Jordan Nicole Gaza, Liz McCarthy Win Tuff-N-Uff TitlesLeading amateur promotion Tuff-N-Uff crowned two women’s champions tonight in Las Vegas, Nevada. Teen prospect Jordan Nicole Gaza won the promotion’s 115-pound title by submitting Kathryn Davis, while unbeaten Liz “Lil’ Lightning” McCarthy upset Jordan McDonald for 110-pound gold.

Gaza, who was left without a fight after her original opponent withdrew from the card, used a guillotine choke to submit Davis, who stepped into the title fight on short notice. McCarthy kept her unblemished record intact with a second-round flying triangle choke that forced McDonald to submit.

 

Gaza (3-1-0), a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt from Corpus Christi, Texas, picked up her second straight victory and first title belt with her submission of Davis (3-2-1). The cheerleader and recent high school graduate is one of the top amateur prospects in the 115-pound women’s division and needed less than three minutes to win the title tilt, which was Gaza’s Tuff-N-Uff debut.

Winner: Jordan Nicole Gaza by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:41 of round one. She improves to 3-1-0 and becomes the new Tuff-N-Uff 115-Pound Women’s Champion.

 

McCarthy (5-0-0) entered her title fight with McDonald (4-2-0) as a relative unknown, but the Oregon native made an instant name for herself with an impressive win tonight. After jumping guard, McCarthy secured a flying triangle choke and took the fight to the mat, where McDonald had no choice but to tap. The win earned McCarthy her second title, as she previously captured gold for Budo Fights and will compete for another championship next month.

Winner: Liz McCarthy by Submission (Flying Triangle Choke) at 1:23 of round two. She improves to 5-0-0 and becomes the new Tuff-N-Uff 110-Pound Women’s Champion.

 

Tuff-N-Uff has featured a multitude of women’s fights in recent years and has spawned some of the top female prospects in the sport, including Taylor “No Mercy” Stratford, Jenny Yum and current Strikeforce contender “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey, among others. With two new female champions on the Tuff-N-Uff roster, women’s fights look to be an integral part of the promotion’s future.

Dylan Horner contributed to this report.

 

  1. Kathryn Davis fought on the last TUFF card in July for a 115 title, it ended in a draw.

  2. Fixed. Thanks, Jess.