Women's MMA Report: Namajunas' return delayed, Calderwood faces Rawlings in Glasgow

“The Ultimate Fighter 20” finalist Rose Namajunas’ long-awaited return to the octagon was delayed when her planned strawweight bout was scrapped mere hours before she was scheduled to compete this past Saturday night.

Namajunas (2-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had been set to face off against Nina Ansaroff (6-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at “UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier” in Las Vegas, but Ansaroff missed weight by four pounds and was pulled from the fight due to influenza.

Namajunas became a breakout star during “TUF 20” this past year. She submitted Alex Chambers, Joanne Calderwood and Randa Markos in succession to earn a spot in the historic “TUF 20” final opposite Carla Esparza in December. Esparza prevailed via third-round rear-naked choke to become the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight champion, but Namajunas’ impressive run on the show earned her respect from her peers and a wealth of new fans.

For Namajunas, Saturday’s bout served as an opportunity to get right back into title contention with a victory, but troubles began at the official weigh-ins when Ansaroff came in well over the limit at 120 pounds. The bout proceeded as a catchweight, but Ansaroff was subsequently removed from the card on event day due to flu-like symptoms. Both fighters expressed a desire to compete again as quickly as possible, though it remains to be seen whether the Namajunas-Ansaroff fight will be rebooked or whether UFC officials will seek out new opponents for both.

One positive from Saturday’s scrapped fight was that Namajunas was still paid both her show and win money for making weight and being ready to compete. That amounted to a total of $50,000 – a solid figure for a fighter with just one official UFC bout on her record – plus an additional $2000 from Ansaroff’s fight purse due to the latter’s inability to make weight.

Rawlings finishes Ellis, next meets Calderwood at UFC Fight Night 72

Outspoken “TUF 20” competitor Bec Rawlings (6-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) notched her first UFC victory in front of a partisan crowd on May 10 at “UFC Fight Night 65: Miocic vs. Hunt” in Adelaide, South Australia. Rawlings survived an early submission scare from Lisa Ellis (15-10 MMA, 0-2 UFC) and ultimately finished the struggling veteran with a rear-naked choke at the 4:09 mark of Round 1.

Rawlings won’t have much time to savor her first UFC win, however. She has already signed on to face hard-hitting strawweight contender Joanne Calderwood (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in a featured matchup at “UFC Fight Night 72: Bisping vs. Leites,” which takes place on July 18 in Calderwood’s hometown of Glasgow, Scotland.

Rawlings and Calderwood were initially slated to face off at Invicta FC 4 in early 2013, but the card underwent a number of late changes due to injuries. Rawlings was propelled into a main event title fight and dropped a five-round decision to Carla Esparza. Calderwood received a last-minute replacement opponent and defeated Livia von Plettenberg.

More than two and a half years after they were first set to square off inside the Invicta FC cage, Rawlings and Calderwood will finally clash inside the UFC octagon in July. The long-awaited grudge match is expected to be featured prominently on the UFC Fight Night 72 main card.

Rawlings was not the only Aussie strawweight to earn a victory at UFC Fight Night 65 earlier this month. Alex Chambers (5-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) rallied back from the brink of defeat and submitted Hawaiian prospect Kailin Curran (3-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) with a thrilling third-round armbar. Curran was in complete control of the fight the opening 10 minutes and she battered Chambers with strikes on the feet and on the ground. Chambers never gave up, and she transitioned from a kimura to a fight-ending armbar that forced a dejected Curran to submit at the 3:15 mark of Round 3. The stunning comeback victory earned Chambers a $50,000 performance bonus.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Jessica Penne headlines UFC Fight Night 69

Newly crowned UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) makes the first defense of her title on June 20 at “UFC Fight Night 69: Jedrzejczyk vs. Penne” in Berlin. Jedrzejczyk, who captured the championship by knocking out Carla Esparza at UFC 185, meets former Invicta FC champ Jessica Penne (12-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in the main event.

Jedrzejczyk has enjoyed a quick rise to fame in the UFC since making her octagon debut on short notice in July. After posting back-to-back wins over Brazilian foes Juliana de Lima Carneiro and Claudia Gadelha, Jedrzejczyk made the most of her title shot in March by destroying Esparza to become the new 115-pound women’s champion.

Penne made history in October 2012 when she captured the inaugural Invicta FC atomweight championship at Invicta FC 3. She lost the title to recent UFC signee Michelle Waterson in her first defense, but rebounded with one more victory for the promotion before joining the all-female “TUF 20” cast this past year. Penne’s run on the show ended in the semifinals, but she won her official UFC debut by defeating fellow semifinalist Randa Markos at the TUF 20 Finale.

Originally, Penne had been set to battle the aforementioned Juliana de Lima Carneiro (7-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) this Saturday night at “UFC Fight Night 67: Condit vs. Alves” in Goiania, Goias, Brazil. With Penne now matched up against Jedrzejczyk next month, Lima will instead face off against undefeated Jungle Fight champion Ericka Almeida (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who has finished all seven of her opponents to date and is one of the division’s top prospects.

Sarah Moras returns to face Jessica Andrade at UFC Fight Night 71

Following a year-long hiatus, “TUF 18” semifinalist Sarah Moras (4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) returns to the octagon on July 15 at “UFC Fight Night 71: Mir vs. Duffee” in San Diego. Moras is set to battle Brazilian rising star Jessica Andrade (12-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) in bantamweight action.

Moras advanced to the “TUF 18” semifinals in 2013 with key wins over Tara LaRosa and Peggy Morgan before succumbing to a second-round guillotine choke from eventual winner Julianna Pena. Moras had previously defeated Pena in the pair’s first fight in April 2012. Sidelined due to injuries, Moras did not make her official UFC debut until this past July when she eked out a razor-thin unanimous-decision victory over Alexis Dufresne at the TUF 19 Finale.

Andrade rebounded from a loss to former UFC title challenger Liz Carmouche in her July 2013 UFC debut by racking up three straight victories en route to becoming one of the bantamweight division’s fastest rising stars. The 23-year-old appeared to be on the cusp of title contention until she was upset by Marion Reneau at UFC Fight Night 61 in February. She now looks to get back on track with a victory in July.

Kinberly Novaes captures strawweight title at Noxii Combat 1

Competing for the first time since August 2013, top Brazilian prospect Kinberly Novaes (8-2) earned one of her biggest wins to date on May 17 at Noxii Combat 1 in her hometown of Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Novaes defeated MMA Super Heroes tournament winner Renata Baldan (4-2) to become Noxii Combat women’s strawweight champion.

Novaes showcased her formidable striking skills in Round 1 and she scored with some nice knees and elbows in the clinch. The pace slowed somewhat in the middle stanza, and Baldan defended well from her back after trying unsuccessfully to finish the fight with a guillotine choke. Novaes rocked her with a one-two early in Round 3 and kept the pressure on with more punches, knees and takedowns until the end of the fight. All three judges scored the bout for Novaes, who took the unanimous-decision victory and walked away with the title.

Earlier on the card, Caroline Correia (2-1) edged out Diana Torquato (1-3) via split decision in an entertaining strawweight bout that was primarily contested on the feet. After an early exchange of kicks and punches, Correia dropped Torquato with a right hook and she finished the round by landing ground and pound. Torquato fared much better on the feet in Rounds 2 and 3, and she landed some solid kicks to the body, but Correia scored key takedowns and nullified Torquato’s offense by clinching. One judge scored the fight for Torquato, while the remaining two both sided with Correia.

Undefeated knockout artist Taila Santos (10-0) continued her string of victories over outmatched opponents by easily finishing Ana Paula da Silva (0-1). She took da Silva down in the opening minute and dropped punches and elbows from mount position. Da Silva covered up and Santos continued to throw punches until the bout was waved off at the 2:12 mark of Round 1. Santos fought and won again six days later. She has already won six fights in 2015 and only one of her 10 pro bouts has gone the distance.

Quick results

Catchweight (132) – Jingnan Xiong (5-0) def. Viktoria Hodymchuk (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 1:43 mark of Round 1 at “Kunlun Fight 23: The Battle of Changsha” on April 26 in Changsha, Hunan, China. Xiong has knocked out or submitted all five of her MMA opponents to date including four in the first round. She is one of the top female stars on the Kunlun Fight roster.

Catchweight (132) – Montserrat Alvarez Cienfuegos Tendilla (1-1) def. Nirvana Barron Lugo (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 2:18 mark of Round 1 at Maximum Cage Fighting on April 29 in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Tendilla was competing for the first time since October 2013 and earned her first pro win in the fight.

Flyweight – Emiko Raika (1-2) def. Sayako Fujita (0-1) via KO (punch) at the 2:14 mark of Round 1 at “Real Fight Championship 2: Zone & Real 2” on May 2 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. Multi-time boxing champion Raika rebounded from setbacks in her first two MMA bouts by scoring a devastating knockout win.

Catchweight (139) – Ji Yeon Kim (3-0-2) def. Hatice Ozyurt (1-3) via submission (armbar) at the 1:14 mark of Round 2 at Road Fighting Championship 23 on May 2 in Seoul. Kim dominated Round 1 on the mat with ground and pound and submission attempts. Ozyurt stunned her with punches early in Round 2, but Kim reversed a takedown and transitioned to the fight-ending armbar. She will challenge Takayo Hashi for the Deep Jewels middleweight championship in August.

Strawweight – Earlier on the Road FC 23 card, Emi Fujino (16-8) def. late replacement Jeong Eun Park (0-1) via majority decision (20-18, 20-18, 19-19) after two rounds. Park, an 18-year-old newcomer who took the fight on short notice in place of an injured Hyo Kyung Song, put forth an excellent showing in defeat against the much more experienced Fujino. On the feet, Park appeared to hold an edge in the striking exchanges, but Fujino scored crucial takedowns in both rounds that led to submission attempts. Her ground control earned her a narrow decision win.

Welterweight – Stacy Hayes (1-2) def. Claire Smith (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 2:08 mark of Round 1 at Ultimate Challenge MMA 43 on May 2 in London. Hayes was competing for only the second time since a February 2012 win that was later overturned to a no contest when she assaulted her opponent after the fight had ended. With the stoppage of Smith, Hayes at last attained her first pro MMA victory.

Catchweight (120) – Jaimelene Nievera (2-1) def. Kameron Perkins (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 3:55 mark of Round 3 at “Tachi Palace Fights 23: Cinco de Mayhem” on May 7 in Lemoore, Calif. Nievera has earned submission finishes in both of her pro wins.

Bantamweight – Brooksie Bayard (1-1) def. Sha Whittington (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) in Round 1 at “USA MMA: Friday Night Fights” on May 8 in Lafayette, La. Bayard bounced back from a decision loss in her March 2014 pro debut with the quick victory.

Catchweight (110) – Jenny Huang (1-0) def. Daizy Singh (3-1) via unanimous decision at Pacific Rim Organized Fighting 10 on May 9 in Taipei, Taiwan. Huang kicked off her pro MMA career with a big victory over Super Fight League veteran Singh, who tasted defeat for the first time.

Flyweight – Katlyn Chookagian (4-0) def. Melinda Fabian (1-1) via submission (armbar) at the 4:33 mark of Round 1 at “Premium MMA Liga: Hungarian Fight Championship 9” on May 9 in Budapest. This was Chookagian’s second victory in one night. The submission win earned her the HFC women’s flyweight tournament championship.

Flyweight – Earlier on the HFC 9 card, Chookagian def. Linn Wennergren (2-2) via unanimous decision, and Fabian def. Barbora Polakova (0-2) via submission (armbar) at the 3:34 mark of Round 1 in tournament semifinal bouts.

Flyweight – Paula Vieira da Silva (3-2) def. Wellen Taynara (0-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 2:32 mark of Round 1 at MMA Sanda Combat 2 on May 9 in Apucarana, Parana, Brazil. Vieira da Silva rebounded from her first professional loss with the submission victory and competed again just one week later.

Flyweight – Gisele Moreira (3-1) def. Priscila de Souza (8-5) via unanimous decision at Nitrix Champion Fight 23 on May 9 in Balneario Camboriu, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Moreira has won three straight fights since suffering a knockout loss in her October 2013 pro debut.

Strawweight – Thaiane Souza (2-2) def. Jessica Suelem Doelle (2-6) via split decision at Marau Fight 2 on May 9 in Marau, Bahia, Brazil. Souza has won back-to-back fights this year since returning to the sport following a lengthy hiatus.

Bantamweight – Amanda Oliveira de Lemos (3-0) def. Debora Dias Nascimento (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 3:23 mark of Round 1 at Jungle Fight 77 on May 9 in Foz do Iguacu, Parana, Brazil. Oliveira de Lemos has knocked out all three of her pro opponents in the first round.

Catchweight (130) – Katy Collins (1-0) def. Katherine Farrow (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 1:29 mark of Round 1 at “Rumble Time Promotions/ShoFight: Branson Brawl” on May 9 in Branson, Mo. This bout was a rematch from the pair’s first fight as amateurs, which Collins also won via first-round TKO. She made a successful pro debut with the victory.

Lightweight – Jessica Hoy (1-0) def. Jessica Eve Richer (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 1:54 mark of Round 3 at “Combat Games MMA: Battle at the Bay 11” on May 9 in Anacortes, Wash. Hoy spoiled the professional debut of experienced amateur Richer, who was overwhelmed by Hoy’s strikes in the third round.

Bantamweight – Ilara Joanne (2-2) def. Regina Pereira (1-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 18-second mark of Round 1 at “Limo Fight Championship 15: Fortaleza” on May 14 in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. Joanne has earned first-round finishes in each of her past two fights.

Catchweight (120) – Tara LaRosa (22-5) def. Katie Howard (3-5-1) via unanimous decision at “Fusion Fight League: Epic Evolution” on May 15 in Billings, Mont. Howard got off to a strong start on the feet in Round 1, but LaRosa took control of the fight in the final 10 minutes and halted a three-fight losing skid with the much-needed victory.

Catchweight (110) – Also on the Fusion Fight League card, Kyra Batara (2-2) def. Celine Haga (6-13) via unanimous decision. Much like LaRosa did in her main event bout, Batara took back control of her fight with Haga by dominating the final two rounds. She blasted Haga with hard ground and pound in Round 3 to seal her victory on the scorecards.

Featherweight – Arlene Blencowe (6-4) def. Adrienna Jenkins (18-6) via TKO (punches) at the 4:08 mark of Round 1 at “Bellator 137: Halsey vs. Grove” on May 15 in Temecula, Calif. Australian standout Blencowe extended her winning streak to four and made a successful Bellator debut with the first-round finish. She previously handed Invicta FC contender Faith Van Duin her lone career defeat in August.

Bantamweight – Mariam Khalilova (1-1) def. Viktoria Sklyarova (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 4:08 mark of Round 1 at “Fight Nights: Fight Club 7” on May 16 in Moscow, Russia. Khalilova earned her first pro win in the fight after dropping her debut in March.

Flyweight – Also on the Fight Club 7 card, Iryna Shaparenko (9-2) def. Anzhelika Bakarova (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 50-second mark of Round 1. Ukrainian prospect Shaparenko has won three straight bouts since she was defeated by Juliana Werner at XFC International 7.

Flyweight – Liliya Kazak (4-3-1) def. Suvi Salmimies (3-1-1) via submission (armbar) at the 1:42 mark of Round 1 at Cage 30 on May 16 in Helsinki. Since losing to current UFC champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk in late 2012, Kazak has won four of her past five fights. In addition to handing Salmimies her first pro loss, Kazak has also scored notable stoppage wins over Lena Ovchynnikova and China’s top female MMA fighter, Jin Tang.

Bantamweight – Lina Akhtar Lansberg (4-1) def. Alexandra Buch (8-4) via TKO (punches and elbows) at the 2:33 mark of Round 1 at “Superior Challenge 12: Malmo 2” on May 16 in Malmo, Sweden. Lansberg has knocked out three straight opponents and she is one of the top female prospects in Europe today. Her lone defeat came very late in her December 2012 pro debut against undefeated Cage Warriors champion and recent Invicta FC signee Pannie Kianzad.

Flyweight – Debora Ferreira (5-1) def. Paula Vieira da Silva (3-2) via TKO (knees and punches) at the 3:06 mark of Round 1 at JVT Championship 8 on May 16 in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Ferreira rebounded from her first pro loss with her fourth knockout victory.

Strawweight – Elsewhere on the JVT Championship 8 card, Carolina Karasek (4-1) def. Claudia Vasconcellos (0-2) via submission (armbar) at the 4:03 mark of Round 1. Karasek also got back on the winning track following her first professional setback one year prior.

Strawweight – Virna Jandiroba (4-0) def. Carla Ramos (0-1) via submission (triangle choke) at the 1:50 mark of Round 1 at Banzay Fight Championship 2 on May 16 in Candeias, Bahia, Brazil. Jandiroba has submitted all four of her professional opponents. She previously finished Camila Lima with a second-round rear-naked choke in November.

Bantamweight – Rosy Duarte (8-2) def. Elaine Albuquerque (9-5) via unanimous decision at “Brabos Combat 1: Albuquerque vs. Duarte” on May 16 in Sao Miguel dos Campos, Alagoas, Brazil. Duarte has put together an impressive five-fight winning streak that includes a January 2014 decision victory over XFC International contender Antonia Silvaneide da Silva.

Strawweight – Elaineleal Cris (1-0) def. Kenya Miranda da Silva (1-2) via unanimous decision at War of Champions 4 on May 16 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Cris made a successful pro debut in the fight, which was marred by allegations of biting from da Silva.

Strawweight – Kali Robbins (2-0) def. Priscilla Brownfield (1-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 1:10 mark of Round 1 at “Driller Promotions: No Mercy 4” on May 16 in Detroit Lakes, Minn. Robbins followed up on her successful pro debut for RFA in March by scoring another impressive submission victory.

Strawweight – Angela Lee (1-0) def. Aya Saeid Saber (3-6) via submission (armbar) at the 1:43 mark of Round 1 at “ONE Championship 27: Warrior’s Quest” on May 22 in Kallang, Singapore. At just 18 years of age, Lee impressed many onlookers with her quick and dominant victory. She mounted Saber and flurried with punches before dropping back for the fight-ending armbar.

MMAjunkie.com publishes the Women’s MMA Report every few weeks. Its author, Robert Sargent, is a veteran MMA journalist who also runs MMARising.com. Feel free to email us at news [AT] mmajunkie.com with any questions, news tips or suggestions.