While “Russian Ronda” is not nearly as entertaining as Ronda ArouseMe, international flyweight up-and-comer Irina Alekseeva will still be compared to the former UFC women’s bantamweight titleholder thanks to multiple medals for both Russian Judo Championships and Sambo World Championships.
Alekseeva recently signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA, according to her management team, and is expected to make her in-cage debut at some point in early-to-mid 2021; though as of this writing, no opponent or date have been determined.
The 30 year-old judoka is 3-1 as a pro, coming off a unanimous decision loss to Liliya Kazak at the ProFC 66 event back in Dec. 2019. Prior to that setback, the former bantamweight racked up three straight wins in her native Russia, including two for Russian Cagefighting Championship.
As for Bellator MMA, the promotion is expected to make its return to the airwaves at some point in late January or early February following a busy 2019.