Signings/Scouting WMMA Discussion #29

1726282474004.png

i was gonna get more mad about veteran fighters being fed to young guns so i had a look on roster.watch and... it seems that sw rankings are quite the logjam of veterans... i didn't even realise that champ weili was 35
 
RENA reacts to rival Kanna Asakura's early retirement
By Drake Riggs@DrakeRiggs_ Sep 5, 2024

The atomweight division is about to lose one of its mainstay elites. RIZIN 48 features the final walk to the ring for Chiba, Japan's Kanna Asakura as she takes on the undefeated 13-0 champion Seika Izawa on Sept. 29. To the surprise of many, the fight will be the last for the 26-year-old 27-fight veteran. One of the most thrilling rivalries in the atomweight division's history happened seven years ago and began with the underdog Asakura winning her way through the 2017 RIZIN Grand Prix. The tournament was set up to showcase the emerging Shootboxing superstar Rena Kubota, and it did until Asakura played the spoiler.

Asakura submitted Kubota with a first-round rear-naked choke, erupting into tears as the crowd lost its collective mind. Only 19 at the time, Asakura was now viewed as the next superstar to take the division to a new level. She helped boost awareness and always performed in exciting fights, but it's still too early to see her go, believes her revival. “It’s her decision, so I don’t really feel like saying anything about her decision,” Kubota told MMA Mania. “She’s obviously younger than I am, and she’s got lots of talent. So I personally think it’s such a waste of time. But again, it’s her decision. So I wish her the best of luck with whatever happens, whatever she has planned in the future. But it’s her decision. So I don’t really have any other opinions than that.” Asakura and Kubota's highly anticipated rematch took place the following year after each had won a fight since their first encounter. Once again, Asakura proved to have Kubota's number when she won a unanimous decision in RIZIN 11's main event.

‘I completely lost my desire to win:’ RENA explains camp switch to Tiger Muay Thai ahead of RIZIN Landmark 9 Kubota, 33, had already had a full career in Shootboxing before she started MMA and because of that, fighting for another decade after her 2015 RIZIN debut was never her plan. Ultimately, Kubota and Asakura's rivalry didn't just boost the division in an overall sense but it helped boost each's career. “What we did back in back in the early RIZIN days, it was definitely a phase of what we went through, both of us," Kubota said. "We are all a very important aspect of what happened during the early RIZIN days. So if I were to say something, I would have wanted another fight against her, but it is what it is.”

“The proudest moment would be the time when I won the Grand Prix,” Asakura told MMA Mania on BROADENED HORIZIN. “Beating Rena to be the champion, fighting two times in one night, that whole experience that I went through is the proudest moment of my life, for sure.” As Asakura prepares for that final fight of her career, she reveals it could have come sooner. Earning her last win over longtime veteran Mei Yamaguchi at RIZIN Landmark 5 in April 2023, it was around that time Askakura developed thoughts of moving on. In the end, the youthful wrestler didn't want to leave the fans and supporters behind without a proper send-off, and who knows? Maybe one last big upset. “There’s no particular reason,” Asakura said of her retirement. “I’m turning 27 this year; many people still say that I have time to improve, and I can still work hard, but for me, I just kind of lost the fire. That’s how it all trickled down and started. Honestly, I don’t really have anything solid in the works [for post-fight life]. I know I have to think of something and I have to have a plan. There are some ideas but there’s nothing concrete. So, there’s nowhere I can start immediately.”


 
Sorry guys but I'm rooting for Shev to win by highly controversial split decision. It's the contrarian trouble-maker in me, I can't help it
<{1-16}>
at least it'd be funny seeing how the UFC would cope with that problem of their making that they'd deserve as punishment (Grasso/Shev IV? in the Thunderdome?)

In other news more shocking that 'Dave Grohl is a philandering cad' I'm divorcing Aldana as my Waifu. She has like 13+ cats or something and says she wants more. She probably smells of cat wee. If we hadn't been born on opposite sides of the planet I could have saved her but alas it's too late...
Norma on the other hand looks like swole Jennifer Connelly and she actually wrestles, you know how much I love that. Go Norma 😍

Jauregui will win but she's always such a huge favorite, why is that? we're talking 'Nunes vs jobber' level odds, every fight. Hard to forget her getting turned into a bobblehead by Gomes either.

in BelLOLtor I'm picking Sarah Lollins to beat Leah McLol.
 
werepig said:
View attachment 1062525

i was gonna get more mad about veteran fighters being fed to young guns so i had a look on roster.watch and... it seems that sw rankings are quite the logjam of veterans... i didn't even realise that champ weili was 35
Click to expand...
If Karolina can't beat gomes she should probably retire, hill and loma beat her with ease.

Also I had thought Penne had retired maybe on oct 19th could see her getting a win over reed too.
 
Aldana's wound was gnarly. Bad enough to scare even Weili...

Val vs. Grasso was only Couture Leaning away from worst, now it was just complete shit. But it is what it is. As long as there is no 4th fight, I will survive - before tonight I was gonna be bummed, but ok with the inevitable 4th one if Val wins, but not after this.

200w.gif
 
Collins face planted McCourt then submitted her, that was impressive. Don't think she's ready for either Cyborg or Pacheco, but nonetheless she's earned her shot. McCourt vs Blencowe next?

Jauregui... Don't know what to say about her. Just like with Karolina, they gotta stop matching her up with butch Brazilians.

Dumont is a bad bitch through and through. Her only legit loss was against the truck known as Megan Anderson, and the split against Chiasson was very questionable. She's sorted out her weight issues and has dispatched THREE title challengers now (one of them being a former champion too). If not a rematch with Chiasson, she should be next for the title after Harrison mauls Vieira. The timeline is going to be ugly though, I don't think Pennington or Peña will be too eager to get in the cage with Harrison, those bitches are going to stall negotiations like their lives depend on it, so Norma will be on the sidelines for a long while if she doesn't rematch Chiasson (not taking into consideration that Nunes might return to fight Kayla when she inevitable mauls the winner of Pennington/Peña too).

Although it wasn't the most exciting fight to watch, Valentina big sistered Alexa and left no doubts. Outstruck her on the feet, controlled her on the ground for almost fifteen minutes, survived the submission attempts and took her back twice. Even in her late 30s, Valentina found a way to regain what's rightfully hers. Manon is an ugly, ugly, ugly matchup for her though, but I look forward to it. Alexa has no claim at a rematch whatsoever, she's gotta fight Barber, Namajunas, or Natalia Silva now. I miss seeing Antonina in Valentina's corner, seems like some of the fire in Valentina is gone without her sister there. Congratulations Bullet.

Shevchenko vs Fiorot.
Blanchfield vs Barber, Namajunas vs Barber, Grasso vs Barber rematch, or Natalia Silva against any of them.

Good times ahead for women's flyweight.
 
dunno what happened to the mexicans (like, all of them) but i hope they glean some new lessons from their losses.
that said, well done to the winners tonight - souza for snatching that neck, dumont for keeping aldana away (no props given for the gash, that was a head clash) and val for her championship performance... i guess. *sigh*
 
Souza surprised and blew me away. Came in as a big underdog and scored that mighty first round finish. Right to the jaw, jumped on it and cranked until Yasmine was out. Entirely changed her career trajectory. Wow.

Yeah no longer going to think of Dumont as someone who has difficulty making weight. Fast movement, proper game plan and she made Aldana appear plodding. Should move her to top five in flyweight division. Credit to Irene for going the distance. She toughed it out and even caused damage with the third round elbow. Hope they can staple her face back properly. That accidental head butt caused a lot of damage. As did continually walking into Dumont's strikes.

It's no secret I was rooting for Alexa. MMA has a way of crushing dreams. Much can be learned and gained along the way. With big doses of rejection and humility. Valentina proved her greatness and pitched a shutout. All five rounds. No controversy. No doubt. That's a relief. Winning a belt and dominating a division. Many have done that for periods of time. Losing that belt, clawing their way back and then finishing a trilogy with an entirely dominant performance. Few if any have done that. Commands respect. Must take iron will. Only great ones ever do that.

I really liked Val's post-fight speech. Speaking in different languages about her love of MMA and appreciation for its community. Specifically thanking Grasso and her coaches for their professionalism. Acknowledging that both teams showed they had an epic rivalry based on merit without extreme trash talk. Bravo. Val should defend against Manon Fiorot. Fiorot deserves it. Plenty of great matchups for everyone in that division. Flyweight's an exciting division. Shevchenko and Grasso - as extreme rivals and competitive warriors - helped strengthen it. Respect.
 
PurpleStorm said:
Commands respect.
Click to expand...
Not that way, no. I think Val needs to show she still can entertain before I am willing to give pay her 2nd reign respect. But I guess that's the only way she can defeat Grasso, - so fair is fair, she is now the Champion.

Also kinda low that she talked about Martial Arts and Honor and stuff while more or less making it clear between the lines she considers herself the Winner of the rivlary. But at least she thanked Grasso and her team for not dropping to her level in the buildup :D

Damnit, I wanna get back to liking Val posthaste, but she really made it hard tonight. If she wrestles Fiorot to 50-45, I'll throw a chair.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,281,017
Messages
58,335,754
Members
176,003
Latest member
HeneryH

Share this page

Back
Top