In what will be a busy week between PFL, Tuff-n-uff, UFC, One Championship, Rizin, and Combates; we give you the fights to watch. We will be live at the PFL playoffs and Tuff-n-uff and our guest Chelsea Rae helps us break them down as she prepares for her own fight at Tuff-n-uff Saturday. She will also be coaching some of the Wimp 2 Warrior participants in their first MMA bouts.
Invicta was this past weekend and we go through the results and give you the line-up for the next card.
Having trained around the country and for the first time internationally, Chelsea Rae is looking to make an impression as she steps into the Tuff-n-uff cage February 22 in Las Vegas, and air on tape delay on BeInSports. We talked to Rae about her training camp and making one of her goals come true. Continue reading WMMath Podcast with Amateur Fighter Chelsea Rae→
DeAnna Bennett has had a rough few years, but she is back on track.
A solid camp behind her and a win at Invicta, she looks to continue her way to a title by defeating Kelly Kobold at Tuff-n-uff’s first all pro MMA event September 14th in Las Vegas.
It was nearly at capacity at the Thomas and Mack center in Las Vegas for Tuff-n-uff’s “Pack the Mack” event Saturday night. Two female title bouts plus a 135 contenders bout were on the docket on the 16 fight card.
Tuff-n-uff had streamed the event live on facebook but due to time constraints the stream was interrupted. We are told Tuff-n-uff will be re-uploading the stream and we will update you where you can find it in the coming days. Continue reading Tuff-n-uff “Pack the Mack” Crowns 2 New Female Champs→
Three female bouts with two belts on the line will be in front of a huge crowd Saturday night in Las Vegas for Tuf-n-uff’s annual “Pack the Mack” amateur MMA event.
Three years ago, we set out on a mission to find out what makes a woman want to take up fighting and why it has become so popular.
After the growing popularity of InvictaFC, the UFC adding more weight divisions, and growing interest internationally, there was a lot has changed since the we started, but many of the same themes are still there. Continue reading Watch “Female Fighting: The Time is Now” Documentary→
As I explained in my open letter, I am looking to change Wombat Sports to what it was initially meant to be. I can’t do this on my own, and that;s where you come in.
We are looking for contributors to help with writing articles and covering certain combat sports. You would also get to interview talented athletes in those sports.
The main contributors we are looking for is in women’s boxing, Muay Thai, freestyle wrestling, and BJJ. (We already have some people interested in covering the WMMA portion of the site). The cool things is I have the tools to gain news and info for these sports, just not the time to write it up. You can “learn on the job” if you aren’t an expert on these topics; but being curious is the key thing.
Amber Leibrock will battle Paola Ramirez in the featherweight final, while Felicia Spencer will fight Jessica Richer in the lightweight final. All made weight.
Leibrock (2-1) was a last minute replacement in the tournament and got a 25 second TKO win in her semi-final contest with Pam Sorenson. Undefeated Ramirez (4-0) won an unanimous decision over Heather Wilson in the other semi-final. They will be the co-main event of the evening.
Spencer & Richer Courtesy Ray Kasprowicz/Ultra Vista
Spencer (4-1) submitted Leanne Foster with an armbar to send her to the 155 final. Jessica Eve Richer (3-0) would get an unanimous decision to her place in the final. The match will serve as the main event.
The WMMA Press committee will from time to time on a deserving basis give out the “Legacy Award” to honor an individual who has helped shape and pioneer women’s MMA.
This year we will give that honor to Barry Meyer (posthumously), who helped run Tuff-n-uff MMA helping develop female amateur mixed martial arts and helped create stars such as Ronda Rousey.
Meyer started the promotion in 1994 but would hold his first amateur MMA event in 2003. He held what would be one of the first all female amateur events in July 2009. Since then, Tuff-n-uff has helped groom Rousey, Marina Shafir, Tonya Evinger, Jessamyn Duke, the Lybarger twins, among others to become stars in MMA.
He also was instrumental in helping Mia Hayes fight for the promotion. Hayes, a cancer patient, wanted to live the dream of being a mma fighter, and Meyer was able to set up a fight under the Tuff-n-uff banner. Meyer established the “Might Mia” Inspirational Fighter of the Year award, an award the WMMA Press has also adopted.
Meyer passed in 2013 but his legacy still continues with his brother Jeff, who has established tournaments to help develop stars for Invicta.
Barry Meyer touch so many involved in the women’s divisions that he more than deserves to be our Legacy Award winner this year.
Left to Right – Tom Madsen (IMMAF) Sarah Jamilia (DEN), Aleksandra Milczarek (POL), Lucrezia Ria (ITA), Nicole Brown (USA), Erika Mattsson (IMMAF)
The International MMA Federation has announced the dates for its second amateur world championships.
The event will once again be held in Las Vegas, Nevada during the week of the UFC Expo, July 7-12. The federation will again team up with Tuff-n-uff for the four day tournament which features fighters from across the planet.
The first event saw 23 countries represented and crowned four female champions last year. The hope is more countries will field teams and increase participation, especially in the female ranks.
More news about team qualifications will be announced soon at IMMAF.org.
Yesica Patricia Marcos defeats Estrella Valverde at 1:48 round 1 to retain the WBA World super bantamweight title in Mendoza, Argentina
In Trnava, Slovakia, Zita Zatyko defeats Szilvia Szabados by unanimous decision to win the vacant WBF super middleweight title
Ronda Rousey versus Cat Zingano has been moved to February 28.
UFC President Dana White made the announcement this week of the change of date, which was originally set for January 3rd. The match will now co-main event the UFC 184 pay per view in Los Angeles, the hometown of champion Rousey.
The Ultimate Fight Finale will feature all but Justine Kish competing in December 12 in Las Vegas. Most of the matches won’t be announced till the week before the finale.
UFC fighter Bethe Correia sustained a minor eye injury and won’t be available to compete until February.
InvictaFC president Shannon Knapp told MMA Mayhem Radio she will do all in her power to help Cyborg Justino get her a match with Ronda Rousey.
Cyborg seems to be “on schedule” for her cut to 135 for her match December 10 at Invicta.
Tabby Patterson announced her next fight will be against Cara Jo Wesemann at Gladiator Fighting Association in Topeka, KS for their amateur bantamweight title November 13th.
Moeller
With Leah Letson turning pro, Florina Moeller will step up to take part of the Tuff-n-uff/InvictaFC featherweight tournament next weekend.
We will talk to Moeller on the Wombat Sports podcast Sunday to discuss preparing for her first semi-final match and her career as a fighter.
Amateur strawweight standout Kali Robbins will make her pro debut At Super Brawl in Milwaukee January 23rd.
USA Olympic wrestler Adeline Gray stated in a recent article she is looking to pursue a MMA career after the 2016 Olympics. She won’t start serious training until after then.
Scheduled Matches
Inoue and Kowalkiewicz Courtesy Scott Hirano/ InvictaFC
Pro MMA
InvictaFC 9 is this weekend with nine scheduled bouts Saturday night in Davenport, Iowa; streaming on UFC Fight Pass at 8 p.m. central time.
Shortly after, come back to Wombat Sports and we’ll have the post-fight presser stream.
Also Saturday night, XFCi will start its season season strawweight tournament in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The will stream on XFCMMA.com starting at 10:30 est/7:30 pst.
Strawweight tournament Quarterfinals
Marcela Yineris vs Liana Ferreira Pirosin (115)
Marina Moroz vs Karine Silva (115)
Dora Perjes vs Luana Santos Medeiros (115)
Fernanda Priscila Barros Pinheiro vs Viviane Pereira (115)
In the co-main event, Julie Werner and Iryna Shaparenko will square off in a non-tournament bout.
In a rare Monday event, DEEP-JEWELS will hold it’s sixth card in Tokyo, Japan. The main event will feature atomweight champion Seo Hee Ham defending her belt against Saori Ishioka.
In other fights on the card:
Emi Fujino vs Ayaka Miura (115)
Shizuka Sugiyama vs Yurika Nakakura (135)
Tomo Maesawa vs Yuko “Amiba” Oya (115)
Satomi “Sarami” Takano vs Mina Kurobe (105)
Yukiko Seki vs. Naomi Taniyama (105)
Brittany Ann Decker vs. Pan Hui (105)
Cage Warriors happens Saturday morning in Newcastle, England as Irene Cabello takes on Vanessa Reinsch in an atomweight bout. The fight will be part of the non-streamed prelims.
In other pro bouts:
At FWC 19 in Nerang, Queensland, Australia, Lana Kate takjes on Zoie Shreiweis
Jaymee Jones battles Krystal McGuire in Tulsa, OK at XFN 21
At XFC Australia in Mansfield, Queensland, Terissa Wall faces Helen Malone
Katelyn Dykas fights Taylor Turner at Valor Fights in Pigeon Forge, TN
At AFC 13 in Brazil Claudia Rey takes on Yelka Torres
Ana Karla Morais faces Werônica Medeiros at NFA inTrindade, Goias, Brazil
Ammy MMA
In amateur MMA:
At Clan Wars in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Leah McCourt faces Aoifé Murphy
Hannah Sears battles Hannah Elswick at King of Jacksonville – Jacksonville, North Carolina
At Cage Wars in Albany, New York, Amanda Brundige fights Brittany Ehntholt
In a pair of bouts at Gladius Fights in Ithaca, New York, Janice Meyer takes on Fernanda Araujo and Kate Riley battles Casey Garland (150)
Stephanie Hull faces Cassie Schmeekle at Shofights in Branson, MO
At Destiny Na Koa in Honolulu, Hawaii, Angela Lee takes on Audrey Perkins
Boxing
Eva Voraberger will look to defend her WIBF and WBF super flyweight title as she faces Renata Domsodi in Vienna, Austria.
Voraberger (18-3) has won back to back since her last loss, and has 9 KOs to her credit. She won the titles in June.
Domsodi (12-5) is the current WBF International and UBO international bantamweight champion and had 5 KOs to her credit.
Yuko Kuroki will defend her WBC minimumweight title for the first time as she takes on Katia Gutierrez in Fukuoka, Japan.
Kuroki (11-4-1) is unbeaten in her past three fights and won the title in June. Gutierrez is the former IBF world minimumweight champion eight of her last 9 fights.
On other boxing action:
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ruth Stephanie Aquino takes on Laura Martinez
Viviane Obenauf battles Zsofia Bedo in Berne, Switzerland
In Hamilton, Bermuda, Teresa Perozzi faces Kali Reis
Felice Moncelli fights Sasa Janjic in Lazio, Italy
