Author: ReX13

The Potato Index: Fight Night 27

That’s some hit, man.   (I’m so sorry.)  PicProps:  Esther Lin / MMAFighting

So BG is gone this week, I assume to yet another wedding, because once he bought the tuxedo he was determined to get the mileage out of it. Seriously, he’s got the whole bit: natty little straight cane with the white tips, monocle, top hat, the whole nine. It’s dashing, but apparently it’s expensive as hell. That or he’s running some kind of scheme where he collects disposable cameras and plastic champagne flutes? What the fuck are you building in there, Goldstein?

So anyway, I’m poking around his office here at CP headquarters, kick over a box of CagePotato Hall of Fame t-shirts, and damn if i didn’t stumble over the ol’ arbitrariest of MMA supercomputers: the Potato Index.

Turns out it’s been hooked up this whole time, so I decided to pull up the numbers on UFC’s Fight Night 27, just for old times’ sake.

The Octagon Girls +16
The new Octagon Girls are lovely. Chrissy Blair is the archetypal California Girl; think Christie Brinkley in a Ferrari, but blonder. And the new brunette one getting tattoos exactly like Brittney Palmer’s was a nice touch.

Kansas City fighters + 42
Zak Cummings [+19] and Jason High [+23] both picked up their first UFC wins with good-looking performances. Jason High had previously lost to Erick Silva in June and Charlie Brennamen back in 2010, mostly because Joe Silva likes to call High on short notice for not-easy fights. The Kansas City Bandit gets a big bump with a quick win.

Abel Trujillo +11
Trujillo picks up the best kind of No Contest: the kind that comes from a foul that is both uber-agressive and debatable. Attacking grounded fighters with knees will always stir the passions; if Trujillo were a savvy marketer, he would start coming to the cage in a Hannibal mask and a straight jacket. A straight jacket covered in sponsor patches. Dana White would get a visible boner.

Roger Bowling -5
Unfortunately, according to (arbitrary) opinion, it’s better to take the loss in the cage and get the NC declared later. But enjoy your short-term memory and normal brain function. (Pussy.)

That’s some hit, man.   (I’m so sorry.)  PicProps:  Esther Lin / MMAFighting

So BG is gone this week, I assume to yet another wedding, because once he bought the tuxedo he was determined to get the mileage out of it. Seriously, he’s got the whole bit: natty little straight cane with the white tips, monocle, top hat, the whole nine. It’s dashing, but apparently it’s expensive as hell. That or he’s running some kind of scheme where he collects disposable cameras and plastic champagne flutes? What the fuck are you building in there, Goldstein?

So anyway, I’m poking around his office here at CP headquarters, kick over a box of CagePotato Hall of Fame t-shirts, and damn if i didn’t stumble over the ol’ arbitrariest of MMA supercomputers: the Potato Index.

Turns out it’s been hooked up this whole time, so I decided to pull up the numbers on UFC’s Fight Night 27, just for old times’ sake.

The Octagon Girls +16
The new Octagon Girls are lovely. Chrissy Blair is the archetypal California Girl; think Christie Brinkley in a Ferrari, but blonder. And the new brunette one getting tattoos exactly like Brittney Palmer’s was a nice touch.

Kansas City fighters + 42
Zak Cummings [+19] and Jason High [+23] both picked up their first UFC wins with good-looking performances. Jason High had previously lost to Erick Silva in June and Charlie Brennamen back in 2010, mostly because Joe Silva likes to call High on short notice for not-easy fights. The Kansas City Bandit gets a big bump with a quick win.

Abel Trujillo +11
Trujillo picks up the best kind of No Contest: the kind that comes from a foul that is both uber-agressive and debatable. Attacking grounded fighters with knees will always stir the passions; if Trujillo were a savvy marketer, he would start coming to the cage in a Hannibal mask and a straight jacket. A straight jacket covered in sponsor patches. Dana White would get a visible boner.

Roger Bowling -5
Unfortunately, according to (arbitrary) opinion, it’s better to take the loss in the cage and get the NC declared later. But enjoy your short-term memory and normal brain function. (Pussy.)

Darren Elkins +14
Elkins survived a vicious body attack in the first and a dangerous grappling attack in the second and third. “Surviving” does not tend to lead to big gains in esteem, as witnessed by Elkins being bounced to the prelims despite a 7-2 UFC record, and minimal gains here.

Hatsu Hioki -27
Attacking Hatsu Hioki on the ground, with a leg lock, should be like picking a fight with Iron Man while wearing your own home-made power armor. But that’s exactly what happened, after Hioki had failed to put away a visibly hurt Elkins in the first round. Hioki is now 0-3 in the UFC, so don’t expect to see him before the organization returns to Japan.

Brandon Thatch +38
There’s a first appearance, and then there’s a debut. One you need to look up, and one just stands out. In 1 minute and 23 seconds of full-blown Tekken button-mashing mode, Thatch introduced himself to a whole bunch of new people.

Justin Edwards: -23
Poor Justin Edwards. Where previously he was always being mentally associated with this guy, now people are always going to mentally associate him with 82 seconds of gloriously violent interpretive dance. Expect Edwards to get another chance to redeem himself, but that’s a harsh beating to take.

TUF 18: Rousey vs Tate: +8
The latest incarnation of the Ultimate Fighter competition show continues to draw buzz with its first female inclusion, while Cat Zingano [-4] has been effectively forgotten. At least the UFC has a legitimate challenger after Tate suffers her second disarticulation loss.

Dylan Andrews: +18
Andrews looked to be losing a grappling match until he uncorked an economy three-pack of Aussie brand Uppercut that tucked Papy into Abedi in the third round. [Ed. note: The computer is unable -or unwilling – to apologize for this.]  Carrying that kind of power late into the fight, even when injured, makes Andrews a scary opponent.  Andrews lost points for calling his uppercut his “money shot”, because human fluids are disgusting.

Papy Abedi  -11
Abedi kept his grappling attack entertaining, with some slick trips and a high-amplitude slam.  His chin looks to be suspect, but that shouldn’t stop him from getting a call again, particularly when friend Alexander Gustafssen is on the card, or the UFC is visiting Europe.

Brad Tavares  +17
Tavares showcased some powerful strikes without going complete Manhoef, possibly pacing himself for a tough fight.  It was a good performance in that it showed potential, but it was outshone by a card packed with stoppages.

Bubba McDaniel  -19
If your name is Robert, but everyone calls you “Bubba”, you have to be a tough SOB and you have fight to scare people [See also:  “Tank”, “Barbie”].  McDaniel is not living up to expectations – late rally notwithstanding – and he’s only a couple of wins away from being “Rob”. If he taps to strikes he goes straight to “Bobby”.

Takeya Mizugaki  +17
Mizugaki gets a bigger bump than the judges would indicate, with an intelligent performance that affirms his place in the bantamweight elite.

Erik Perez  -6
No shame in a loss to Mizugaki, but it will slow the hype train.  Perez stayed predictable enough for Mizugaki to counter sharply, and this should be an excellent learning opportunity for the 23 year old Perez.

Court McGee  +5
Reports of McGee’s demise are greatly exaggerated.  He is still very much alive and active, and earned a slim split decision in a very close fight.  This fight is notable in that scores vary wildly from all sources, including the official judges, who scored the bout 30-27, 29-28, and 27-30.  The notable aspect is that none of these official scores are indefensible.  It is a curious, aberrational result that indicates a different scoring protocol should be investigated.

Robert Whittaker -5
Whittaker was on the losing end of a  curious, aberrational result that indicates a different scoring protocol should be investigated, so now would be an opportune time for someone to approach him with a petition.  The close result would seem to make the two interchangeable in the rankings for the near future.

Kevin Gastelum  +36
Gastelum steps out at welterweight for the first time, and steps up on the Index with a convincing showing of boxing offense to augment his touted wrestling base.

Brian Melancon  -21
Melancon was a late replacement for Paulo Thiago, which is enough to by him enough goodwill for another fight.  That said, anybody at 170 pounds (always a packed division) that came from Strikeforce is on thin ice to begin with.

Rafael dos Anjos  +34
Any winner over Cerrone puts the division on notice.  A matchup against a convalescing T.J. Grant has been suggested, and seems entirely appropriate later this fall.

Donald Cerrone  -16
Donald Cerrone has solidified his role the gate keeper at 155, which is not terrible by any stretch.  He’s solidly in the Top 10, and he’s 584% more entertaining than a “You must be this _______ tall to fight the champ” sign.

Carlos Condit   +37
A convincing win that completely erases any previous loss, Condit is riding high.  Future Twitter fights or a well-phrased YouTube video could cause another slide on the Index, however.  Like Cerrone, Condit is a perfectly-placed yardstick at 170 pounds — there doesn’t appear to be anyone not named St. Pierre* better than Condit.

Martin Kampmann -21
Look at Kampmann’s face when Dean waves the fight off.  He’s not arguing, he’s bewildered – Kampmann’s just hoping someone got the license plate of that low-flying gang of ninja monkeys that just attacked him.  (His face after the fight wasn’t much better.) Expect the Danish Hitman to come back with a vicious win after this, possibly rocking a different look going forward.

 

 

*Or Hendricks, as reader Scott Johnson rightly points out. Clearly, the Potato Index Super Computer IS BUGGY AFTER NOT BEING USED FOR SO LONG GAH. Asshole.

 

[RX/CPPISC]

Invicta FC 6: Some of These Other Chicks Are Hella Scary Too Tho

I love Leslie Smith, but there’s no way I’m not using this kickface.    PhotoProps: Esther Lin / Invicta FC

Invicta continues to impress with good matchmaking and stellar action in its latest card, and for the first time, Invicta is available widely through pay per view, leaving behind any old issues with UStream. Apparently this is the first all-female MMA pay per view, so it’s a historic night, and the fights delivered, as usual.

Since I’ve already effectively spoiled the main event for you, why not follow along as I talk out loud about how cool the show was and which ladies be scary.

 

CagePotato’s Professional Gangsta “Thug” Rose Namajunas was glorious in defeat last night, putting on a highly entertaining bout with Tecia Torres that was an early pick for Fight of the Night.  Namajunas looked for a flying armbar, but I guess Torres had heard something about it.

Also, Thug Rose gives zero fucks about your stupid resets, Big John:

I love Leslie Smith, but there’s no way I’m not using this kickface.    PhotoProps: Esther Lin / Invicta FC

Invicta continues to impress with good matchmaking and stellar action in its latest card, and for the first time, Invicta is available widely through pay per view, leaving behind any old issues with UStream. Apparently this is the first all-female MMA pay per view, so it’s a historic night, and the fights delivered, as usual.

Since I’ve already effectively spoiled the main event for you, why not follow along as I talk out loud about how cool the show was and which ladies be scary.

 

CagePotato’s Professional Gangsta “Thug” Rose Namajunas was glorious in defeat last night, putting on a highly entertaining bout with Tecia Torres that was an early pick for Fight of the Night.  Namajunas looked for a flying armbar, but I guess Torres had heard something about it.

Also, Thug Rose gives zero fucks about your stupid resets, Big John:

Seriously, Namajunas is awesome.  I would have beaten her boyfriend in a dance-off and claimed her hand and probably given her my team jacket by now, but her boyfriend has tree trunks for legs and he smiles a lot.  You don’t fuck with a guy like that.

Miriam Nakamoto is NASTY, son.  

A former Muay Thai champ, Nakamoto leaves a wake of knee-shaped dents everywhere she goes, and now carries a  2-0 record (plus this one NC versus Jessamyn Duke on the last Invicta card, on account of one of her vicious knees being illegal).  ”The Queen of Mean” is just one of the bright spots on the horizon at 135.

Also looking bright is the strawweight division.

Mizuki Inoue is a new prospect out of Japan. Her striking looked very crisp against fan favorite Bec Hyatt — at just eighteen years old, she looks like she’s been boxing since she was a zygote.  Inoue took a decision win for the upset, and now stands at 6-1.  Keep an eye on her.

Also at 115: Claudia Gadelha, JoJo Calderwood and the aforementioned Torres-Namajunas scrap all looked like talented athletes coming up in the sport.  Gadelha will get a title shot against current strawweight champ Carla Esparza; Calderwood and Torres both move up in the pecking order.  Namajunas gets to vlog for you assholes.  So really, who wins?

That’s Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith up top getting footed in the face, in her first fight at 125.  Her opponent Jennifer Maia is coming off an upset victory over Zoila Frausto, and the two will turn in a thrilling three-rounder.

You may have heard me say good things about Smith when she fought at 135, now ten pounds lighter at flyweight she’s a beast.  As suspected, Smith’s decision victory was good enough to earn her the next crack at 125 pound champ Barb Honchak (although turn in another Fight of the Night performance — Smith’s third — probably doesn’t hurt).

Atomweight standout Jessica Penne got back on track with a first round sub of Nicdai Rivera-Calanoc, but there’s a bit of chatter about her shove after the tap.  Check it out and you tell me.

Kind of a dick move, right?

Ediane Gomes did not fight, because like twenty fighters pulled out of this card and it was all kinds of crazy.  Also no one wants to get worked by the scary Brazilian lady that doesn’t have a big name.  At least if Cyborg knocks you out, people can be like “Well yeah, it was Cyborg, the fuck did you expect?”

Full results:

145 lb. title: Cris Cyborg Justino def. Marloes Coenen via TKO (punches and elbows) in round four
115 lbs.: Claudia Gadelha def. Ayaka Hamasaki via TKO at 3:58 of round three
135 lbs.: Lauren Taylor def. Sarah D’Alelio via UD (30-27, 29-28×2)
125 lbs.: Leslie Smith def. Jennifer Maia via UD (30-27×2, 29-28), Fight of the Night
105 lbs.: Jessica Penne def. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:57 of round one, Sub of the Night
115 lbs.: Joanne Calderwood def. Norma Rueda Center via UD (30-27, 29-28×2)
115 lbs.: Mizuki Inoue def. Bec Hyatt via UD (29-28 x3)
135 lbs.: Miriam Nakamoto def. Duda Yankovich via KO in round one, KO of the Night
115 lbs.: Tecia Torres def. Rose Namajunas via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28)

Prelims

115 lbs.: Emily Kagan def. Ashley Cummins via split decision (30-27×2, 29-28)
115 lbs.: Livia von Plettenberg def Kathina Catron via UD (30-27, 29-28×2)

Oh and for the record, pretty much all these ladies be scary.

[RX]

Cris Cyborg Reclaims Title as “World’s Scariest Woman” (Also, a Belt. ADORBZ)

“It’s like they sized it just for me!”  PicProps:  Ester Lin / InvictFC 

Cris Cyborg reclaimed her place on the throne as #1 Woman in the World You Definitely Do Not Want to Fuck With (plus Invicta’s featherweight championship or whatever) with a methodical four-round thrashing of Forever #2 Marloes Coenen.  Coenen was seen as the most legitimate challenger for Cyborg at 145 (in fairness, 145 is a division that could charitably be compared to a blasted desert), and Cyborg goes and does this shit:

Jesus Christ man, Cyborg is throwing Coenen around like she’s Lexington Steele FFS.

“It’s like they sized it just for me!”  PicProps:  Ester Lin / InvictFC 


Cris Cyborg reclaimed her place on the throne as #1 Woman in the World You Definitely Do Not Want to Fuck With (plus Invicta’s featherweight championship or whatever) with a methodical four-round thrashing of Forever #2 Marloes Coenen.  Coenen was seen as the most legitimate challenger for Cyborg at 145 (in fairness, 145 is a division that could charitably be compared to a blasted desert), and Cyborg goes and does this shit:

Jesus Christ man, Cyborg is throwing Coenen around like she’s Lexington Steele FFS.  Coenen is stunned and barely gets her defense up after that slam, and it wasn’t the only ride Cyborg took her on, either.  And that’s not another hack attempt at a sexual joke!  I mean literally:  Cyborg turned simple takedowns into explosive interpretive dances of Anger, Social Anxiety, and Bitch I Will Cut You, pressing a full option of punches, knees, elbows, and throws, and it’s fucking terrifying.  She’s like the real-world women’s equivalent of Tong Po.

Coenen appeared to be going into the fight with Gameplan #39 (The Bob Sapp Trapp) in play: avoid an early bull-rush, weather the sloppy offense, and wait for the brute to tire out.  Finish with ankle lock, season to taste.

But Cyborg never bull rushed.  Cyborg was  patient: she waited for openings and picked her shots, using her energy wisely. This is a noticeable improvement over previous fights, when Cyborg was prone to berserker rages that ate into her cardio reserves.  She would still rip off a violent series of hooks, just not twelve of them.

More ominously, Cyborg looked to be refocused on cardio, probably a result of her work with Tito Ortiz.  With her new found efficiency of movement, she seemed capable of sustaining her new pace for five rounds, or more if she needed.

She needed not. Her offense ramped up as the match went on, as Coenen’s ability to absorb Cyborg’s onslaught declined.  By the fourth round, Coenen had taken enough punishment for Matt freakin Lindland to want to call it. Big John called it.  Cyborg was a verr heppy for her chance for to be a women’s champion again, and thanks verr much for to God and Invicta.  Meanwhile, Coenen looked dazed, with a faraway gaze into the distance, perhaps contemplating her next move, or perhaps merely still struggling to wrap her head around what she had gotten herself into.

Or I guess that glassy-eyed look could have been all the blunt force trauma.  Hard to tell sometimes.

 

[RX]

Upsets, Beatdowns, and Sideways Glances: the Stories of Invicta FC 5


Obligatory.            PicProps: Patrick Walters, CP OG

Invicta FC put on its fifth event last night, closing out a very successful first year for the promotion.  A thirteen-fight card at Kansas City’s Ameristar Casino highlighted Invicta’s swelling roster of talented fighters and solidified the promotions reputation for delivering entertaining MMA bouts.  The show featured debuts of three champs from Strikeforce and Bellator, plus a pair of Invicta championship matchups.  And it fucking rocked.

The card started with a pair of quick submissions, including CagePotato’s own Rose Namajunas, who set the internet on fire with a twelve second flying armbar victory.  According to initial reports, that is the 5th fastest victory in MMA history, and fastest in the women’s division.  Namajunas was understandably jubilant in her win, saying later that she would like all of her fights to be of the blink-and-you-missed-it variety.  She also pointed out that she was still a prospect just starting out at 2-0, and that title talks could wait until she gained more experience.

                          Obligatory.            PicProps: Patrick Walters, CP OG

Invicta FC put on its fifth event last night, closing out a very successful first year for the promotion.  A thirteen-fight card at Kansas City’s Ameristar Casino highlighted Invicta’s swelling roster of talented fighters and solidified the promotions reputation for delivering entertaining MMA bouts.  The show featured debuts of three champs from Strikeforce and Bellator, plus a pair of Invicta championship matchups.  And it fucking rocked.

The card started with a pair of quick submissions, including CagePotato’s own Rose Namajunas, who set the internet on fire with a twelve second flying armbar victory.  According to initial reports, that is the 5th fastest victory in MMA history, and fastest in the women’s division.  Namajunas was understandably jubilant in her win, saying later that she would like all of her fights to be of the blink-and-you-missed-it variety.  She also pointed out that she was still a prospect just starting out at 2-0, and that title talks could wait until she gained more experience.

Also on the preliminary card was a bout between Miriam “The Queen of Mean” Nakamoto and Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke, a matchup between relative newcomers to MMA with extensive striking backgrounds.  Nakamoto scored a KO victory in the first round with a pair of blistering knees, but there was some controversy when the second knee strike landed on a downed Duke.  Shannon Knapp explained at the presser that the first (legal) knee that landed was considered the knockout blow, but said she would review the fight later.  Nakamoto earned Knockout of the Night honors, adding insult to Duke’s injury and keeping her up on Twitter into Saturday morning.

Kicking off the main card was a matchup between popular Australian fighter Bec Hyatt and Austrian striker Jasminka Cive.  The two had brought some personal heat to the matchup, including a pre-fight facedown with Invicta commentator Julie Kedzie.  Hyatt squashed the beef with an armbar victory in the first round, and will look to rebuild momentum for another shot at Invicta’s 115 pound title.

And then came  the upsets.  First out was Kaitlin Young, a seasoned pro whose 7-7-1 record belies a career fighting top-ranked women, including Miesha Tate, Gina Carano, Julie Kedzie, and Liz Carmouche.  Young dropped a decision to surging Lauren Taylor, and now carries a losing record for the first time in her career.

Zoila Frausto-Gurgel fell victim next, losing a decision in her Invicta debut against Brazilian Jennifer Maia.  Frausto-Gurgel was visibly frustrated with the decision and the question marks surrounding her.  Zoila competed successfully at 115 pounds under the Bellator banner, but the weight cut was notably difficult.  125 was supposed to be her playground, with a clear shot toward title contention, and that path is no longer so straight and easy.

The upset parade almost continued into the next fight, between former 135 pound queenpin Sarah Kaufman and Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith, a three round war that went to the judges and resulted in a razor-thin split decision for Kaufman.  Smith, who was a virtual unknown training under Ceasar Gracie a year ago, is now perhaps the most dangerous opponent a bantamweight woman can accept.  On the other hand, taking a fight with Smith guarantees a crowd-pleasing war and a potential Fight of the Night bonus.  The controversial decision (which the crowd loudly disagreed with) brought a bit of awkwardness to the press conference after the fights.  Smith, while not willing to directly criticize the decision,  pointed out that the UFC could rightly lose confidence in one of “their” fighters (Kaufman), if she had such a narrow decision win over a mere “Invicta fighter” like herself. (For the record, Smith would have won under Stockton Rules.)  Meanwhile, Kaufman held a frozen smile, too polite to argue in a civilized setting like a press conference.  A rematch between the two was discussed (and literally applauded by the gathered media), under either the UFC’s banner or Invicta’s.

There would be no upset for Cris Cyborg’s Invicta debut.  Matched up with Aussie tough Fiona Muxlow, Cyborg put on a blazing display of aggression that lasted a shade over three and a half minutes, at which point Big John McCarthy decided that, no, this Australian lady is not going to crack Cyborg’s fists with her skull, and called the fight.  It was announced at the post-fight that Cyborg will move on to compete in Invicta’s inaugural 145 pound title fight against Marloes Coenen  in July, while Muxlow works on regaining hand-eye coordination and vowel sounds. She did not attend the press conference after the fights.

Speaking of inaugural titles, Invicta held its first 125 pound title fight between Vanessa Porto and Barb Honchak.  After the public execution of Cyborg’s fight, the crowd got a bit restless with the more technical striking exchange.  Honchak looked to counter Porto’s vicious leg kicks with combinations, and built up a commanding lead on the cards for a unanimous decision win and the Strawweight Championship.

Closing out the night was Jessica Penne’s first title defense of her Atomweight belt, against Jackson’s MMA fighter Michele Waterson.  In interviews leading up to the fight, Penne downplayed the importance of the title and any sense of ego about being the champ, but her enjoyment of her status as queen of the 105ers was as blatant as the #firstever hashtag she used to describe her reign. Not that Penne was resting on her laurels: she was a hard-training, well-rounded, athletically-gifted champ, and she’d earned  the belt.   Waterson, while an exciting fighter that has a bigger kicking repertoire than Hwoarang and Baek Doo Son combined, looked to be smaller and incapable of fending off Penne’s solid grappling attack.

Oh, how wrong we were.  Waterson was quite capable, thank you, and proved it by gutting out an armbar attack from the champ that appeared to snap Waterson’s arm.  Waterson would go on to pull out a sneaky-fast armbar transition of her own in the fourth round, earning a quick tap and a shiny new belt as the #secondever  Atomweight Champion.

All in all, it was another soaring success for Invicta.  While there were complaints about unstable streaming, they were a tiny percentage of the problems Invicta faced in its first iPPV venture.  More and more people are realizing that, yes, there is depth of talent in the ladies’ division.  All you have to do is showcase it.  Invicta’s first year has proven that the athletes are ready for a bigger stage, and the promotion is ready to provide it.  While there may be growing pains, like adjusting to a television deal that’s looking increasingly likely to happen.  Like it or not, Invicta FC is here to stay.

 

[RX]

 

Invicta FC 5: Penne vs Waterson: Come for the Cheesecake, Stay for the Beef


(VidProps: @allElbows & @ekc)

While most of you are waiting on a concrete announcement for the main event of UFC on Fuel TV in Sweden 2: Mousasi vs Quick, Somebody Find Me a Viking, you maybe should be talking about this stacked card of fights going down right smack in the middle of the US of A. Featuring a handful of past and present champs, a double main event of championship fights, and the return of Cris Cyborg, Invicta’s fifth show looks like can’t-miss entertainment.

Invicta’s production values have been a consistent strong point, and this latest preview video from Esther Lin and E. Casey Leydon is no exception. It’s beautiful work, and does a fantastic job setting up Friday night’s main event, between Invicta’s Atomweight (105) Champion Jessica Penne and challenger Michelle Waterson.

Highlights:

–  Some of you may remember Jessica Penne from an interview we did with her in August 2010 (I haven’t asked, but I’m pretty sure Penne still hates you assholes), but this is not the same fighter. She looks about ten pounds stronger and ten pounds lighter at the same time.

–  In general, there’s a decent amount of footage of Penne beastin’ all over the gym.

–  Check out Mark Munoz being all proud.

–  While talking about fitting in at the Jackson-Winklejohn camp, Michelle Waterson lets slip that Jackson calls her “peanut”.  Awwwwwwww.  

–  Jon Jones says after a long day of working out, sometimes he likes to cool down and watch the Karate Hottie kick it like Tae Bo. Then he mumbles something about stealing techniques, like that makes it any better.


(VidProps: @allElbows & @ekc)

While most of you are waiting on a concrete announcement for the main event of UFC on Fuel TV in Sweden 2: Mousasi vs Quick, Somebody Find Me a Viking, you maybe should be talking about this stacked card of fights going down right smack in the middle of the US of A. Featuring a handful of past and present champs, a double main event of championship fights, and the return of Cris Cyborg, Invicta’s fifth show looks like can’t-miss entertainment.

Invicta’s production values have been a consistent strong point, and this latest preview video from Esther Lin and E. Casey Leydon is no exception. It’s beautiful work, and does a fantastic job setting up Friday night’s main event, between Invicta’s Atomweight (105) Champion Jessica Penne and challenger Michelle Waterson.

Highlights:

–  Some of you may remember Jessica Penne from an interview we did with her in August 2010 (I haven’t asked, but I’m pretty sure Penne still hates you assholes), but this is not the same fighter. She looks about ten pounds stronger and ten pounds lighter at the same time.

–  In general, there’s a decent amount of footage of Penne beastin’ all over the gym.

–  Check out Mark Munoz being all proud.

–  While talking about fitting in at the Jackson-Winklejohn camp, Michelle Waterson lets slip that Jackson calls her “peanut”.  Awwwwwwww.  

–  Jon Jones says after a long day of working out, sometimes he likes to cool down and watch the Karate Hottie kick it like Tae Bo. Then he mumbles something about stealing techniques, like that makes it any better.

–  There’s also a fair amount of footage of Waterson beastin’ all over the gym, including beating the absolute dogshit out of 125er Tara LaRosa. Sarah Kaufmann also vouches for Waterson’s power, in her polite Canadian manner.

–  Waterson compares working through adversity in a fight with dealing with contractions during labor. Like you hear from EVERY FIGHTER EVER, GAH, think up new analogies, geez.

Backing up the Penne-Waterson title scrap, Vanessa Porto and Barb Honchak will vie for the Strawweight Championship, Cris Cyborg faces a scary Australian lady (after her original opponent, Scary Brazilian Lady, was injured), and Sarah Kaufman and Leslie Smith are primed for a knockdown-dragout affair. PLUS: Zoila Frausto-Gurgel, Kaitlin Young, Bec Hyatt, Jessamyn Duke, friend of the Tater Cassie Rodish, and of course Her Thuggishness, Rose Namajunas.

I’m going.  Who’s coming with me?

[RX]

How Ronda Rousey Losing This Weekend Could Actually Be the Best Thing for Women’s MMA


(Wow, we even got *Ronda’s* attention with that troll-headline. Photo via Neil Davidson/Canadian Press)

By ReX13

“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey has rocketed to fame as the latest “Face of Women’s MMA,” and she’s pushed awareness and enthusiasm for her sport to new heights. Now making history as the first female champion in the UFC, it’s entirely possible that the best thing that could happen to WMMA is for Ronda Rousey to lose.

Ronda Rousey made her pro debut two years ago this March, defeating a scary Brazilian lady very quickly via armbar. Since then, she’s burst into the mainstream consciousness — as much as she can inhabit the mainstream, competing in a fringe sport like MMA —and has almost single-handedly driven interest in women’s mixed martial arts competition. Her background as a lifelong judoka and Olympic medalist immediately establishes her a legitimate athlete, while her looks have won her a bit of extra hype.  Not that the hype was undeserved: Rousey has demolished her competition, notching six straight first-round stoppages by armbar.

That dominance is what gained her the attention of the man who previously maintained that he had no interest in female cage-fighting. After gaining control of a double-handful of women’s contracts when Zuffa obtained rival promotion Strikeforce, Dana White couldn’t help but change his mind about gender-equality in the Octagon. Rousey was pushing attendance, she was a moneymaker, and White chases money like a Kardashian chases famous dick: single-mindedly, without shame, and intent to take it all in. That he would also be cockblocking (snirk) another promotion by denying them the most marketable fighters in the market would just be icing on the cake.

And make no mistake: that’s exactly what’s going on here. What may at first seem like a boon for female fighters — the increased visibility of the world’s top MMA promotion in the UFC — also has the effect of skimming the top talent from the free agent pool and keeping them from Invicta Fighting Championships, a promotion that’s actually dedicated to the advancement of the women’s division.


(Wow, we even got *Ronda’s* attention with that troll-headline. Photo via Neil Davidson/Canadian Press)

“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey has rocketed to fame as the latest “Face of Women’s MMA,” and she’s pushed awareness and enthusiasm for her sport to new heights. Now making history as the first female champion in the UFC, it’s entirely possible that the best thing that could happen to WMMA is for Ronda Rousey to lose.

Ronda Rousey made her pro debut two years ago this March, defeating a scary Brazilian lady very quickly via armbar. Since then, she’s burst into the mainstream consciousness — as much as she can inhabit the mainstream, competing in a fringe sport like MMA —and has almost single-handedly driven interest in women’s mixed martial arts competition. Her background as a lifelong judoka and Olympic medalist immediately establishes her a legitimate athlete, while her looks have won her a bit of extra hype.  Not that the hype was undeserved: Rousey has demolished her competition, notching six straight first-round stoppages by armbar.

That dominance is what gained her the attention of the man who previously maintained that he had no interest in female cage-fighting. After gaining control of a double-handful of women’s contracts when Zuffa obtained rival promotion Strikeforce, UFC president Dana White couldn’t help but change his mind about gender-equality in the Octagon. Rousey was pushing attendance, she was a moneymaker, and White chases money like a Kardashian chases famous dick: single-mindedly, without shame, and intent to take it all in. That he would also be cockblocking (snirk) another promotion by denying them the most marketable fighters in the market would just be icing on the cake.

And make no mistake: that’s exactly what’s going on here. What may at first seem like a boon for female fighters — the increased visibility of the world’s top MMA promotion in the UFC — also has the effect of skimming the top talent from the free agent pool and keeping them from Invicta Fighting Championships, a promotion that’s actually dedicated to the advancement of the women’s division.

Invicta could certainly use some of that star power right now. The fledgling promotion, just ten months into operation with its fifth show planned in April, has done a fantastic job of putting together a roster full of talent, but they’ve had to build their own stars from scratch. The shows themselves are really entertaining, but casual fans don’t know more than a few female fighters, and none of them are under contract with Invicta FC.

If Liz Carmouche manages to pull an upset on Ronda Rousey, we’ll probably see Dana lose interest in the women’s division. Zingano-Tate is already buried on a TUF Finale card, the winner would maybe get Carmouche sometime in the fall, and then all the ladies would be quietly let go. The numbers just weren’t right, they’ll say. The fans just aren’t ready.

Then, in January of 2014, Invicta FC’s eighth event — a $20 pay per view over a reliable HD stream headlined by Invicta FC Bantamweight champ Sara McMann vs rebounding “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey — breaks all previous records for WMMA audiences.

In November of 2017, Invicta will broadcast its first show on NBC, featuring five title fights ranging from atomweight to featherweight.

In July of 2023, Gina Carano will induct McMann and Rousey as part of the inaugural Women’s MMA Hall of Fame, calling their fight “the turning point” for female mixed martial arts.

In October of 2056, former UFC president Dana White drifts into his eternal slumber, whispering the name of his boyhood sled as he passes from this world into the next. Nobody is around to hear him.

[RX]