The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington tonight for UFC on FOX 5: “Henderson vs Diaz.” The event was headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship matchup between reigning champion “Smooth” Benson Henderson and top contender Nate Diaz.

Also on the card tonight, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua faced Swedish standout Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson. Welterweight prospect Rory “Ares” MacDonald took on former two-division champion B.J. Penn. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.

Read More…

DEEP women’s open-weight champ Amanda “Powerhouse” Lucas earned a hard-fought decision win over pro wrestling veteran Yuiga tonight at DEEP: “Cage Impact 2012 In Tokyo.” Lucas showcased her improved striking and defeated Yuiga by Majority Decision after two rounds in a non-title bout.

Lucas had a much tougher fight on her hands than many had expected and Yuiga, returning to MMA for the first time in more than five years, put on a strong showing in defeat. Lucas was able to outstrike Yuiga with punching flurries in the second round that proved to be enough to earn her the victory.

Read More…

Talented striker Stephanie “Snowflake” Eggink made a triumphant return to action tonight at Xtreme Fighting Championships 21: “Night of Champions 2” in Nashville, Tennessee. Eggink earned a Unanimous Decision victory over Jackson’s MMA’s “Hurricane” Heather Clark in a featured strawweight bout.

It was Clark who dominated the early striking exchanges with a series of right hooks, but Eggink showed off her underrated ground skills in working for submissions. Eggink’s jabs and counterpunches allowed her to take control in the later rounds and she walked away with a well-deserved win.

Read More…

An atomweight bout between amateur champs Laura Marcusse and Cassie Robb has been added to Invicta Fighting Championships 4, which takes place on January 5th in Kansas City, Kansas. MMARising.com confirmed plans for the matchup with sources close to the negotiations this week.

Both fighters will be making their professional debuts in next month’s fight after capturing amateur titles this year. Marcusse defeated Nadia Nixon for The Blue Corner’s atomweight title in March, while Robb submitted Liliana Orozco for the Kick Down MMA 110-pound women’s title in October.

Read More…

In her biggest fight to date, flyweight standout Jessica “Evil” Eye put on the most impressive performance of her career tonight at Bellator Fighting Championships 83 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Eye choked out Bellator champ and bitter rival Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Gurgel in 58 seconds.

Eye dropped Gurgel with punches within seconds of the opening bell and quickly secured a standing arm-triangle choke as Gurgel recovered and battled back to her feet. Eye refused to relinquish her grip on the hold and Gurgel was soon rendered unconscious, giving Eye a huge victory.

Read More…

Russia’s Julia Berezikova picked up her sixth straight win tonight at Super Fight League 12 in Mumbai, India. Berezikova submitted Spanish rival Karla Benitez in a rematch from a hotly-contested bout in May. Berezikova has won four fights in 13 months and is quickly rising up the female ranks.

In tonight’s SFL 12 rematch, Berezikova erased any lingering doubts about her Split Decision win over Benitez from earlier this year. She held a clear advantage in the striking exchanges early on and eventually trapped a game but outmatched Benitez in a fight-ending armbar early in the second round.

Read More…

For the first time in its 19-year history, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is set to promote a female fight inside the world-famous Octagon. Newly-crowned UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey will face Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche in the main event of UFC 157.

UFC officials announced the historic title bout today. UFC 157 takes place on February 23, 2013 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Rousey remains unbeaten in MMA and is one of the sport’s fastest-rising stars. Carmouche is coming off of back-to-back stoppage wins for Invicta FC.

Read More…

Grappling ace Emi Tomimatsu will test her striking skills in a shoot boxing match at Jewels: “22nd Ring” on December 15th in Tokyo. Tomimatsu is set to face Nako Otsuka in one of three additional bouts confirmed for the card today. In a Jewels first, the event will be contested inside a cage.

A pair of mixed martial arts bouts have also been added to the Jewels card. Megumi Yabushita, an MMA pioneer for women in Japan, faces off against American wrestling champion Jade Marie Anderson in a featherweight matchup. Miyoko Kusaka returns to Jewels to face Norway’s Celine Haga.

Read More…