Widely regarded as the top female fighter in mixed martial arts, Japanese star Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii (20-0-0) now has her sights set on capturing the first major title of her storied career. She will look to do so in the Bellator 115-pound women’s tournament, which begins in August.
Fujii has long reigned supreme in Japanese promotions such as Jewels and its predecessor Smackgirl, and will now challenge herself against the best in Bellator. She speaks exclusively with MMARising.com in this English interview discussing her career to date and future with Bellator.
After a year of injury setbacks and waiting on the sidelines, top 145-pound contender Erin “Steel” Toughill is likely to make her long-awaited Strikeforce debut on August 21st in Houston, Texas. The fight would be Toughill’s first in well over a year, dating back to a May 2009 decision victory.
The long-awaited Strikeforce 135-pound women’s tournament is currently targeted for Strikeforce Challengers 10 on August 13th in Phoenix, Arizona. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed the date with MMARising.com today, as well as the names of four of the tournament participants.
Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum shocked the MMA world on June 26th when he submitted “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko in just 69 seconds. The upset victory sees Werdum temporarily take over the top spot in the heavyweight rankings, pending the July 3rd UFC Undisputed Heavyweight Championship bout between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin.
Two of the four opening round bouts for the Bellator 115-pound women’s tournament are official. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney confirmed with MMARising.com today that Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii will take on Angela Magana, while Jessica “Jag” Aguilar faces Lynn “Lights Out” Alvarez.
Following her devastating knockout victory over Rosi “The Surgeon” Sexton at Bellator 23, Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Frausto has been officially announced as Sexton’s replacement in the Bellator women’s 115-pound tournament in August. The promotion confirmed the news this evening.
A welterweight contender’s bout between former UFC title challenger Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy and final WEC champ “The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit is in the works for UFC 120. MMAWeekly.com was first to report on the planned bout, which would take place on October 16th at the O2 Arena in London, England.
Strikeforce returned to the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California tonight with one of their biggest events to date at Strikeforce/M-1 Global: “Fedor vs Werdum.” The card was headlined by a heavyweight bout between “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum.