Two of my favourite fighters are fighting in the next episode. Your predictions, please.
Raquel is a warrior, so it's no surprise they want her to brawl. I wouldn't be surprised if she TKO'd Jessamyn. With that said, I have a sneaking suspicion that Jessamyn is going to submit her.
Rocky's had a serious hype train behind her in the past, for good reason. She can strike! She has also fought top of the line competition. She's tough as nails. And she's only been finished by Cat Zingano. TUF has been saying it's one of the more intense fights of the show so far.. The preview looks like they're primarily standing up. Rocky has some decent take down defense. Like Tate said, Rocky probably should've won all of her fights so far. Just drama has hindered her from performing her best. Just did research on the TKO loss Jessamyn has as an amateur and... she lost to an 0-2, as a pro, chick.. And the other loss she has.. as an ammy.. Is against a 5-4 girl as an ammy, 1-0 as a pro.. in Ashlee Smith, THREEEEE of Ashlee's losses have come by submission. If Jessamyn's as good as she's looked so far off of her back, why couldn't she submit Ashlee? Rocky should take this! WAR ROCKY take the show girl!
Rocky's had a serious hype train behind her in the past, for good reason. She can strike! She has also fought top of the line competition. She's tough as nails. And she's only been finished by Cat Zingano. TUF has been saying it's one of the more intense fights of the show so far.. The preview looks like they're primarily standing up. Rocky has some decent take down defense. Like Tate said, Rocky probably should've won all of her fights so far. Just drama has hindered her from performing her best. Just did research on the TKO loss Jessamyn has as an amateur and... she lost to an 0-2, as a pro, chick.. And the other loss she has.. as an ammy.. Is against a 5-4 girl as an ammy, 1-0 as a pro.. in Ashlee Smith, THREEEEE of Ashlee's losses have come by submission. If Jessamyn's as good as she's looked so far off of her back, why couldn't she submit Ashlee? Rocky should take this! WAR ROCKY take the show girl!
anyone else think the fight was set up based on Tommy gun vs rocky balboa ? I mean if it were up to me, and I had the opportunity to put those 2 nicknames together, I would have to do it.
Rocky's had a serious hype train behind her in the past, for good reason. She can strike! She has also fought top of the line competition. She's tough as nails. And she's only been finished by Cat Zingano. TUF has been saying it's one of the more intense fights of the show so far.. The preview looks like they're primarily standing up. Rocky has some decent take down defense. Like Tate said, Rocky probably should've won all of her fights so far. Just drama has hindered her from performing her best. Just did research on the TKO loss Jessamyn has as an amateur and... she lost to an 0-2, as a pro, chick.. And the other loss she has.. as an ammy.. Is against a 5-4 girl as an ammy, 1-0 as a pro.. in Ashlee Smith, THREEEEE of Ashlee's losses have come by submission. If Jessamyn's as good as she's looked so far off of her back, why couldn't she submit Ashlee? Rocky should take this! WAR ROCKY take the show girl!
anyone else think the fight was set up based on Tommy gun vs rocky balboa ? I mean if it were up to me, and I had the opportunity to put those 2 nicknames together, I would have to do it.
The little footage from the next episode showed Raquel pressuring Jessamyn the whole time, and the Duke working her height advantage by using knees in the clinch...
I don't know who will win but i think this could be the best fight on the show so far.
Raquel Pennington (3-3-0) vs. Jessamyn Duke (2-0-0, 1NC)
Raquel Pennington (3-3-0)
Pennington is 5'7 or 5'8 depending on who is being referenced. She has a solid build, strong, and has good hips.
Pennington has boxing as a base, having some professional wins. She is a solid brawler, hits hard, has okay hand speed, and is used to fighting taller opponents who can throw. Pennington used to train with Leslie Smith, so you know she has Muay Thai experience. Pennington has decent takedown defense and is overall effective at defending submissions and applying them. She has trained with Cat Zingano after they fought one another and after the TUF tryouts.
Pennington mentioned Zingano told her that she clinched with her so much during their fight due to hearing Pennington has good boxing and didn't want to get caught by a bomb.
Pennington's best win is against Sarah Moras at Invicta. Pennington kept the fighting standing or reverse or stifle Moras when she managed to get the fight to the ground. Pennington beat up Moras in the standup. Raquel Pa'aluhi is more of a mid tier fighter who has shown some promise while Kim Couture came to fighting too late to be much more than a low level fighter.
Tori Adams defeated Pennington at 145. Adams is a solid wrestler and has a good amateur record and is 1-1-0 as a pro.
Cat Zingano and Leslie Smith both hold wins over Pennington. Zingano felt out Pennington in the first round, mostly clinching while looking for trip or suplex takedowns in the clinch in the first round, second round ending in a rear-naked-choke. Pennington's fight with Smith was a standup war with Pennington getting the edge in the first round but Smith changing up tactics in the subsequent rounds and beating up Pennington.
Pennington's only amateur loss is to Taylor Stratford. (7-1-0 as an ammy)
Pennington will likely try to crowd Duke into the fence and or draw her into close quarter fighting but avoid actual clinches unless she can control Duke. Staying inside of Duke's range while being able to hit at her own range will allow Pennington to do more damage then Duke will be able to deal with. Duke's knees in the clinch is something Pennington will want to avoid.
Pennington will likely be able to avoid being taken down. She does have a decent ability to reverse and her ground and pound is solid.
Some of Pennington's Fights.
Wins
Raquel Pennington vs. Sarah Moras
Raquel Pennington vs. Tonya Evinger
Losses
Raquel Pennington vs. Cat Zingano
Raquel Pennington vs. Leslie Smith
(Fight begins around 5:38)
Jessamyn Duke (2-0-0, 1NC)
Duke is taller at 5'11 with a average to thin build and a longer reach. She is fit, likes to run, flexible, with long limbs and knows how to use them.
Duke has a Muay Thai and bjj base. Duke has solid standup and submission skills. She knows how to use her long limbs to great effect against those opponents who let her stand at range or who cannot deal with her length in the clinch. She has a harder time against opponents who can pressure her and deal with her length. Duke frequently travels and trains with many people in the Women's MMA community, showing up with Kaitlin Young, Shayna Baszler, Ronda Rousey, and training bjj with Eddie Bravo.
Duke holds professional wins over Suzie Montero and Marciea Allen. Duke dominated Montero in their fight. Allen was also overmatched on her feet against Duke but managed to get Duke on the ground, even held her hair briefly while ground and pounding her, and Duke whipped Allen into an armbar finishing her.
Duke also fought Miriam Nakamoto. Duke avoided standing up with Nakamoto, knowing her habit of wrecking opponents in standup, and looked to take the fight to the ground from the clinch position. A two minute long clinch battle ensued in which Nakamoto eventually turned the positions around and beat Duke up with knees from the clinch but a late knee left the door open for the fight to be turned into a NC instead of the KO.
Duke has an ammy record of 5-2. Good wins but two losses to Amanda Bell and Ashlee Evans-Smith, both losses took place at 145.
Digression into Duke's opponents, losses:
Amanda Bell, while having a very impressive ammy record, has lost both of her professional fights to Tamikka Brents and Charmaine Tweet. Tamikka Brents who is (10-0-1, 1NC with a combined pro and ammy record. NC missed weight against Tori Adams at 145.) Bell has a decent ground game but hasn't had anyone in her corners helping her out in her fights, her fight with Brents used the most dumb strategy yet seen in an Invicta event, jumping guard in the first and second rounds. When Bell actually stood in the third round she won the round.
Bell also was winning her fight against Tweet until she was reversed and finished by Tweet with a submission - quite a turnaround for the Muay Thai based Tweet to be winning her MMA matches with subs.
Ashlee Evans-Smith has a mixed ammy record of 5-4-0 and only 1 pro win, avenging an ammy loss to Tori Adams. Evans-Smith is a strong wrestler, having been a 4 time All American. While it has taken her sometime to get her legs in MMA going she is exactly the kind of opponent who can give a tall lanky opponent serious trouble.
I will be rooting for Ashlee Evans-Smith against Fallon Fox at the up coming CFA Featherweight Tournament finale.
It is due to Duke's losses against Bell and Evans-Smith that led her to dropping down to fight at 135 in the first place.
Duke will want to keep Pennington away from her at first to try and hurt Pennington at range. If Pennington closes the distance Duke will want to get a Muay Thai clinch going to hurt Pennington with knees. Duke may look for a takedown if she starts to lose the standup and Duke may also be willing to play off her back a little as she knows how to use her long limbs to submit opponents. I doubt Duke will try to stay on the ground long if she starts to suffer ground and pound though, as Pennington hits hard.
Some of Duke's Fights.
Wins
Jessamyn Duke vs. Suzie Montero
Jessamyn Duke vs. Marciea Allen
Jessamyn Duke vs. Laura Howarth TUF 18 Elimination
Loss and NC
Miriam Nakamoto vs. Jessamyn Duke
Jessamyn Duke vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith
Who will win this fight is a tough one to answer. I strongly suspect this will be an excellent fight and the previews indicate it will be one.
Raquel Pennington, in my opinion, should probably win this fight. It ought to be a close fight and Duke is certainly capable of pulling off what I would feel is an upset but I have Pennington as the more likely winner.
Additional issues that might come into play:
Pennington's experiences fighting very tough opponents will help her as she has been in close wars against top opponents.
There is an issue of size as well. While both fighters have fought at 145 before Duke is the larger fighter here and it will have been into the 4+ weeks at this point in the competition. The need to keep on weight will, more likely, negatively effect Duke in my opinion so a protracted fight will more likely benefit Pennington.
Both Pennington and Duke are familiar with one another. They have both seen each other fight and knew that they might have to fight each other in Invicta and so have had some thought and planning into how to deal with each other.
So, again, I feel Raquel Pennington is the most likely to win this fight. I am looking forward to it.
anyone else think the fight was set up based on Tommy gun vs rocky balboa ? I mean if it were up to me, and I had the opportunity to put those 2 nicknames together, I would have to do it.
Duke wins only if she can stay away from Pennington's striking. She needs to keep Pennington away with her long arms and legs. And Duke isn't necessarily safe on the ground either. Pennington submitted Tonya who was a very experienced wrestler. I give Pennington the win here.
We are looking at a candidate for the best Fight of the Season here folks! I like both fighters, and they have a long-overdued war that has been delayed from Invicta due to injuries. Now it's finally happening!
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