the inaugural Bellator Fighting Championships show at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida on April 3rd.
She will face the American Top Team fighter and fellow BodogFight veteran Jessica Aguilar (5-3-0).
For more info, head over to the Bellator Fighting Championships website here.


I mentioned a couple of entries back, that WAMMA was going to start ranking the top Female Mixed Martial Artists.
Well they released the list this week, and I really wasn't surprised at the rankings.
It didn't kinda surprise me that the number one position was a tie.....

1 (tie) Gina Carano
1 (tie) Christiane Santos
3 Kelly Kobold
4 Megumi Yabushita
5 Marloes Coenen
6 Erin Toughill
7 Karen Williams
8 Emily Thompson
9 Elaina Maxwell
10 Tonya Evinger

If you want to see more about the list and the people that created it, you can go here


I noticed no Rosi Sexton on the list.
At 9-1-0 shouldn't she be?
I mean is Tonya Evinger is 7-3-0......

WAMMA and Female MMA Rankings

Ranking female mixed martial artists isn't easy as you may have seen here on this blog.
But the WAMMA (The World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts) is going to start undertaking that task this year.
Here's a link to the official press release......

WAMMA to Begin Female Rankings, Call for Pollster Applicants
By: WAMMA
The World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) has announced that it will be launching a monthly poll in 2009 that will rank the best female mixed martial arts in the world.
Starting in the first quarter of the New Year, WAMMA's new female poll will rank the top ten female fighters in three separate weight classes: 125 pounds, 135 pounds, and 145 pounds.
You can read the full press release here

But not everyone thinks this is such a good idea.....

The Problem with WAMMA's Plan to Rank Female MMA Fighters
By Josh Stein, FightTicker.com blogger
I feel obliged, almost, to put a disclaimer at the top of this piece. It’s a taboo in journalism, I’ve discovered, but it needs to be done, in this case.
I will say first, that I support WAMMA and its efforts to unify the sport of mixed martial arts. I’ve been candid about that in the past, but the announcement of the opening up of female MMA rankings has been bothering me for some time now, and while I thought about doing a fluff piece on how great this might be for the women in the sport that many of us have never heard of, I realized I couldn’t do that, because even when I’m wrong, I can be proud of my honesty.
You can read his full article here

In case you didn't know, WAMMA is a sanctioning organization for professional MMA. It was launched in 2007 and it's goals are to create insurance programs for MMA fighters, give financial education seminars, train referees and judges and contribute to a fighter pension fund.

The Future of Female MMA

Cannon Jacques over at The Bloody Elbow has posted an article about why the ProElite situation has hurt MMA.
And the third reason he listed was the effect on female MMA.

The ProElite Debacle Hurts the Sport of MMA
3) Female MMA is being hindered along with its most recognizable stars. Saying that Gina Carano is important to the future of female MMA is like saying that Michael Jordan was a pretty decent basketball player. For better or worse, she is currently the public face of the female version of the sport.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2009/1/10/716540/the-proelite-debacle-hurts

Of course I agree with him and I've pointed this out several times.
The build up for the Gina Carano and Cristiane 'Cris Cyborg' Santos fight has lost most of it's momentum.
And as I have also pointed out before, Carano and Santos are probably the closest figures this part of the sport has to a Tito Ortiz or a Chuck Liddell as far as being recognized.
But without actually getting into the ring and fighting where are they going to wind up?
Doing advertisements for clothing and equipment?
And it's not just Carano and Santos. There are a ton of talented women out there that need the chance to get into the ring.
Why would amateurs compete knowing there's nowhere to go if they turn pro?
The schools, equipment, all cost money.
Okay I know there's the love of the sport, and many will continue because of that.
We have seen several female boxers turn to MMA.
If this continues, we may see female MMA fighters turn to boxing, where the female side is getting more and more press, and more opportunities.

Female MMA Updates

Just a few quick notes here.

Watch Missouri native, Megan Thomas.
She's a a cheerleader turned model turned MMA fighter and some are already saying that she might be the next Gina Carano.

Check out the article by Steve Cofield over at Yahoo Sports.
It's his view on female MMA.

And finally, Erin Toughill ("Steel" of the American Gladiators) will be facing Adrienna Jenkins at the Palace Fighting Championships card on February 6th.
Erin Toughill is 8-2-1 and Adrienna Jenkins is 10-2.
You can check out Palace Fighting Championships site here.

Another Gina Carano Entry

Ask Men has a question and answer article with female MMA star Gina Carano.
I know, it seems like every other entry here is about Gina Carano.
Well female MMA is still struggling, and it's hard to find new info on the fighters sometimes.
But since Gina is such a "media darling" finding info on her isn't that hard.
I'd love to focus more on the lesser known fighters, but getting info on them isn't that easy.
Anyway.....
Here is the link to the article.
http://www.askmen.com/celebs/interview_300/305_gina_carano_interview.html

Female MMA Fighters

Looking for some stuff on the web, I ran into two different stories about two different women that I think really shows the drive and determination behind female mixed martial artists.
Female MMA is not easy, nor is it an easy road to take. Don't get me wrong, it's hard on the men as well. But the women have to undergo the same training and punishment and still have to deal with being a female in what is basically a man's sport.
But like I said, these two ladies show what it takes to compete.

First, a story from Portland Oregon about female MMA fighter Jody De Simone.
http://wweek.com/editorial/3509/12054/

Then an in depth story about female MMA fighter Cindy Hales from Seattle.
http://www.seattleweekly.com/2009-01-07/news/spoiling-for-a-fight/1

Ultimate Women Combat

Big MMA fan?

Interest in female MMA seems to be growing, and this will no doubt help.
A new TV show called "Ultimate Women Combat," is currently in production.
And the list of people connected to it ( so far Tara LaRosa, Rosi Sexton and Cesar Gracie) gives a lot of legitimacy to the show.
And Joanna Krupa is the host.
Swimsuit model Joanna Krupa?
How the heck did she get involved in this?
Well she likes MMA and is currently taking lessons at Gracie Miami, so I guess that's enough to host the show.
Now is this gonna be unique, or just a revamped version of Oxygen's "Fight Girls"?
Either way, you can read more about the show here:
http://mmajunkie.com/news/13477/tara-larosa-joins-sexton-gracie-as-coaches-for-ultimate-women-combat.mma

Female MMA: Kaitlin Young

FightHype has an in depth interview with female mixed martial artist Kaitlin Young.
I think Kaitlin has the potential to be just as big as Gina Carano with the right training and backing.
But now that Elite has folded, it's kinda put female fighters like Kaitlyn up in the air.
She was scheduled to fight Sarah Kaufman on November 8th, but with Elite gone, the fight was canceled.
Anyway, here's the link to the interview:
http://fighthype.com/pages/content3756.html

What’s next for Gina Carano?

It looks like I'm not the only one wondering what Gina Carano is going to do next.
This female MMA fighter is building up a pretty varied resume.
MMA Fighter
Gladiator "Crush" on American Gladiators
She starred in the cult film Ring Girls
She was a mentor to female fighters in the Oxygen reality series Fight Girls
And she's in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 as Natasha

What’s next for Gina Carano?
Now that EliteXC is dead, a plethora of MMA free agents will be hitting the market soon, one of the most prominent being Gina “The Conviction” Carano.
Gina Carano quickly became the face of women’s MMA. Coming from a successful muay thai career, Carano made a quick and successful transition into mixed martial arts. Carano is undefeated, and has defeated all of her opponents in exciting fashion during her reign with ProElite. EliteXC spent a lot of money marketing her, and she is the most recognizable personality in women’s MMA.
http://mma.lohudblogs.com/2008/10/31/what%E2%80%99s-next-for-gina-carano/

Gina Carano versus Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos?

Now that Gina Carano has defeated Kelly Kobald, the MMA fans are clammoring for a new bout.
Gina Carano versus Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos.
Santos fairly easily crushed Yoko Takahashi, while Kobald gave Carano a run for her money, even winning one round in a judge's opinion.
Now is the stage set for Carano versus Santos?
The Face of women's MMA against The Destroyer?
You have to admit, the hype around this sounds almost like a Hollywood movie.
No offense to either women (I think they are both pretty in their own way), but it feels almost like Rocky and Clubber Lang in Rocky 3.

Jacqueline Andrade - Martial Arts

Jacqueline Andrade is a female mixed martial artist from Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
She trains with Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
Jacqueline has had two fights and two wins, both by submission.
The first was against Claudia Remero, she got an armbar submission in the first round in an incredible 14 seconds!
The second was against Amanda Buckner, again with an armbar in 4:00.
I don't know why this lady hasn't had a recorded match since 2003, with a record like that, she should be out there winning.
I think she may have possibly gone into grappling as opposed to MMA now as evidenced by the video posted by GrapplersQuest.

Jaqueline Andrade vs Penny Thomas Grapplers Quest World Series of Grappling

Kiernan inducted into Martial Arts Hall of Fame

The Northeast Georgian: Sports:

"Habersham County martial arts instructor Master Kathy Kiernan has received one of the highest honors available to those who practice: she was inducted into the 2008 U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

Kiernan, who owns Kiernan Hapkido Academy in Hollywood, says this is her second Hall of Fame induction. In 2004, she was inducted as female hapkido instructor of the year. This year, she is Hapkido Master of the Year."


Technorati Tags: Kathy Kiernan, boxing kung fu, fighting, mma, karate, martial arts, judo , taekwondo, self defense, female fighting, tae kwon do, news, muay thai, mixed martial arts

MMA pioneer Debi Purcell on Sexton, road to mainstream TV | MMAFighting.com

Interviews - MMA pioneer Debi Purcell on Sexton, road to mainstream TV | MMAFighting.com:

"In late 2007, Muscle and Fitness HERS wrote an article about female fitness role models entitled, “Women Strength”. The article opened by introducing readers to four women that were the class of their sports.

'Skateboarding has Tony Hawk. Women's soccer has Mia Hamm. And if female mixed martial arts (MMA) ever goes mainstream, it will have Debi Purcell,' the magazine said.

Unfortunately, when female MMA first did go mainstream the woman most credited for helping to start and keep the sport alive wasn’t getting the fights on television. Purcell, whose website FighterGirls.com helped keep the sport vibrant in the dark years was notably absent."