The match many fans were waiting for has been put off again.
Bec Rawlings was expected to face Joanna Calderwood in a grudge match in Calderwood’s home country of Scotland at UFC Fight Night July 18th, but Rawlings has gotten an injury while training and is off the card. XFC and Tuff-n-uff vet Cortney Casey-Sanchez has stepped up on eight days notice to take the fight. The UFC UK announced the fight Thursday night.
Casey (4-1) had a stellar amateur career having won the Tuff-n-uff strawweight title by a highlight reel flying armbar. She entered the pro ranks defeating Kelly Warren. She would come up short against Pearl Gonzales for the XFC title, but won three straight for PXC MMA. All of her wins were by first round finish.
The match will be a part of the main card and will air on UFC Fight Pass July 18th.
The fight that was supposed to happen at InvictaFC 4 will now take place in the UFC.
The promotion announced Scotland’s own Joanne Calderwood will face Bec Rawlings at the UFC’s debut in Calderwood’s home country July 18th in Glasgow.
Calderwood (9-1) suffered her first official loss by armbar to undefeated Maryna Moroz. Calderwood would win her official UFC debut by defeating former JEWELS champion Seo Hee Ham,. This will be the first time since 2013 she has fought in her home country.
Rawlings (6-4) is coming off a win in her home country, getting the submission over Lisa Ellis. She snapped a two fight losing streak with the win.
The match will air on Fox Sports 1 and will most likely be the co-main event of the card.
The 5-0 fighter was signed to the promotion this past week and will face fellow undefeated fighter Joanne Calderwood at UFC’s card in Poland April 11th.
Moroz has finished in all of her wins, never seeing the third round; three of her wins by submission. Moroz was supposed to take part in the semi-finals of the XFCi strawweight tournament March 15th but the promotion announced they will find a replacement. No word on if the XFCi’s contract was bought out or they will sue for breach.
Calderwood (9-0) win her official UFC debut over Seo Hee Ham after losing in the quarterfinals of the TUF 20 tournament.
The match is expected to stream on UFC Fight Pass April 11th.
After an eventful 2014, Joanne Calderwood was voted the WMMA Press Awards “Fan Favorite Fight of the Year”. This was the only award that was voted by the public.
Calderwood took the award with 15% of the vote, with Tonya Evinger (11%) and Ronda Rousey (10%) taking second and third respectfully.
The Scottish standout was a contestant on “The Ultimate Fighter 20” and is still undefeated in her MMA career.
We talked to Calderword about winning the award and her 2014.
Wombat Sports: Congratulations on winning WMMA Press Awards “Fan Favorite Fighter”. What does it mean to you to have the fans behind you for this award?
Joanne Calderwood: To be honest it is a surprise, I didn’t know about the voting and hadn’t asked my fans to vote. So I’m really grateful for the people who voted for me and I hope I can continue doing what I do and promoting myself as the fighter I am inside the cage and out.
Wombat: During when TUF 20 aired, you got a lot more exposure to MMA fans who don’t follow the women’s divisions closely. How was it for you to see more people get to see you as a person and as a fighter?
Calderwood: I was really excited for this because I know a lot of the UFC fans are proper hardcore fight fans, so I knew they’d like me cause I am focused and determined and all I care about is fighting.
W.S.: You are coming off a win over Seo Hee Ham in youjr official UFC debut. What was it like for you to go down to the octagon for the first time in front of an UFC crowd?
J.C.: It was a shorter walk than I imagined but I just thought about all the walks to the gym and up those 5 flights of stairs that had me prepared for this fight and under the same roof as my team and under the watchful eye of my coach James Doolan I felt blessed and relieved that the TUF experience was done.
W.S.: I remember when we talked for the first time when you were campaigning to have the local Scottish government to allow you to fight your first MMA bout. Could you have imagined then you would be undefeated and in the UFC?
J.C.: Awesome memory I knew I would still be doing it whether they allowed it or not lol. I didn’t know my journey then I just knew I’d be working my ass off to keep improving as a mixed martial artist and looking to fight the best.
W.S.: Think a lot of fans are looking forward to your next time in the octagon. Anything you’d like to add/thank?
J.C.: Yea hopefully I will have something soon it already feels like ages ago I just wanna get back in there. Thank you to everyone that voted and to my fans that are truly awesome. Thanks for the award, my first award I got from you is framed and still up in the gym proudly.
In pro MMA at PeruFC, Mariana Moraes defeated Cristina Mejía by unanimous decision
In boxing in New York, New York, Heather Hardy defeated Elizabeth Anderson by unanimous decision.
In action Thursday at Circuito Team Nogueira in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Juliana Velasquez defeats Priscila de Souza by unanimous decision in a pro MMA bout. In amateur action, Karoline Martins defeated Nicole Ball by knockout.
At OneFC Friday morning, Ana Julaton defeated Walaa Abas by unanimous decision and Jujeath Nagaowa defeated Tharoth Sam by TKO round 2.
Justino
Cyborg Justino has given up on going to 135 for now.
The InvictaFC featherweight stated to MMA Fighting her injury has delayed the cut and she is questioning if she can even make 135.
The plan is for Justino to defend her 145 title at InvictaFC’s 11th event in February. We are expecting an announcement Friday night during InvictaFC 10 on the location and opponent.
On Wednesday’s episode of TUF 20, two fighters advanced to set the semi-finals.
Former InvictaFC champion Carla Esparza defeated Tecia Torres in a grudge match. Esparza’s wrestling is what gave her the edge in the majority decision win. Esparza will face another former InvictaFC champion in Jessica Penne in the semi-finals.
The other semi-final saw Rose Namajunas submit Joanne Calderwood by kimura. Namajunas used her bjj skills to attack Calderwood. Calderwood tried to make up ground with strikes in round two, but Namajunas was able to get the kimura on the ground to get tap. This was the first time Calderwood was submitted in an MMA competition. Namajunas will face Randa Markos in the semi-finals.
V3 has announce an amateur bantamweight title match in Memphis for January 24 pitting two top amateur prospects.
We have us a challenger for the undisputed V3 female champ, Amberlynn Orr (8-1) will take on Alyssa Vasquez (6-4).
It will most likely be streamed and we will have more info closer to the event.
Gina Carano made a visit to the CSA gym in Dublin, CA this past week. CSA is home gym to Alexis Davis, Zoila Gurgel, and Miriam Nakamoto among others. She was just visiting there and not there to train, at least no seriously.
On the podcast Sunday at 1 p.m. pst/4 p.m. est, we will talk to InvictaFC’s Marion Reneau, who was supposed to be fighting Friday night. We will review the action from the card, and her aspirations in the promotion.
Rose Namajunas has brought in RFA star Kyra Batara into training camp. Batara, an atomweight star, comes from a solid wrestling background. (Hint hint!)
We should be expecting some female bout announcements in the next few weeks from the UFC. Holly Holm says she will be ready to go come February, and TUF 18 winner Juliana Pena in March.
Sarah Kaufman is now challenging Jessica Andrade to a fight her next.
On Saturday, undefeated Ashlee Evans-Smith will make her UFC debut taking on Raquel Pennington in Las Vegas. Both Smith (135.5) and Pennington (136) made weight.
Smith (3-0) won the CSA featherweight tournament last year and soon signed to the World Series of Fighting. She got the TKO over Marciea Allen in June and was waiting for another fight. She was released from the WSOF just as the UFC offer came around.
TUF 18 vet Pennington (4-4) is coming off a close loss to Jessica Andrade this past March. Pennington won her official UFC debut with a decision over Roxanne Modafferi.
The fight will kick off the UFC televised prelims on Fox Sports 1.
MMA Super Heroes will close its year with two female bouts.
Tournament champion Renata Baldan is lookig to recover from her first loss as she takes on Luciana Treze. Also, Karina Santana de Oliveira takes on Mariana Leonardo in a flyweight bout.
In other pro bouts:
At Roshambo in Australia, Megan Anderson takes on Zoie Shreiweis
Ariel Beck faces Angela Hayes at Fightforce on Butte, MT
At Maringá Combat in Maringa, Parana, Brazil, Hevellyn Moura battles Hilana Rezende
Jessica Zomchik fights Stacey Sigala at Gladiators of the Cage in Pittsburgh, PA. In amateur action, Jena Baldwin takes on Jamie Driver and Melissa Gasdick faces Sarah Click
Ammy MMA
In amateur MMA:
At Conflict MMA in Hardeeville, SC, Jenna Fox faces Annie DeCresente
At SGB in Ireland, Jaye Hayes battles Sinead Kavanagh
In a pair of bouts at British Challenge MMA in Colchester, Essex, England, Jaye Haynes fights Sinead Kavanagh and Wendy McKenna faces Ameesha Bhudia (125)
At Cowboy Extreme Fighting in San Antonio, Texas, Dominique Gallegher-Gonzales takes on Stephanie Builderback and Laurie Ashby battles Brandi Narvaez (115)
In a pair of bouts at Rumble at the Roseland in Portland, OR, Chun Yang fights Hailea Brooks and Kalyn Schwartz takes on Lisa Spangler
Yumi Matsumoto faces Danielle Alfapada at King of the Cage in Las Vegas, Nevada
At Matrix Fights in Philadelphia, PA, Serena DeJesus battles Amanda Kramny
Victoria Franco fights Makana Clemons at Kingdom 3 in Houston, TX
Boxing
Undefeated Nicole Wesner will look for her first world titles as she takes on Gina Chamie for the vacant WIBF and vacant WBF lightweight title in Vienna, Austria.
Wesbner (8-0) has only started as a pro two years ago, but has stayed active on her run to a title match. Chamie is the former WBC Youth lightweight title holder.
WBC World flyweight champion Shindo Go will look to defend her title for the third time as she takes on Arely Mucino in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.
Go (14-2) is on a four fight win streak and has 9 KOs to her credit. She has yet to be stopped. Mucino (20-2) if the former interim WBA and IBF World flyweight champion .
In Sonora, Mexico, Jackie Nava will defend her WBC and WBA super bantamweight title against Sayda Mosquera.
Nava (30-4) won her past seven fights, gaining the belts along the way. Undefeated Sayda Mosquera (7-0) is the current WBC Latino female bantamweight champion
In Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Sonya Lamonakis and Carlette Ewell will fight in a rematch for the vacant IBO World heavyweight title. The two faced each other in 2012 and fought to a draw.
Lamonakis (9-1-2) is coming off back to back wins and is the current New York State heavyweight title. Ewell (15-7-1) is returning after a two year absence since her draw with Ewell.
Karine Rinaldo will defend her EBU female super bantamweight title against Nevenka Mikulic in Corse-du-Sud, France.
Rinaldo (10-1-1) won the vacant title this past June with a TKO win over Marianna Gulyas. Mikulic (4-2-1) has finished in all but one of wins.
In other boxing bouts:
In a pair of bouts in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, Vanesa del Valle Calderon takes on Valeria Almiron and Valeria Vanesa Gramajo faces Natalia Vanesa Lopez
Shelly Gibson battles Simone Hoyte in Georgetown, Guyana
In Emilia Romagna, Italy, Simona Galassi fights Evgeniya Zablotskaya
In a pair of bouts in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Jelena Mrdjenovich dukes it out with Pasa Malagic and Kandi Wyatt takes on Lita Mae Button
Sabrina Giuliani faces Farida El Hadrati in Puy-de-Dôme, France
In Differdange, Luxembourg, Caroline Thea Andre battles Gabriella Vetro
The match many fans were waiting for has been put off again.
Wombat Sports 