The UFC is set to return after a short hiatus with UFC Fight Night 39. Headlined by Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the event hosts a bevy of up-and-comers and veterans who should make for a fun night.
The nine-fight card has been relatively q…
The UFC is set to return after a short hiatus with UFC Fight Night 39. Headlined by Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the event hosts a bevy of up-and-comers and veterans who should make for a fun night.
The nine-fight card has been relatively quiet since there have been no injuries outside of the scrapped AlptekinOzkilic vs. Dustin Ortiz bout. That being said, the card hosts some of the fighters with Middle Eastern backgrounds such as Alan Omer, Ramsey Nijem and BeneilDariush.
Looking ahead, let’s take a look at five reasons for you to watch this card Friday morning/afternoon.
Women’s MMA is still picking up steam at this point, but there are tons of talented women all around the world. This is the case in Australia, where there are some very good female fighters, but these women aren’t as famous as the ladies throwing down …
Women’s MMA is still picking up steam at this point, but there are tons of talented women all around the world. This is the case in Australia, where there are some very good female fighters, but these women aren’t as famous as the ladies throwing down in the United States.
Christina Tatnell is young, hungry and talented. She fights out of Australia and is one of the women from that country who is fighting for recognition and a busier fight schedule.
Like most people in MMA, Tatnell has an interesting story of how she got into MMA. Unsurprisingly, her roots of fighting stem from a childhood where she was not necessarily the most popular girl in the crowd.
“I’m from a really small country town on the island of Tasmania in Australia,” Tatnell told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. “As a child, I was bullied at school, and I’ve always had confidence issues. I’m very shy by nature, but MMA has helped me break out of my shell a lot. My first ever taste of live MMA was when I watched my current trainer Dan Hyatt and his wife Bec Hyatt on a fight card back in 2011. I instantly became hooked and wanted to begin training and learning, but many of my friends and family didn’t believe in me.”
Tatnell started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 2012 with only the intent of training. Now that she has moved completely to MMA, she has taken to striking wholeheartedly.
Of course, getting into MMA required some sort of role model. Tatnell has been carefully put under the wing of Dan Hyatt, a renowned veteran and trainer in Austalia.
“When I first began my training, both Dan Hyatt and Bec Hyatt were definitely role models for me, fighters who I looked up to, Tatnell said. “They’re the most successful male and female fighters to come out of my home state, and in some ways, they’re both minor celebrities in Tasmania. Bec certainly is no role model of mine anymore, but Dan is my current trainer and manager, so I’ve learned a lot from him and I continue to do so.”
Being a young, 20-year-old female with just five fights in her pro career, Tatnell has emulated some of the more experienced veterans of the sport.
“I don’t particularly model my style after anybody else, but there are elements to Joanne Calderwood’s game that I would like to emulate, especially being we’re both lean and long. Both of the Diaz brothers and their high rate of output with their hands is something that catches my eye, too. I think their style suits my length well.”
Tatnell’s foray into the sport came as an 18-year-old girl who hadn’t even had a fight yet. In fact, she wasn’t planning on fighting, nonetheless, against a now world-ranked fighter, but she had to jump at the opportunity.
“One of the most surreal moments of my life, that’s for sure!” she said in regards to making her debut opposite Bec Hyatt. “I’d been training six months of BJJ at the time, absolutely no striking, and I was only 18 years old. I was sitting around home, reading Facebook and everyone was scrambling to find Bec Hyatt an opponent because her Egyptian opponent had been detained at the airport. This was literally the day of the weigh-ins and the next minute, Bec’s husband and manager at the time, Dan, was on my caller ID phoning me to see if I wanted the fight. I was nowhere near ready, but apparently, I was the last option. The next thing I knew, my flights and hotel were booked, and I was on a plane for the first time in my life. I remember sitting backstage, shaking uncontrollably and looking for somewhere to hide because of the lights, cameras and crowd noise. It was a big eye opener for a small-town girl like me! The fight went as everyone expected, and I was finished quickly, but I don’t regret taking the fight. It was an amazing learning experience and has helped build me into the fighter that I am today. I’m not scared to fight anyone else, I can tell you that!”
As stated, Tatnell is still just 20 years old, but despite that, is one of the top fighters in Australia. Her opening loss to Bec Rawlings has not hurt her stock much, especially considering she has since rattled off four straight wins against tough opposition since then.
“This is a career for me now, I train full time, and I’m looking to position myself not only as a fighter but eventually an instructor and businesswoman,” Tatnell said. “I’m only 20 years of age and have less than two years of training experience in this sport; I started from scratch, and I don’t expect to hit my peak for another six or seven years yet! My trainers would have forgotten more about MMA than I have even learned thus far, so I’m very excited about the future, and my main focus right now is continuing my development and evolution as a fighter.”
It’s hard to ignore the fact Tatnell is a young lady with a contagious personality and a beautiful look to her. With that being said, she has not over-exploited the fact she is a good-looking woman in a sport that male fans salivate over the beauty of female combatants.
“I think so, definitely. I’m not stupid, I get attention from men every now and again, so I would be foolish to not use it to my advantage,” Tatnell said in regards to using sex appeal as a marketing tool. “This is the world we live in, and my male fan base will always be bigger than my female fan base because of it. A lot of female fighters refuse to acknowledge that, but I do. My main objective, though, is to be seen as a fighter first and foremost, and to be respected because of my abilities not my appearance. I think some female fighters go overboard when utilizing their sex appeal, but that’s their prerogative. I understand that MMA is sports entertainment, and as much as I wish it was just about the results and talents, it’s not. Whatever pays the bills though, right?”
Since dropping her debut bout on late notice to Rawlings, Tatnell has gone on a four-fight win streak that she currently still holds. In that time, the young Tatnell has defeated Australian vets Shauna Carew, Amy Adam and Helen Malone, all of whom she has finished. That is the type of resume that earns a female fighter some greater notoriety.
“I don’t think there’s such a thing as ‘enough recognition,'” Tatnell said. “I believe I’ve beaten better quality opponents than a lot of people have who are on bigger deals or who are being given bigger opportunities, but I’m prepared to be patient. I’m on a four-fight winning streak; three of my four wins are against girls much, much more experienced than I am. Three of my wins have been against heavier opponents. I have three finishes and my four wins include a knockout, a technical knockout, a submission and a decision. I’m a well-rounded fighter, but I’m still learning, and I don’t care for the spotlight just yet, I’m just looking for competition. I don’t want to be one of these young fighters who gets too big, too soon and burns out!
“It’s not really for me to say how good I am, but my trainer believes I’m the best Flyweight in Australia, and considering his experience, if he is saying that, I will believe him.”
All those things considered, Tatnell remains patient for the right opportunities. In women’s MMA, the best opportunities come in the form of the UFC, Invicta and World Series of Fighting. Before a fighter can get to those big shows, he or she must cut his or her teeth in smaller promotions. That’s exactly what Tatnell has done and will continue to do until she snags one of those big-fight contracts.
“Invicta Fighting Championships is on my radar, you can be sure,” Tatnell said. “I’m told both Shannon Knapp and Julie Kedzie know exactly who I am and have been following me for some time. Unfortunately, I’ve also been told that a certain someone has been doing her best to hinder any signing of me to a bigger organization because of my affiliation and loyalty to my trainer,” Tatnell said, likely hinting at Bec Rawlings, the former wife of Dan Hyatt.
“I won’t be training under anyone else, and right now, Invicta FC no longer has a marketable Australian on their roster. Plus their flyweight division is at its shallowest, in my opinion. I want to fly the Australian flag and mix it up with whoever they see fit. UFC doesn’t even have my division yet, so Invicta Fighting Championships is where I believe I belong right now.”
Right now, Tatnell does not have a fight scheduled, but one has to believe there aren’t all sorts of women chomping at the bit to fight this hot prospect. However, Tatnell waits patiently while things come to her so she can continue her climb to the top of the 125-pound division.
“At the moment I’m just sitting around and waiting,” Tatnell said. “I’ve recently changed gyms to Riot Vale Tudo in Brisbane, and my main sparring partner now is multiple-time Australian amateur boxing champion Tammy Taylor, who is also crossing over to MMA. My focus at the moment is just improving on my skills and knowledge of MMA, as well as continuing to evolve as a fighter. I now train full time, and already, I’ve noticed many improvements in my game. I will fight anyone on the Invicta Fighting Championships flyweight roster, I’m just waiting for my shot!”
With that, Tatnell will continue to be one of the top 125-pounders not in Invicta currently. She is a well-rounded fighter with good potential and tremendous upside. It’s her type of attitude that makes champions, which is something she will obviously be gunning for in the future.
Keep an eye on Tatnell. With her young age, developing talent and infectious personality, she could become a mainstream commodity sooner than you think.
*Christina would like to give a shoutout to her trainer and manager Dan Enson Hyatt for getting her to where she is today. She’d also like to thank all her friends, family and training partners who have believed in her. She’d like to thank her tattoo sponsor Of Kings & Gods for hooking her up with free ink and piercings. Lastly, please follow her on Twitter @DaCreepyOne and look her up on Facebook. She’s still using her old nickname Christina “Ratatat” Tatnell, but hopes to have that changed soon!
The finish line has been crossed. The “Prospects the UFC Should Sign” series is coming to a close. We left off with the flyweights, but now it’s time for a whole new gender.
The women of MMA have attained more spotlight recently due to their inclusion …
The finish line has been crossed. The “Prospects the UFC Should Sign” series is coming to a close. We left off with the flyweights, but now it’s time for a whole new gender.
The women of MMA have attained more spotlight recently due to their inclusion in the UFC. Stars like Ronda Rousey have carved a path for the 135ers, and the 115ers are quick to follow into the company thanks to The Ultimate Fighter 20.
The women’s roster of the UFC could use some extra faces at this point, as depth is the key to creating a more interesting division. There are plenty of women who can fit the bill, despite WMMA being in sort of a post-embryonic stage.
So, we picked out five bantamweights and five strawweights whom the UFC needs to snag to cushion its new divisions. Here are those 10 ladies, with the prospect label being a little more lax in this countdown.
Note: This is the first year that female fighters have been included in the series, so there is no history to cover in this installment.
The UFC’s return to Germany later this year appears to be finalized. The nine-card bout was fully announced today from Germany, with the expected headliner between middleweights Gegard Mousasi and Mark Munoz taking top billing.
The card takes place on …
The card takes place on May 31, the same day that a UFC Fight Night in Brazil is set to occur. The card takes place exclusively on Fight Pass, the subscription-based service of the UFC.
Mousasi and Munoz are both coming off tough losses and look to jump back into title talks against one another. Mousasi lost a technical chess match to LyotoMachida, who is now the top contender to champion Chris Weidman. Munoz is coming off a devastating head-kick knockout, also at the hands of Machida, in the headliner of a UK show last year.
The matchup represents a striker versus a wrestler, which could make for an interesting bout. Munoz will likely look to plant Mousasi on his back, while Mousasi will look to use his technical, precise boxing to pick Munoz apart.
Fitting the bill of the co-main event will be another pair of middleweight contenders, as French grinder Francis Carmont looks to defend his European home turf against American wrestler CB Dollaway.
Carmont is coming off a tough loss to Ronaldo Souza, who was able to outwork the grinder. Before that, Carmont was on a huge winning streak that had him close to title contention.
Dollaway, on the other hand, is riding the strength of a quick, massive upset win in Brazil over CezarFerreira. Despite being a heavy underdog from oddsmakers, Dollaway quickly caught Ferreira with punches and finished him in devastating fashion.
Rounding off the main card will be a middleweight bout between up-and-coming prospects Luke Barnatt and Sean Strickland, as well as a featherweight tilt between Tom Niinimaki and ThiagoTavares.
The undercard hosts a bunch of new names, as well as a couple of familiar faces.
Of the newcomers, the UFC has put German lightweight Nick Hein on the roster, as well as Pole PawelPawlak, Russian heavyweight RuslanMagomedov, Czech mauler ViktorPesta and has even re-signed German welterweight Peter Sobotta to make appearances.
Here is a full rundown of the card, which includes nine bouts.
The world of women’s MMA is growing, and with that, we must keep up with the times. Women are getting more and more opportunities in mixed martial arts, as well as becoming more prevalent on the big stage.
The UFC, Invicta and World Series of Fighting …
The world of women’s MMA is growing, and with that, we must keep up with the times. Women are getting more and more opportunities in mixed martial arts, as well as becoming more prevalent on the big stage.
The UFC, Invicta and World Series of Fighting are just three of the major organizations that host female fighters. When you consider Deep Jewels, MMA Super Heroes and several others who let the ladies compete, you have a bunch of proving grounds for these up-and-coming athletes.
Starting this month, Bleacher Report’s Riley Kontek and Mitch Ciccarelli will rank the women of the five major weight classes and give some insight on what’s going on in each division. Here is this installment of the Bleacher Report’s women’s MMA rankings.
Note: All quotes and material were obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report through a one-on-one between Luke Harris and Bleacher Report’s Riley Kontek.
This episode begins with the coaches challenge. Patrick Cote wins the axe throw, Kyle Noke wins…
Note: All quotes and material were obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report through a one-on-one between Luke Harris and Bleacher Report’s Riley Kontek.
This episode begins with the coaches challenge. Patrick Cote wins the axe throw, Kyle Noke wins the crossbow challenge and Cote out-saws Noke for the victory. Nice chunk of change for us Canadians!
Messing with the Australian photos was purely out of boredom. At this point in the season, most of us were done fighting, so there wasn’t much else to do.
I borrowed lipstick (from Elias’ nighty-night kit) and Kajan Johnson went to town with the markers and drew a phallic symbol on Brendan’s face just to mess with him. He also drew Dan Kelly an Amish beard and hat. Honestly, it was all in good fun. Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Chad Laprise were also in on it, with Chad leaving a love note for Richard Walsh and Oli making confetti shaped like little penises.
OK, I admit, it got a little out of control, but we were bored. I never expected the Australians to actually get upset. The Aussies gutted the moose in return, which we thought was pretty funny. Kajan got the rise out of Brendan O’Reilly that he was looking for. Brendan confronted me, and I told him that I’d tell him who the culprit was…after the show.
This week’s fight is Oli vs. Richard. I really like Richard, but Oli is a beast. I believe all the hype on Oli. He’s very good in every aspect of MMA and has a similar pedigree to myself in grappling. He’s also a southpaw, which can present additional problems for his opponents.
Watching Richard prepare, he’s doing all the right things. He is looking to keep the fight standing and defending his back if he hits the ground. Richard is a very cognitive fighter and uses visualization to prepare for his fight. Regardless of the result of this fight, I see Richard doing well in this MMA wherever he decides to take it. He has a great work ethic. He’s a great fighter, and I’m sure a great coach.
Like I said, Olivier is like Dexter. He has a switch that he turns on right before a fight and changes from a fun-loving guy to a killer. I’m sure years of competing in judo and BJJ have developed this, and it works for him.
I helped Olivier cut weight for this fight like the last one, and it went perfectly. Richard looked like a bodybuilder on the scale. He’s a true 170er, while Oli has competed mostly at 155 pounds.
The fight started with Richard coming out aggressive and slightly getting the better of Oli in the striking exchange. In my opinion, Oli‘s a bit crazy, but he wanted to test his stand-up. Oli then took a single leg and pushed Richard to the cage. I knew it was the beginning of the end as Oli climbed to Richard’s back and secured a rear-naked choke.
Oli has a way of taking his opponents down and catching them as they try to scramble to their feet. Like myself, his strength lies in his transitions. Richard was dejected after the fight, as can be expected. He shaved his beard and looked like a completely different person. Richard will be back.
Three Canadians are in the finals so far; let’s see if we can make it four next week!
*Tune in next week to hear Luke’s thoughts on the continued tension between teams, more in-depth stories from the house, and his thoughts on the fight between Sheldon Westcott and VikGrujic. Follow Luke on Twitter @HayabusaHarris, and follow his gym @Hayabusa_TC.
Women’s