Former Rizin FF Women’s Super Atomweight Champion Ayaka Hamasaki got back on track with a dominant win tonight at Rizin Fighting Federation 22 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. Hamasaki submitted current Deep Jewels champ Tomo Maesawa in the strawweight co-main event.

Also on tonight’s card, Rizin FF Grand Prix Champion Kanna Asakura picked up her third straight victory in quick and one-sided fashion. Asakura made short work of Mizuki Furuse, finishing the talented young prospect with ground and pound in the first round of their super atomweight bout.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship remained at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC Fight Night 174: “Lewis vs Oleynik.” The event was headlined by a heavyweight bout between hard-hitting Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis and submission ace Alexey “The Boa Constrictor” Oleynik.

In the middleweight co-main event, Omari “Wolverine” Akhmedov took on former UFC champion “All-American” Chris Weidman. Also at 185 pounds, Maki “Coconut Bombz” Pitolo squared off against Darren “The Dentist” Stewart. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s UFC card.

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Overcoming a short-notice opponent change, former Invicta FC champion Jennifer Maia earned one of the biggest victories of her MMA career tonight at UFC Fight Night 173: “Brunson vs Shahbazyan.” Maia submitted top flyweight contender Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood late in the first round.

Maia, who was originally slated to face Viviane Araujo on tonight’s card, showcased her strong submission skills in tonight’s fight with Calderwood. Working from the bottom, Maia trapped Calderwood in an armbar for the submission victory, and she now enters a short list of title contenders.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC Fight Night 173: “Brunson vs Shahbazyan.” The event was headlined by a middleweight bout between veteran contender Derek Brunson and highly-touted unbeaten prospect Edmen Shahbazyan.

In the flyweight co-main event, Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood stepped in on short notice to battle former Invicta FC champion Jennifer Maia. Vicente “The Silent Assassin” Luque met Randy “Rude Boy” Brown in a featured welterweight matchup. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.

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Returning from a lengthy injury hiatus, Mexico’s Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz put herself back in strawweight title contention with a quick and dominant victory tonight at Invicta Fighting Championships 41 in Kansas City, Kansas. Ruiz submitted Janaisa “Evil Princess” Morandin in the brief main event.

In addition to Ruiz’s impressive win, the Invicta FC 41 card also featured a breakout performance from Erin “Cold Blooded” Blanchfield, who scored a dominant Unanimous Decision victory over Brogan “Killer Bee” Walker-Sanchez to solidify her spot as a top contender in the flyweight division.

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Invicta Fighting Championships showcased its latest all-female card tonight at Police Athletic League in Kansas City, Kansas. Invicta FC 41 featured a strawweight bout between Janaisa “Evil Princess” Morandin, who missed weight once again, and Mexican standout Montserrat “Conjeo” Ruiz.

In the flyweight co-feature, Erin “Cold Blooded” Blanchfield took on Brogan “Killer Bee” Walker-Sanchez, and Kaitlin “The Striking Viking” Young met the returning Latoya “Black Mamba” Walker in a featherweight matchup. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s Invicta FC 41 card.

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Former Rizin FF titleholder Ayaka Hamasaki and Deep Jewels champion Tomo Maesawa will meet in a strawweight matchup on August 9th at Rizin Fighting Federation 22. The event, which is part of a two-day doubleheader, will take place at Pia Arena MM in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.

Rizin officials announced the bout today. Maesawa issued a challenge to Hamasaki this past week during Deep Jewels 29 and the fight was quickly put together. Rizin FF 22 also features a women’s super atomweight bout between Grand Prix winner Kanna Asakura and rising star Mizuki Furuse.

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Standout wrestler Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza earned her fourth straight victory tonight at UFC on ESPN 14: “Whittaker vs Till” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion edged out Marina Rodriguez in a closely-contested bout on tonight’s main card.

Also on tonight’s card, Pannie “Banzai” Kianzad put forth one of the best performances of her career in her bantamweight bout against Bethe “Pitbull” Correia. Kianzad scored a clear-cut Unanimous Decision victory over her Brazilian foe and has now posted wins in three of her past four fights.

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