In her professional mixed martial arts debut, Danbury, Connecticut native Marianna “The Crushen Russian” Kheyfets dominated Kim “Sugar Free” Couture tonight at XFC 11: “The Next Generation.” Kheyfets dropped Couture and finished the fight with a triangle choke.
A winner of XFC’s open tryouts, Kheyfets received a big opportunity in the televised co-main event bout with Couture and did not disappoint. The victory immediately puts Kheyfets on the map, while Couture now drops to 2-3 and struggled to keep up with her opponent’s striking abilities.
Couture did display improved striking in the fight tonight, but could not compete with the crisp punches and varied kicks that Kheyfets employed. Both fighters scored with hard right hands, but Kheyfets’s punches appeared to have more of an effect and bloodied Couture’s nose early on. Displaying poise beyond her limited MMA experience, Kheyfets landed leg kicks and set up combinations, then fought off a clinch. She floored Couture with a big right cross and immediately pulled her into a triangle choke. Couture tried to fight it off, but was eventually forced to submit.
Winner: Marianna Kheyfets by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 3:06 of round one. She improves to 1-0-0 with the win in her professional mixed martial arts debut.
The main event of XFC 11 ended quickly and abruptly, as WEC and DREAM veteran “Maverick” Micah Miller knocked out XFC star Bruce “The Noose” Connors with a left hook 2:01 into round one. The win got Miller back on track after a loss to Michihiro Omigawa in April.
(Photo Credit: XFC)