Tag: WMMA

10 Female Fighters Who Could Be The Next Ronda Rousey

It’s been almost six months since Ronda Rousey suffered her second crushing defeat in the UFC, and by all accounts we may have seen her fight for the last time in the Octagon. Now the hunt is on to find the next female superstar in the sport, and in this article we’ll be looking at […]

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It’s been almost six months since Ronda Rousey suffered her second crushing defeat in the UFC, and by all accounts we may have seen her fight for the last time in the Octagon.

Now the hunt is on to find the next female superstar in the sport, and in this article we’ll be looking at 10 women who are best placed to fill the void left by Rousey, from existing stars with the potential to take their fame to the next level, to up-and-coming prospects who have shown promising signs they could be the next big thing in WMMA.

To be clear, what we’re looking for here are not just talented fighters, but rather those who, like Rousey or indeed Gina Carano before her, also have that elusive ‘it factor’ that could enable them to gain mainstream recognition and become a major draw on pay-per-view.

Before we begin though, here’s a few honorable mentions to these talented ladies who just missed out on making the list but are worthy of recognition: Michelle Waterson, Ilima Macfarlane, Alexa Grasso, Julianna Pena, Holly Holm, Megan Anderson and Kayla Harrison.

10. Anastasia Yankova

In some circles, Anastasia Yankova is already being touted as the ‘Russian Ronda Rousey’.

The 26 year-old has gained considerable attention for her stunning looks and has over 180,000 followers on Instagram, but she has been training in martial arts since she was six and is a former Russian Muay Thai champion.

Her star potential was quickly recognized when she transitioned to MMA and with just two wins under her belt, Bellator jumped at the chance to sign Yankova in 2016.

She’s since improved to 5-0 and demonstrated that she’s more than just a striker by claiming three victories by way of submission.

There’s no doubt Yankova is a marketer’s dream and she’s already struck up sponsorship deals with the likes of Nike and Reebok, been featured in the Russian edition of Vogue, and speaks English fluently enough to have been interviewed by TMZ.

The caveat here is that though she remains unbeaten her performances in the cage so far suggest she’s still a work in progress, and so doubts remains as to how she’ll cope when the level of competition increases, with another rising Bellator star, Ilima Macfarlane being among those eager to derail her hype train.

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Angela Magana Reveals Insane Fallout For Cyborg Brawl

One day after Angela Magana was reportedly punched by Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino at the UFC fighter retreat, the MMA world has been dealt a predictably strange fallout for the scene. First, Magana tweeted she was the victim of ‘roid rage,’ revealing that lawyers were contacting her ‘left and right’: I was the victim of roid […]

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One day after Angela Magana was reportedly punched by Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino at the UFC fighter retreat, the MMA world has been dealt a predictably strange fallout for the scene.

First, Magana tweeted she was the victim of ‘roid rage,’ revealing that lawyers were contacting her ‘left and right’:

Magana then clarified that she had all of her teeth but would be pressing charges after the police had been contacted by the UFC, not her:

Faced with backlash, Magana then went on to invoke the time when Cyborg was threatening to sue Ronda Rousey for suggesting she used steroids:

People were quick to blast Magana for supposedly suing Cyborg, but she fired back she was not officially suing and had only been contacted about it:

Magana then continued to berate Cyborg, calling her a bully who took steroids in order to beat up smaller fighters, which therefore made her look masculine:

And while she’s facing criticism for ‘poking the bear,’ Magana noted that posting rude tweets doesn’t give Cyborg free reign to assault people:

Magana continued to discuss the details of the incident, stating that the cops called her and were looking into felony assault charges for the incident:

Finally, “Her Majesty” poked back at Cyborg, suggesting that she would be arrested for a felony and lose her job as well:

So it looks like the mess is about to get a lot messier, and Cyborg could actually ended up facing very serious charges for her decision to assault Magana, who fights at two weight classes below Cyborg and isn’t exactly relevant in the UFC beyond her controversy-inspiring social media presence (let’s be honest).

With a potentially huge title fight versus Megan Anderson on the line for Cyborg at July’s UFC 214, it’s safe to wonder if all this was actually worth it for her.

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Weigh-Ins for Invicta FC 23 Take Place Friday, Live Stream

The official weigh-ins for Saturday night’s Invicta FC 23 card take place later today, and you can catch them right here. Set for the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, the card streams live on UFC Fight Pass. In the main event, flyweight contenders Vanessa Porto and Agnieszka Niedzwiedz square off. Also, Sarah D’Alelio meets […]

The official weigh-ins for Saturday night’s Invicta FC 23 card take place later today, and you can catch them right here. Set for the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, the card streams live on UFC Fight Pass. In the main event, flyweight contenders Vanessa Porto and Agnieszka Niedzwiedz square off. Also, Sarah D’Alelio meets […]

Mighty Mouse Slams Ronda Rousey With Vicious Callout

Fans haven’t heard nor seen much from former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey since she lost to Amanda Nunes by first-round TKO at December’s UFC 207. The general consensus is that Rousey will never set foot into the octagon again, a view that UFC President Dana White recently agreed with. She has appeared in

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Fans haven’t heard nor seen much from former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey since she lost to Amanda Nunes by first-round TKO at December’s UFC 207.

The general consensus is that Rousey will never set foot into the octagon again, a view that UFC President Dana White recently agreed with. She has appeared in other areas, such as a guest spot on NBC’s “Blindspot,” and news broke that she and boyfriend Travis Browne had gotten engaged.

It seems many fans are torn on if she should return, but several fighters have weighed in with the opinion that she should dust herself off and get back to training. None have done it as forcefully as dominant UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, however, who called out Rousey for her self-imposed exile during a recent interview with Sports Illustrated:

“You look at Ronda Rousey. You got your ass beat, grow the f—k up. It happens. It’s mixed martial arts. I don’t want to be like that. If I lose, I’ll be like, I lost. Everybody f—ing loses. It’s part of the sport.

“Grow up. Look, Ronda, you lost two f—ing fights in a row, and you made more f—ing money than the women’s roster. You’ll be fine, don’t worry about it.”

Mandatory Credit: Tracy Lee for USA TODAY Sports

Johnson may be feeling a bit jaded following his record-tying tenth title defense, signifying that the pound-for-pound king is one of the all-time greats in UFC history. But that hasn’t translated into success at the box office and therefore, his pocketbook, as “Mighty Mouse’s” most recent win over Wilson Reis at UFC on FOX 24 drew some of the lowest-ever ratings for a FOX-aired card.

He also touched on the fact that CM Punk made more money than he did in his first UFC bout even though it was his only MMA contest and he was badly beaten by a prospect (albeit a talented one) himself. That seems to be a growing source of contention for many UFC fighters these days, but none have the body of work or right to complain as much as “Mighty Mouse” does.

He’s far and away the best fighter currently active on the UFC roster (no, Jon Jones is not active right now), and it’s a travesty to see him paid less than those who have never even fought.

As for Rousey, well, perhaps Johnson has a good argument for her situation, but like he also said, she’s probably made more than enough money to never consider fighting again.

Her unwillingness to even talk to the media after her first-ever loss to Holly Holm at November 2015’s UFC 193 may show that she doesn’t want the exposure that comes with being a high-profile fighter anymore. Should she grow up and return to the octagon, or are her two latest beatings simply something she refuses to come back from?

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Cyborg Pressures UFC For Fight With Megan Anderson

Less than three months after the inaugural UFC women’s featherweight champion was crowned when Germaine de Randamie outlasted Holly Holm with a controversial decision at February’s UFC 208, no single UFC division – even the middleweight – is currently wrought with more uncertainty. De Randamie has gone absolutely radio silent in the months since after

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Less than three months after the inaugural UFC women’s featherweight champion was crowned when Germaine de Randamie outlasted Holly Holm with a controversial decision at February’s UFC 208, no single UFC division – even the middleweight – is currently wrought with more uncertainty.

De Randamie has gone absolutely radio silent in the months since after citing a need for hand surgery from a nagging injury, prompting many to suggest she’s simply running from the consensus top pound-for-pound fighter in women’s MMA, former Invicta FC featherweight champ Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino.

With “The Iron Lady” out of action, Cyborg recently agreed to a bout with current Invicta featherweight champion Megan Anderson at July 29’s UFC 214 from Anaheim, California, when the rising Aussie star called for it during an appearance on “The MMA Hour.” And the two women aren’t letting up, as Anderson continued her push for what would be the biggest UFC debut possible on Instagram last night:

I’m your huckleberry…. #UFC214 #UFCAnaheim @danawhite where you at mate?? Let’s set this up!

A post shared by Megan Anderson (@megana_mma) on

Cyborg was quick to respond to Anderson’s suggestion she would be her “huckleberry” on Twitter, pressing her employers by asking her fans to voice their support for her to finally fight a bigger opponent:

While nothing has been announced, it seems like a no-brainer for the UFC to create yet another interim title for Cyborg and Anderson to fight for, especially if de Randamie isn’t willing to defend the title.

It comes at a time when the UFC is truly struggling for a high-level bout as the packed summer schedule draws near without a true top bout to headline any of July’s two pay-per-view events. Justino has also been voicing her frustration with the UFC and their promotion of her, calling for them to book her in a fight or cut her.

True, she turned down the original title bout with Holm and may not be all that “easy to work with,” but there’s no denying Cyborg is one of the most controversial and recognizable stars that will actually fight in the UFC during this disastrous start to 2017 for the promotion.

UFC 214, which is centered near Cyborg’s adopted US home, has also been rumored to feature the long-waited Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones rematch, a fight UFC President Dana White has repeatedly stated won’t headline a card due to “Bones’” frequent problems with making it to feature bouts lately. Justino had recently voiced a willingness to face de Randamie on the card but nothing came to fruition.

Not many fights could conceivably headlines above Cormier vs. Jones II, but Cyborg fighting for her first UFC title is certainly one of them.

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Germaine De Randamie May Vacate Women’s Featherweight Title

UFC women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie has neither been seen nor heard from ever since she won the inaugural UFC women’s 145-pound title with a close and controversial decision win against Holly Holm in the main event of February’s UFC 208 from Brooklyn, New York. The obvious direction for “The Iron Lady” was a

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UFC women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie has neither been seen nor heard from ever since she won the inaugural UFC women’s 145-pound title with a close and controversial decision win against Holly Holm in the main event of February’s UFC 208 from Brooklyn, New York.

The obvious direction for “The Iron Lady” was a title bout against former Invicta and Strikeforce champ Cris “Cyborg” Justino, the woman a majority of the MMA universe feels is far and away the best female fighter on the planet and arguably the solitary reason the UFC created a women’s featherweight division, even if she turned down the first title bout in the weight class this year.

But when she was faced with the prospect of meeting Cyborg in the cage after her win over Holm, de Randamie said she would need time off to have hand surgery to repair an injury that had been bothering her for three fights. Justino teased a meeting with de Randamie at July 29’s UFC 214, but there has been no update in the two-and-a-half months since until now, and it appears the news isn’t promising.

Earlier this week, MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani tweeted that de Randamie’s future was “up in the air” as she was possibly targeting a fourth quarter return but may even vacate the belt without defending it:

Helwani stated retirement wasn’t an option as of right now, but her fighting future was still very uncertain as questions began to mount about the UFC’s newest champ:

It’s a situation that will almost definitely continue to irk UFC ownership, who created a division with de Randamie, Justino, and Holm to save a pay-per-view (PPV) card, a decision that did not prove to be a great one when UFC 208 was derided as one of the more lackluster pay events in years.

The obvious reaction will be that de Randamie is ducking Cyborg, and based on the ruthlessness and ferocity which she’s been finishing each and every opponent, it’s easy to see why people think that. De Randamie had to know a fight with the most controversial female in MMA was coming though, and to sit on the sidelines for a full year after winning a close call for the belt just isn’t a good look for the titleholder of a division many thought shouldn’t have been installed anyway.

On top of that mess, enough weight classes are already in a state of confusion as it is, so adding yet another uncertain set of circumstances only casts more doubt on possibly the most auspicious start to a UFC calendar year we’ve seen. Can the new owners rise above the mounting avalanche of seemingly endless issues to cash in on their $4 billion investment?

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