Atomweight prospect Shino VanHoose makes a quick return to action on February 26th at Real Fighting Championships 36: “Resurrection” in Tampa, Florida. The 20-year-old, who made her Invicta FC debut this month, is set to face off against local standout Jenny “The Phoenix” Silverio on the card.
Real FC officials announced the matchup this week. VanHoose, who began her career in Japan and recently relocated to the United States, looks to rebound from a short-notice submission setback at Invicta FC 15. Miami’s Silverio has won three straight fights including her Real FC debut in July.
VanHoose (4-4-0) won her October 2011 pro debut at age 16 in just 51 seconds with a rarely-seen no-gi Ezekiel choke for Pancrase, and she followed that up with two more victories in the ensuing months. Her performances impressed Pancrase officials, who matched VanHoose up against atomweight contenders Kikuyo Ishikawa and Sadae “Manhoef” Numata in 2012. VanHoose suffered her first two defeats in the fights and she took a hiatus from MMA before returning to action in a competitive bout with former Deep Jewels champion and current UFC fighter Seo Hee Ham for Road FC.
After relocating to Idaho, VanHoose picked up a quick submission victory in October and stepped in on very short notice for her Invicta FC debut two weeks ago. Her fight did not go as planned, and she succumbed to a first-round guillotine choke from Amber “The Bully” Brown, but all four of VanHoose’s defeats have come against highly-ranked opponents and she now looks to begin her climb towards the top ten at 105 pounds with a victory next month.
Silverio (3-1-0) suffered her lone professional setback in her February 2014 pro debut against undefeated rising star and recent Invicta FC signee Julia “Jewels” Jones. Since then, the Florida native has put together a three-fight winning streak that culminated with a first-round submission victory over Maria Lopez at Real FC 34 in July. Silverio gives up a significant height and reach advantage to her opponent next month, but a victory over VanHoose would be Silverio’s biggest win to date and could potentially earn her a spot on the Invicta FC atomweight roster later this year.
Real Fighting Championships 36: “Resurrection” takes place on February 26th at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tampa Airport Westshore in Tampa, Florida.
(Photo Credit: Jack Lavoie)