Weekly Women’s MMA Wrap-Up

Welcome to the second edition of my column, focusing on all things female MMA. There are very few fight updates this week. The one female MMA bout that took place was at Cage Combat FC on Saturday July 18th, where Jaime Seaton delivered an upset against Emily “Timebomb” Thompson, winning by unanimous decision. Although April “the Princess” Coutino was set to fight Jennifer Scott the same night for Urban Rumble Championship 5, sources close to MMA Opinion report that one of the fighters pulled out due to injury.

But the big news this week is that Tara LaRosa (17-1) has agreed to headline Bellator’s 125 lb. four-woman tournament. LaRosa hopes to continue her 14-fight winning streak at 125 lbs., which is 10 lbs lower than most of the fights in her career. Although LaRosa has only verbally committed to the tournament, names of potential opponents are already flying around. Rosi Sexton (10-1) formerly of Straight Blast Gym UK, made her Bellator debut this past June with a 1st-round submission win (armbar) over Valerie Coolbaugh. Widely regarded as the best 125 lb fighter in the world, Sexton has three fights left on her contract with Bellator , making it quite likely that Sexton will be involved in the tournament. A LaRosa vs. Sexton fight would be absolutely amazing, and luckily LaRosa is on  Rosi Sexton’s hitlist.

American Top Team’s Jessica Aguilar (5-2), who was scheduled to fight Sexton twice but pulled out both times due to injury, is also contracted with Bellator. Japanese fighter Rin Nakai (5-0) has had her name tossed around the internets as a potential competitor. And what four-woman 125# tournament would be complete without the amazing Megumi Fujii (18-0)? Although Fujii normally fights at 115, she has been known to beat the doggy dog doo out of much larger opponents when necessary. Whoever Bellator chooses to line up for this tournament, it is not one to be missed!

There are a ton of girl fights taking place next week. At FCF, Lynn “Lights Out” Alvarez (4-1) is set to fight Shoni Esquiro (0-1). Lynn’s last fight was a very quick submission win over Texas darling Chelsea Colarelli (2-2) at Shark Fights, which took place in Chelsea’s hometown this past October.

Liz Carreiro (4-5) is scheduled to fight Malissa Sherwood (2-0). Ziola Frausto and LeAnn Jenkins are going to fight at PureCombat: Home Turf. Michelle Vera and Leah Meinychuck are both making their debuts at Total Combat 34 and Hayley Cypert will make her debut against Tessa Simpson (1-0) at Adrenaline: Feel the Rush. Tune back in next week for information on all these fights, and so much more.

Filed Under: MMA

Tags:

About the Author: Yael Grauer is an Op-Ed Columnist for MMA Opinion. She has worked as a photographer, journalist, editor, proofreader and English teacher. She also works as a women's MMA editor for the Savage Science. Yael trains in Brazilian jiu jitsu at Primero BJJ.

RSSComments (10)

Leave a Reply | Trackback URL

  1. sam says:

    Lynn’s fight will be a well earned title fight for the 115lbs belt. This belt was surrender by Angela Magana after she failed to defend it after 1 year. (Although she was scheduled to fight Lynn twice and pulled out at the last minute)

  2. Jennifer Scott says:

    If you would like to update all of your readers…this is Jennifer Scott and in response to your article about the fight that was suppose to go on July 18th for Urban Rumble….
    I was NOT the fighter that pulled out because of “injury”, April Coutino was.
    I was not even informed of the situation at hand until weigh ins the day before the fight, which April did not even have the respect to show to, injured or not, instead her trainer was there to deliver the message.

    • Joel says:

      well how about fighting her now o wait your to scared. All that shit talking in the radio talking about you will face anyone and when the challenge came from April u chickened out. and for the people that don’t know i go to the same gym as April While training for her fight she broke her leg. But this month she was going to fight but it got canceled. April asked this girl Jennifer to fight her after she had just bragged about fighting anyone but someone was 2 scared.

      • Jennifer Scott says:

        Since when was i offered any fight with April since she “broke her leg/ankle/foot/toe”
        Just to clarify…I have never talked “shit” that’s NOT my personality PLUS I don’t have to say anything…my fights or ALL the ducking opponents speak for themselves!
        OBVIOUSLY you DONT know what you are talking about…because NO contract came across my fax machine with April’s name on it!
        “Don’t argue with a fool because from a distance people cant tell which one is which!”

        • Kevin says:

          The fight he is talking about is the one that you where suppose to face Anita Rodriguez. You where on that radio saying April did not fight because she broke her toe in a smartass type of way implying she made it up. Ill clear this up for you sine I am close to april. She broke the top of her foot, while sparring. The flap that covers your top foot came up and she hit the guy in the knee cap. David Gratz the owner or URC saw this he was right outside the ring, she fell to the ground and was saying she was in pain. She went to the doctor the next day and had x-rays done that clearly showed two brakes. This was 2 weeks and some days before the fight and she told Gratz she would not be able to fight being that she could not even walk! He kept telling her to give it time and everyday leading to the fight she told him the same thing that she was not going to be able to fight! He is the one who did not tell you and let you continue training and cutting. Anyways April is the only female champion in Texas her two fights ever she beat two highly qualified girls with over ten fights each. She does not fight nobody’s trying to up her record, and she was going to fight Jessica Aguilar the weekend before your fight, before the promotion was called off. So my advice is if you do plan on fighting her TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN. Just ask the guys who know her she is quite outside the ring she will let you talk and talk and never reply but in the cage she is another animal.

          Good Luck

    • jump2323 says:

      Once again April coutino has ducked and ran from another fight she accepted, have the damn respect to not take a fight you think you will lose and hold up that title high. Broken Leg or in another state or county, have the respect to return calls and bow out of a fight then run!! Still waiting for your call…Feb 26th is right around the corner. It is very disrespectful when you take a fight, and your no where to be found! what a joke

  3. Brandt DeLorenzo says:

    Jennifer: That’s a bummer and we hear about this a lot in the sport. Fighters just fail to show up for fights for different reasons and never publicly announce their change of plans.

  4. Kevin says:

    Oh sorry i forgot to tell you, The owner of legacy called your gym saying april was ready to fight, and your gym or whoever talks for you out of your gym said no. You would only fight April for a belt. So she was at weight and willing to fight you after you said on the radio you would fight anyone. just wanted to tell you the truth so you knew she is not afraid of fighting you or that she never asked to fight you at legacy. Will now you know the truth. Sorry it took so long to get some strait answers but this drama seems a little childish and i am sure one day you two will fight.

  5. P/T trainer says:

    The girl is definatly not wanting to fight. Her own trainers cant get a hold of her. I agree have the repect to tell the promoter you wont be fighting and give the other fighter a chance to fight someone else. Im telling you they should be giving title belts out in gumball machines.