Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith and Katalina Malungahu have received new opponents for their upcoming bouts at Invicta Fighting Championships 3 on October 6th in Kansas City, Kansas. Smith faces off against “Killer” Kim Connor-Hamby, while Malungahu now battles Ediane “India” Gomes.

MMARising.com confirmed both changes with the promotion today. Smith is coming off of a spirited Split Draw with Kaitlin Young at Invicta FC 1 and now looks to hand Connor-Hamby her first loss. Gomes has won three of her past four fights. Malungahu remains unbeaten in her young MMA career.

Read More…

A knee injury has forced Erik “New Breed” Koch out of his upcoming UFC Featherweight Championship bout with José “Scarface” Aldo at UFC 153 on October 13th in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie “The Answer” Edgar will now challenge Aldo on the card.

News of the change was first reported by USA Today and MMAjunkie.com late Thursday night. Edgar is coming off of a contentious Split Decision loss to “Smooth” Benson Henderson earlier this month. Aldo has won 14 straight fights and most recently knocked out Chad “Money” Mendes in January.

Read More…

Brazilian standout Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes makes her return to the Strikeforce cage on September 29th at Strikeforce: “Melendez vs Healy” in Sacramento, California. Nunes faces off against unbeaten promotional newcomer Cat “Alpha” Zingano in a featured bantamweight matchup.

Nunes most recently choked out Raquel “Rocky” Pa’aluhi at Invicta FC 2 this past month and now looks for her second win under the Strikeforce banner. Zingano was scheduled to face Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith at Invicta FC 3 in October, but instead moves to Strikeforce to battle Nunes.

Read More…

Undefeated Muay Thai champion Miriam Nakamoto will make her pro MMA debut against SikJitsu’s Elizabeth Phillips at Red Canvas: “Submission 2” on September 15th in San Jose, California. MMARising.com confirmed plans for the matchup with a source close to the promotion on Tuesday.

Nakamoto overcame a bad cut to defeat 53-fight veteran and 14-time champ Julie Kitchen in a WCK Champion of Champions Muay Thai title bout 11 days ago and some now feel that Nakamoto is the best female striker in the world. She looks for continued success in her MMA debut next month.

Read More…

Former Smackgirl and Valkyrie champion Yuka “Vale Tudo Queen” Tsuji will compete under the DEEP banner for the first time in more than nine years at DEEP: “Osaka Impact 2012” on September 29th in Osaka, Japan. The veteran star faces South Korean taekwondo champion Hyo Kyung Song.

Tsuji has fought sparingly in recent years due to injuries and a relative lack of available opponents. Her 14-fight winning streak came to an end in early 2010 and she is currently looking to rebound from a submission setback in May. Song recently debuted for Jewels in a July shoot boxing match.

Read More…

Four years after it was first booked by the now-defunct EliteXC promotion, a bout between bantamweight strikers Sarah Kaufman and Kaitlin Young will take place at Invicta Fighting Championships 3 on October 6th in Kansas City, Kansas. MMARising.com confirmed plans for the fight on Sunday.

Kaufman and Young were set to face off at EliteXC: “A Night of Champions” in November 2008, but the event was scrapped when the promotion folded one month earlier. Both fighters will be looking to get back on the winning track after suffering submission setbacks in their most recent fights.

Read More…

Japanese superstar Rena Kubota captured her third Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup title tonight at Yamano Hall in Tokyo. The 21-year-old outlasted three opponents to become the first three-time S-Cup winner. Kubota will undergo surgery for a nagging injury and hopes to return in the coming months.

Kubota’s protégé, Mio Tsumura, also claimed a tournament title tonight. Mio defeated two opponents en route to becoming the first JKS48 high school girls’ tournament champion. Elsewhere, teen prodigy Mizuki Inoue defeated Ai Takahashi for a second time in the Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 final.

Read More…

Shoot Boxing showcased its annual Girls S-Cup tournament tonight from Yamano Hall in the Yoyogi district of Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. This year’s edition included past winners Rena Kubota and Erika Kamimura, as well as MMA veterans Seo Hee Ham, “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi and Lisa Ellis.

Tonight’s card featured two additional tournaments. In the final of the Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5, teen prodigy Mizuki Inoue battled Ai Takahashi. Mio Tsumura aimed to win the inaugural Shoot Boxing JKS48 high school girls’ tournament. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.

Read More…