Nick Diaz may be on his way back to the Octagon sooner rather than later.How? B/R’s Jeremy Botter noted how last week.Essentially, Nick Diaz is suing the Nevada State Athletic Commission for a violation of his constitutional rights to due process. If D…
Nick Diaz may be on his way back to the Octagon sooner rather than later.
Essentially, Nick Diaz is suing the Nevada State Athletic Commission for a violation of his constitutional rights to due process. If Diaz wins this case, then it is likely we will see the fighter who represents the 209 more proudly than anyone else step back inside the cage in 2012.
But who are the likely opponents? Which opponents make the most sense for Diaz? Nick is a top five welterweight and he is coming off of a narrow defeat that was debated among MMA fans worldwide.
Let’s take a look at the five best fights for the welterweight contender.
Invicta Fighting Championships began their promotional life on the right note.The promotion featured new talent, some of the top female fighters in the world, and most importantly, fun fights.Leslie Smith and Kaitlin Young battled to an entertaining dr…
Invicta Fighting Championships began their promotional life on the right note.
The promotion featured new talent, some of the top female fighters in the world, and most importantly, fun fights.
Leslie Smith and Kaitlin Young battled to an entertaining draw that earned Fight of the Night honors. Liz Carmouche returned to the cage and dominated Ashleigh Curry. Jessica Penne defeated Lisa Ellis-Ward in a great fight that was finished in the third frame.
While there were some disappointing performances, overall Invicta provided ample entertainment for the typically judgmental MMA crowd.
There were still naysayers saying that the talent level still was not up to snuff, but it is important to remember that the female side of the sport is in its infancy.
It is hard to have fully developed mixed martial artists when most of the women competing in the sport do not train full time. Of the fighters on the Invicta card, only Marloes Coenen is a full-time fighter.
On Sunday evening, Inside MMA reported that the live stream had over 250,000 viewers, a number that surpassed most speculated projections. Questions do have to be asked about that figure.
How many were unique hits? What was the average viewing time? What were the demographics of viewers? How many of the viewers can be retained? Will it draw the consideration from sponsors?
The much talked about Super Fight League had approximately 300,000 viewers for their first show and that dropped 99% to around 3,000 for their second show.
Although these two should only be compared slightly, the SFL had a mostly foreign audience that was disappointed in the product. It also failed to deliver as many exciting fights for those who were interested.
The most telling stat would be the average viewing time. MMARising.com tweeted on Saturday that the show peaked at over 100,000 viewers for the Smith vs. Young fight. Meaning that 150,000 viewers had already tuned out by that fight if those are all unique viewers and if all the numbers are accurate.
Invicta FC 2 is already set for July 28 with another main event featuring high-level opponents. Shayna Baszler will take on 2004 Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann. Yet no word on if it will be another live stream or if they will find another outlet for the promotion.
Unquestionably the audience numbers will help sell the show to sponsors, but how much will they be willing to shell out? Fortunately for Invicta, female mixed martial artists do not demand the same premium price that their male counterparts do, and that helps to keep the budget nice and trim.
If the first card can draw the interest of sponsors and allow promoter Shannon Knapp to stabilize and grow Invicta FC, then the future of women’s MMA is bright. It will supply the platform for women to compete at their proper weight classes and ultimately put more women in position to become full-time fighters, a goal we all hope is reached.
The second Invicta card will give us a better understanding of where the promotion is heading. If they can retain a substantial portion of the audience, it will show sponsors, and other promoters, that there is a market for women’s MMA.
Knapp and company have supplied the platform, the fighters have entertained and now we sit and wait to see just how bright, or dim, the future is.
Invicta Fighting Championships inaugural card kicks off from Kansas City, Missouri at 8 p.m. ET live and free at www.invictafc.com. Marloes Coenen returns to 145 lbs to do battle with Romy Ruyssen. The bout is now at catchweight following Ruyssen missi…
Invicta Fighting Championships inaugural card kicks off from Kansas City, Missouri at 8 p.m. ET live and free at www.invictafc.com. Marloes Coenen returns to 145 lbs to do battle with Romy Ruyssen. The bout is now at catchweight following Ruyssen missing weight by coming in at 149 lbs.
Main Card
Marloes Coenen vs. Romy Ruyssen (149lbs Catchweight)
Round 1: Coenen stalks Ruyssen early. Ruyssen gets Coenen against the cage. Greg Franklin takes a point away from Ruyssen for holding the cage while in the clinch. Coenen catches a bodykick and Ruyssen jumps into guard. Coenen lands big elbows. Coenen attempts a choke and Greg Franklin stands them up. The round ends with both fighters in the clinch. Marloes Coenen 10-8
Round 2: Ruyssen throws a legkick and is countered with a straight right. Coenen battering Ruyssen’s legs with knees from the clinch. Ruyssen jumps guard again. Coenen again uses the position against the cage to unleash a big elbow. Coenen backed up and let Ruyssen to her feet. The two fighters clinch agaisnt the cage for the remainder of the round. Marloes Coenen 10-9
Round 3: Coenen lands a nice left at the opening of round 3. Romy initiates the clinch but Coenen reverses position. Coenen unleashes nasty knees from the Thai clinch. Ruyssen jumps guard again. Coenen again nails her with a big standing elbow. Greg Franklin separates the fighters with one minute remaining. It doesn’t take long to return to a clinch against the cage. Coenen finishes the fight with a couple more solid elbows inside the clinch and tosses Ruyssen to the ground. Marloes Coenen 10-9
Official Result: Marloes Coenen defeats Romy Ruyssen via Unanimous Decision. Official scorecards read 30-26, 30-26, 30-26 for the clean sweep.
Jessica Penne vs. Lisa Ellis-Ward (Atomweight)
Round 1: Opening minute of the fight is a feeling out process. Ellis-Ward lands a head kick but had minimal power on it. Ellis-Ward gets a takedown right into side control but Penne scrambles and gets back to her feet. Penne gets a takedown of her own. Penne working methodically from half-guard. Penne trying to get Ellis-Ward to open up but Ellis-Ward got to guard and then back to her feet. Ellis-Ward gets another takedown and Penne uses amazing flexibility to get a crucifix. 10-9 Jessica Penne
Round 2: Ellis-Ward landed a hard right hand that stunned Penne. She rushes in for a takedown but Penne winds up in top position. Ellis-Ward works back to full guard. Penne tries to stack Ellis-Ward but that gives her space to get back to her feet. The two fighters end up back on the ground quickly fighting for submissions. Ellis-Ward gets top position after a short leglock stalemate. Penne still going after a leg and Ellis-Ward making her pay with strikes. Penne tries an armbar but Ellis-Ward picks her up and slams it to make her release the submission. In the last ten seconds Penne reverses position. 10-10
Round 3: Ellis-Ward opens the third frame with a body kick. Penne lands a straight right of her own. Big bodylock takedown from Ellis-Ward. Ellis-Ward bleeding profusely from her forehead. Ellis-Ward going for a Kimura but loses it. Penne goes for an armbar but Ellis-Ward defends. Penne in mount. The ref stops the fight after some ground and pound. Ellis-Ward is a bloody mess.
Official Result: Jessica Penne defeats Lisa Ellis-Ward by TKO (Ref Stoppage) at 2:48 of the third and final round.
Liz Carmouche vs. Ashleigh Curry (Bantamweight)
Round 1: Carmouche lands a spinning backfist and immiedately gets the takedown into mount. Curry holding on to Carmouche’s head, and Carmouche moves to side control to get out. Carmouche right back into mount. Postures up and dropping big punches. High mount dropping bombs and referee Greg Franklin stops the fight. Dominant performance.
Official Result: Liz Carmouche defeats Ashleigh Curry by TKO (Ref Stoppage) at 1:58 of the first round.
Leslie Smith vs. Kaitlin Young (Bantamweight)
Round 1: The two exchange to open the bout. Smith catches a kick and trips Young to the mat. Young gets back to her feet and lands a few strikes. A clean elbow strike out of the clinch for Young. Kaitlin Young mixing up her strikes well. Smiths throws punches in bunches but Young covers up nicely. Smith willing to exchange but Young throwing the cleaner punches. 10-9 Kaitlin Young
Round 2: A stand-up war through the midway point in the second. Smith continuously moving forward with Young countering. Smith landing some nice body shots. Five minutes of Smith moving forward, Young countering. 10-9 Leslie Smith
Round 3: Young gets back to using her low kick at the beginning of the third. A big overhand from Smith forces Young to attempt a takedown. Young nearly gets the takedown but it’s Smith who ends up on top. Young transitions to an armbar attempt and then to a triangle but Smith defends. Smith now going for an armbar. Young defends and ends up on top. Back to their feet they return to the striking battle. Big body kick from Young. Another leg kick that leaves Smith limping. The back and forth fight will go to the scorecards. Kaitlin Young 10-9
Official Result: Kaitlin Young and Leslie Smith fight to a draw. Official scores read 29-28, 28-29, 29-29
Sarah D’ Alelio vs. Vanessa Mariscal (Bantamweight)
Round 1: D’Alelio gets inside and immediately takes the fight to the canvas. D’Alelio hitting some nice elbows and looking to get to a better position. D’Alelio gets her back and sinks in the hooks. D’Alelio grounding and pounding Mariscal but Mariscal rolls to avoid the fight from being stopped. Mariscal lands a nice back elbow but still cannot shake D’Alelio from her back. 10-9 Sarah D’Alelio.
Round 2: A nice exchange opens the second frame. Mariscal pushing the pace but D’Alelio countering nicely. D’Alelio catches a kick and takes the fight back to the ground. D’Alelio moves right into mount and delivers more ground and pound. Mariscal taps from the punishment.
Official Result: Sarah D’Alelio submits Vanessa Mariscal due to strikes. Official time of the tap is 3:19 of the second round.
Sally Krumdiack vs. Sarah Schneider (Strawweight)
Round 1: Krumdiack opens with a solid punch and uses that to clinch with Schneider. Krumdiack lands a nice elbow from inside the clinch. Schneider pulls guard. Krumdiack is bleeding. Schneider has a triangle locked in then switches to the armbar for the finish.
Official Result: Sarah Schneider submits Sally Krumdiack via armbar. The tap came at 3:01 of the first round.
Preliminary Card
Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc vs. Amy Davis (Atomweight)
Round 1: The two fighters waste no time meeting in the center. Rivera-Calanoc pushes Davis up against the cage looking for the takedown and completes it. Davis throws her legs up looking for a triangle. Davis locks it up but Rivera-Calanoc is still defending. Davis tightens the triangle as Rivera-Calanoc tries to fight through it and finally gets out. Rivera-Calanoc keeps Davis pressed against the cage looking for the takedown. She’s able to complete it once again. Davis wall walks back to her feet. The two throw down as the round comes to an end. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc 10-9
Round 2: Davis using push kicks to keep Rivera-Calanoc at a distance and avoid the takedown attempts. Rivera-Calanoc continues to look for the takedown against the cage. She gets it but eats some punches as Davis rolls into side control. Davis finally notices the arm is isolated and makes Rivera-Calanoc tap to the Kimura.
Official Result: Amy Davis submits Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc via Kimura. The stoppage comes at 3:47 of the second round.
Sarah Maloy vs. Michele Gutierrez (Flyweight)
Round 1: Gutierrez circles as Maloy throws strikes that are out of range. Gutierrez does not want to get close enough to be taken down by Maloy. Gutierrez knocks Maloy down breifly with a well-timed push kick. An uneventful round with Gutierrez circling. 10-10
Round 2: Gutierrez comes out more active and Maloy tries to close the distance. After the initial action we see more of what the first round offered. Maloy closes the distance and drops Gutierrez as Gutierrez drops Maloy. Gutierrez capitalized with some quick ground and pound before backing away and letting Maloy to her feet. A near double knockout. Maloy pulls guard. Gutierrez gets out and backs away. 10-10
Round 3: Maloy once again manages to close the distance and the two women exchange strikes. Gutierrez circles off and they are back at distance. Maloy and Gutierrez close out their fight with more of the same. Neither were able to do much in the final frame. 10-10
Official Result: Sarah Maloy defeats Michele Gutierrez by Unanimous Decision. Official scores are 29-28, 30-27, 29-28.
Mollie Estes vs. Randi Miller (149lbs Catchweight)
Round 1: Miller pressures Estes to the cage and looks for a takedown right away, but Estes defending well in the clinch. Estes reverses positions from the clinch and lands several short strikes. Miller looks lost as she eats knee after knee. Miller reverses back and continues to keep her in the clinch. Estes continues to defend well and land knees to the body. The Olympic medalists cannot get the fight to the mat. Mollie Estes 10-9
Round 2: Miller continues to press forward and Estes continues to land knees. Estes’ work at HD-MMA is paying off. Estes goes for an armbar but Miller is defending well by stacking Estes. Miller landing some heavy ground and pound from top position. Miller went for a rear-naked choke but didn’t put her hooks in and lost position. Estes continues to defend the takedown and land knees. Miller gets another takedown and drops heavy hands from mount. Randi Miller 10-9
Round 3: The beginning to the third is like the previous two. Miller moving forward and keeping the pressure on Estes. A stalemate in the clinch against the cage. Miller finally gets the fight to the ground with just over two minutes to work. Miller lands heavy ground and pound with Estes covering up. The referee shows mercy and steps in for the stoppage.
Official Result: Randi Miller defeats Mollie Estes by TKO (Ref Stoppage). The referee stepped in at 3:27 of Round 3.
Ashley Cummins vs. Sofia Bagherdai (120lbs Catchweight)
Round 1: Cummins BagherdaiCummins shoots in but Bagherdai defends well. Bagherdai falls to her back with an arm-in guillotine but Cummins gets out easily. Cummins moves Bagherdai to the fence. Bagherdai gets back to her feet and Cummins immediately shoots but its defended. Bagherdai lands a few punches and gets back to fighting at distance. Cummins continues to close the distance and clinches with Bagherdai. Bagherdai shows good takedown defense as she defends two more attempts from Cummins. Bagherdai tries for an armbar but Cummins lands some ground and pound as she defended. Fast-paced action in the first. 10-10
Round 2: A slower pace to start round 2. Over a minute spent at range but neither fighter lands much. Cummins shoots in but cannot complete the takedown. Cummins finally gets Bagherdai down with a double leg. The grind seems to be taking a toll on Bagherdai’s cardio. Cummins postures up and lands some solid ground and pound but loses her position. Bagherdai gets back to her feet but Cummins immediately shoots in and gets Bagherdai back to the canvas. Ashley Cummins 10-9
Round 3: Cummins looks to be a bit cleaner on the feet to start round 3. Two minutes into the round she tries for another takedown but cannot complete. Cummins gets her to the ground but quickly allows her back to her feet. Bagherdai continues trying right hands and spinning backfists but they do not find the mark. Ashley Cummins 10-9
Official Result: Ashley Cummins defeats Sofia Bagherdai by Unanimous Decision. The scores were 30-27, 30-27, 29-28.
Cassie Rodish vs. Meghan Wright (Atomweight)
Round 1: Rodish does not touch Wright’s glove and immediately forces her against the cage. Rodish locks in a modified guillotine and gets the tap quickly.
Official Result: Cassie Rodish submits Meghan Wright via guillotine. The stoppage came at :36 of the first round.
Invicta Fighting Championships’ inaugural event did not start as smoothly as one would have liked.Four fighters on the card, including headliner Romy Ruyssen, came in overweight as they try to showcase women’s mixed martial arts at the highest level, w…
Invicta Fighting Championships’ inaugural event did not start as smoothly as one would have liked.
Four fighters on the card, including headliner Romy Ruyssen, came in overweight as they try to showcase women’s mixed martial arts at the highest level, which was an unfortunate occurrence in the organization’s first outing.
The 11-fight card has a bit of everything. Top ranked veterans, decorated strikers, slick submission artists and new talent.
Main Event: Marloes Coenen (19-5, 146 lbs.) vs. Romy Ruyssen (5-1, 149.8 lbs.)
The rematch is set. 22 year old Ruyssen came in at 150.4 pounds but dropped an additional .6 to make the bout official. Kansas State Athletic Commission rules state that featherweight fights cannot occur unless the opponents are within five pounds of one another. Ruyssen will lose 25% of her fight purse. The former Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion returned to the featherweight division, officially, by stepping on the scales at 146lbs.
Coenen stared a hole through her foe during the staredown. When they were instructed to face the cameras her eyes never wavered from her opponent.
Despite being an active professional fighter since 2007 Ruyssen is still one of the young prospects to watch. At only 22 years of age, and a strong submission game, she will be able to give Coenen a solid test on Saturday night. One does have to question why she came in five pounds over and if that will effect her performance.
Expect Coenen to try to keep the fight on its feet and look to utilize her experience while Ruyssen attempts to take the fight to the mat.
Jessica Penne (8-1, 105.6 lbs.) vs. Lisa Ellis-Ward (14-7, 106 lbs.) This fight features two of the atomweight’s best fighters.
Jessica Penne returns to action for the first time since 2010 and Ellis-Ward will drop down to her more natural weight class after losing to the top two ranked strawweights in the world, Megumi Fujii and Jessica Aguilar.
Ellis-Ward is currently ranked by MMARising.com as the No.4 Strawweight.
Penne is a crafty submission fighter with excellent ground control. Ellis-Ward is the 2007 World Grappling Championships gold medalist. If, or rather when, the fight hits the floor expect a technical chess match to take place.
If there is a slight advantage in this fight it goes to Ellis-Ward who has been more active recently, against tough competition, and she has the heavier hands.
This fight could be the fight of the night at Invicta FC 1.
The “Girl-Rilla”, Carmouche, returns after dropping her last two fights in Strikeforce to Coenen and Sarah Kaufman.
Curry comes in with a boxing background and has moved up in weight for this fight. She initially weighed in at 137.4 pounds and will forfeit 10% of her winnings. While she does have pro boxing experience this fight may be one of the more clear fights on the card. While Carmouche has only been fighting since 2010 herself, she has fought some of the world’s best fighters in her weight class and found success.
The former Marine will want to take the fight to the ground early and show off her brutal ground-and-pound against the boxer. With only one pro bout it is hard to accurately break down Curry’s wrestling and ground game. The style match-up and unknowns make this an intriguing fight.
Leslie Smith (5-2, 135 lbs.) vs. Kaitlin Young (6-5, 135.4 lbs.)
Much like Carmouche vs. Curry this is another striker vs. grappler battle. Kaitlin Young comes in with an extensive stand-up resume and Smith represents Caesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
Young burst on to the scene in 2007 by winning the HOOKnSHOOT-Bodog women’s tournament with three knockouts all under one minute. One of those KO’s was a head kick to former Strikeforce champion Miesha Tate. After the tournament she fought some of the top competition, including Gina Carano, that saw her go on a five fight losing streak. She has rebounded picking up two consecutive wins.
Smith has a solid chin and a good ground game. She will want to put Young on her back and work towards a submission to avoid her power. Whoever does a better job dictating where the fight takes place should take the fight.
Sarah D’Alelio (4-2, 135.2 lbs.) vs. Vanessa Mariscal (2-0, 136 lbs.)
Mariscal takes a step up in competition, on short notice, to take on the Strikeforce veteran in the first fight on the main card.
D’Alelio brings in quality wrestling against the BJJ brown-belt. Look for D’Alelio to take the fight to the ground where Mariscal will be sure to attack with submissions. This should be a fun ground war.
Sally Krumdiack (9-4, 113.6 lbs.) vs. Sarah Schneider (5-5, 115.6 lbs.) Krumdiack returns to the strawweight division after a length and productive stay at flyweight where she is currently ranked #7.
Schneider, like many female fighters, fought out of her weight class to get fights against top competition. Megumi Fujii, Sarah Kaufman and Julie Kedzie are just a few of the women she has fought in the past.
Both fighters like to finish by submission so this may be a fight that has to be decided on the feet.
Preliminary Card: Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc (7-5, 105.4 lbs.) vs. Amy Davis (2-2, 105.6 lbs) Sarah Maloy (2-2, 125.4 lbs.) vs. Michele Gutierrez (3-2, 125 lbs.) Mollie Estes (1-0, 145 lbs.) vs. Randi Miller (0-0, 149 lbs.)* *Miller will forfiet 25% of her fight purse. Ashley Cummins (2-0, 115 lbs.) vs. Sofia Bagherdai (4-1, 120.6 lbs.)* *Bagherdai will forfiet 25% of her fight purse. Cummins had to move up to 121 lbs. Cassie Rodish (1-3, 105.2 lbs.) vs. Meghan Wright (1-3, 103.5)
You can watch Invicta FC live and free on their website www.invictafc.com Saturday night at 8:00pm EST.
April is coming to a close and that means a third of the year is already gone.Many mixed martial arts events have hit the airwaves to thrill and surprise us. From the UFC to Strikeforce to Bellator and beyond. As fans of mixed martial arts we never kno…
April is coming to a close and that means a third of the year is already gone.
Many mixed martial arts events have hit the airwaves to thrill and surprise us. From the UFC to Strikeforce to Bellator and beyond. As fans of mixed martial arts we never know what to expect, and that is part of the fun with MMA.
2012 has already provided us with some remarkable action: impressive submissions, toe-to-toe wars, come-from-behind victories and so on down the line.
Let’s go back and review some of the most unexpected outcomes that we have had so far in 2012.
The Super Fight League began its life ambitiously. Unfortunately for all of the “Boom. Pow. Punch kick wow” fans, the outlook has went from dim to complete and utter blackness with the announcement from the UFC that they are headed to India…
The Super Fight League began its life ambitiously. Unfortunately for all of the “Boom. Pow. Punch kick wow” fans, the outlook has went from dim to complete and utter blackness with the announcement from the UFC that they are headed to India.
The market that the SFL attempted to capitalize on has merely opened the door for the UFC to enter and crush their hopes.
The first SFL event drew the eyes of over 300,000 viewers. The second show? A spectacular 99 percent drop-off to a mere 3,000.
Andrew Lu, a magazine editor in India, shed some light on the situation in an interview with MMAMania.com: “The first show got a ton of India viewers, but it didn’t hold their attention for to long because they thought it was going to be like the WWE.”
Lu continued:
I think using Bollywood to promote MMA was a really bad idea. The media spoke to the Bollywood stars present at SFL 1 and 90% of them said that the sport should be banned and that it was fake and setting a bad example for their children.
Not exactly a glowing review.
Enter the UFC, who announced a partnership with Multi Screen Media (MSM)—a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television—for a multi-year television distribution deal.
The SFL has at least introduced MMA to the media in India. However, the UFC will showcase the elite talent of the sport and introduce it to the massive market before running a show. In addition to the UFC’s marketing power, the organization has plans in the works to film an Indian version of The Ultimate Fighter in the future.
While the UFC takes a deliberate and methodical approach in opening the new market for their brand, the SFL will continue throwing money at it. They are taking their May 6 card to Delhi. SFL co-owner Raj Kundra still had a ridiculous optimistic outlook for the SFL brand in a recent interview with The Times of India.
“First we’re doing North India, then we’ll take it to the south and also film our reality show, before the grand finale in December,” said Kundra.
The SFL seems to be making the mistake that many promotions have already made: trying to make a splash with flash instead of a steady growth with substance.
They have dove in to the deep end of the swimming pool without a life preserver in sight.
And as they open the door for MMA in what could be a large market for the sport, the UFC waits, patiently drawing up a game plan to enter the fray to assert themselves as the premier brand of the sport.
With the announcement that the UFC is coming to India, the SFL brass had to have let out a depressing sigh, as they know their days are numbered. There is the possibility that they could remain on the scene as a smaller national promotion, but when the UFC brings their superior product to the country, it will be an eye-opening experience for the fans.
And the death knell for the SFL.
Dana White is soon to have another promotion to place on a headstone, as the UFC is going to “Boom. Pow. Punch kick wow” the SFL into submission.
Invicta Fighting Championships began their promotional life on the right note.