Signings/Scouting WMMA Discussion #29

[leto1776]

FORMER STRAWWEIGHT CHAMPION EMILY DUCOTE MEETS YULIA OSTROVERKHOVA IN INVICTA FC 58 MAIN EVENT ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6 IN KANSAS CITY

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A familiar face returns to Invicta Fighting Championships on Wednesday, Nov. 6, as former strawweight champion Emily "Gordinha" Ducote (13-9) collides with Russia's Yulia Ostroverkhova (9-3-1) in a main event match-up, live from Memorial Hall in Kansas City...

Invicta FC 58: Ducote vs. Ostroverkhova will air via CBS Sports Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Preliminary card action will stream live on Invicta’s official YouTube Channel and Facebook Page at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT. Tickets to the event will be available on Wednesday, Oct. 2 for members of the Invicta Insiders Club, with the public sale beginning Thursday, Oct. 3 through Eventbrite.

The current fight card can be found below:

Strawweight: Emily Ducote vs. Yulia Ostroverkhova
Flyweight: Kate Bacik vs. DeAnna Bennett
Atomweight: Saori Oshima vs. Ana Palacios
Flyweight: Shanna Young vs. Amanda Torres
Featherweight: Zurina Turrey vs. Joy Pendell
Atomweight: Magdalena Czaban vs. Hope Holmes

So three UFC veterans and a RIZIN veteran on one card is pretty good, and it’s not even finished. Oshima vs Palacios should a\be a grappling fan’s dream. Czaban went 21-2 in the amateurs before turning pro. Last time I went to an Invicta, Shannon said she planned on signing her, and seemed pretty excited. Hope Holmes is one of the few amateurs I’ve been keeping an eye on, and looks pretty promising.

 

[werepig]

looks like she's enjoying her trip come back to the cage soon, loma!

 

[PurpleStorm]

Friday October 4, 2024

[MUAY THAI/MMA] ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas vs. Eersel 2 Bangkok, Thailand
Main Card – Prime Video – 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT
Ayaka Miura vs. Jihin Radzuan – MMA
Amy Pirnie vs. Shir Cohen – Muay Thai
[MMA] FFC 82 Bogotá, Colombia
Main Card – UFC Fight Pass – 10:00pm ET / 7:00pm PT
Michelle Casamayor vs. Alison Vargas

Saturday October 5

[MMA] UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Main Card – iPPV (ESPN+) – 10:00pm ET / 7:00pm PT
Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña
Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira
Preliminary Card – ESPNews / ESPN+ – 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT
Marina Rodriguez vs. Iasmin Lucindo
Preliminary Card – ESPN+ – 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT
Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington
more: https://grabakahitman.com/

 

[leto1776]

A couple of blasts from the past are going head to head:

 

[werepig]

ufc picks this week:

- carla v. tecia - end of an era! the tuf 20 winner and first ever ufc strawweight champ is calling it a day. this one's a rematch of their tuf fight and i'll bet that tecia has been wanting to get this one back for a decade. tecia didn't lose her last fight to tabatha either, so the chip on tecia's shoulder is probably a mile wide by now. tecia UD

- MHod v. iasmin lucindo - i'm expecting iasmin to be quicker and more willing to throw than marina. iasmin UD

- kayla v. ketlen - kayla is a MASSIVE favourite here and yes kayla looked great against holly holm... but it's 2024 holly holm. also, from a quick ig peek: ketlen has been in utah for roughly 2 weeks, while kayla has only been at altitude for a week. will it make a difference? depends on how long the fight will go. ketlen for the upset UD maybe? i don't like either fighter so idgaf

- rocky v. julianna - i'd already binged all of rocky's fights last time out, so i tried to watch julianna's last one - the amanda nunes rematch. and... uh... hmmm. rocky sub or UD

 

[Darkavius]

ufc picks this week:

- carla v. tecia - end of an era! the tuf 20 winner and first ever ufc strawweight champ is calling it a day. this one's a rematch of their tuf fight and i'll bet that tecia has been wanting to get this one back for a decade. tecia didn't lose her last fight to tabatha either, so the chip on tecia's shoulder is probably a mile wide by now. tecia UD

- rocky v. julianna - i'd already binged all of rocky's fights last time out, so i tried to watch julianna's last one - the amanda nunes rematch. and... uh... hmmm. rocky sub or UD

I know Esparza is not a favorite among MMA viewers but if she really is retiring it's time to give her, her flowers. She has a decent resume and should be in the top 5 of all time in anyone's list for Strawweights in UFC history currently. The only better resumes you could argue currently are Weili, Rose and Joanna. I think this will be a very dirty, grinding kind of fight like most Esparza fights and I think Esparza wins by decision.

Pennington/Pena-I noticed you did not bring up anything about Pena not even spending a full week at elevation. She literally got to Utah this past Monday while Pennington already trains at altitude. People are picking Pena and I just can't do it. Long layoff, 35 years old, fighting at elevation and her footwork and stand up are not that good.

In order for Pena to win this imo she has to finish Pennington in the first 2 rounds. I think this fight goes to decision and Pennington wins. If you look at the second Nunes fight Pena was done by round 3 in Dallas. I think all Pennington needs to do is make this a grimy fight where Pena has to use a lot of energy and that should get her the win.

 

[werepig]

come to think of it, i wonder if ufc brass will give carla a montage like they did with karate hottie

 

[werepig]

I know Esparza is not a favorite among MMA viewers but if she really is retiring it's time to give her, her flowers. She has a decent resume and should be in the top 5 of all time in anyone's list for Strawweights in UFC history currently. The only better resumes you could argue currently are Weili, Rose and Joanna. I think this will be a very dirty, grinding kind of fight like most Esparza fights and I think Esparza wins by decision.

Pennington/Pena-I noticed you did not bring up anything about Pena not even spending a full week at elevation. She literally got to Utah this past Monday while Pennington already trains at altitude. People are picking Pena and I just can't do it. Long layoff, 35 years old, fighting at elevation and her footwork and stand up are not that good.

In order for Pena to win this imo she has to finish Pennington in the first 2 rounds. I think this fight goes to decision and Pennington wins. If you look at the second Nunes fight Pena was done by round 3 in Dallas. I think all Pennington needs to do is make this a grimy fight where Pena has to use a lot of energy and that should get her the win.

yikes, i didn't know that pena went up late to slc...

carla arrived in slc this week as well, she mentioned it on her ufc unfiltered interview

just another factor to throw into the mix

 

[leto1776]

So the only WMMA fight outside the UFC worth watching this weekend is off.

 

[thatdude21601]

So the only WMMA fight outside the UFC worth watching this weekend is off.

ONE should just start faking the weigh-ins again.

 

[Necrocrawler]

So the only WMMA fight outside the UFC worth watching this weekend is off.

X is blocked here lol
Which fight is off?

 

[leto1776]

X is blocked here lol
Which fight is off?

Miura vs Radzuan

 

[PurpleStorm]

[MMA] UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Main Card – iPPV (ESPN+) – 10:00pm ET / 7:00pm PT

Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña. Some don't like Pena for her mouth or feel Pennington is a dull fighter of late. Legitimate reasons and honestly neither is the most technical either, but in the cage I like them. I'm expecting a sloppy brawling affair, with Pennington outmuscling Pena in the wrestling department in the clinch up against the cage. If Pena stuck to grappling I may pick her but she hasn't seem to favor that in her past few fights. Plus she's been off for a while recovering after that absolute whooping from WMMA GOAT (imho) Amanda Nunes. And she's starting up again with the talk (claiming Pennington was a bad roommate on TUF haha) and saying elevation won't affect her. Pennington by decision or maybe stoppage by ground & pound.

Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira. Harrison's coming is at plus 800 odds, which I find too high considering that Vieira is the one who has faced stronger competition in the past. Those who watched all of Harrison's fights in PFL know she's capable of listless performances. Vieira is big and strong and if she can avoid getting taken down she could grind out a decision victory especially since it's only 3 rounds not five. That's a big if. I'm rooting for her as I love rooting for huge underdogs. Harrison by submission.

Preliminary Card – ESPNews / ESPN+ – 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT

Marina Rodriguez vs. Iasmin Lucindo. Not easy picking this Strawweight fight. Both are tough Brazilians and both have had their ups and downs. Marina's the more traditional fighter and she has a mean streak and at 5"7 a more classic size and style. Lucindo at 5"4 always looks too small too get by as striker yet every time I pick against her she bum rushes her opponent in a fit of violence. Lucindo by decision.

Preliminary Card – ESPN+ – 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT

Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington. Carla deserves a great send-off. She's been a stalwart of the Strawweight division since becoming its first champ after losing to Joanna J, she clawed and scratched her way back to the top of the heap. She hasn't fought in nearly two years after the joyful news of getting married and having a child. Tecia's a whirlwind of a fighter and has always been one of my favorites. They don't call her Tiny Tornado for nothing. Always liked her respectful attitude and relentlessness in the octagon. She's tough to take down and tough to finish. Should be a good battle. Pennington by decision.

 

[leto1776]

First Kyrgyz signing for Invicta, I believe

 

[Dn10]

What are people’s thoughts on this fight?

 

[Eater of Souls]

Lucindo and the Penningtons by DEC.

 

[Xuh]

I was surprised to see Carla was an underdog once more vs Tecia (disrespect till the end!) and thinking about laying down that flash car money again for the good ol' times sake but it seems there's a wide-ranging view that Carla is basically only turning up for a paycheck and to get a TV sign-off. I can't say I don't get the feeling that might be the case either. At least they gave her a harmless opponent in Tecia The Decision Tornado Torres - no need to take a beating, just get paid, wave goodbye, and go home to Medical Director Husbando (not quite going home to a Sherdogger, but still) and create more babies to spawn the future generation of GOATs. Makes sense to me.
And hey, maybe Tecia will retire too.
And maybe Marina will retire too? She's looked much worse in recent fights and she can go out on the same card as her could-be-BFF.

The three of them can all sail off on the same ship together.... but how am I going to continue to maintain my decadent lifestyle without Carla fights to bet on?


I don't really care about Pennington/Pena though I guess I'd slightly prefer Pena to win because she'd generate more amusing content in the buildup for a fight with Kayla.

The only thing I'm sure of on this card is Kayla Smesh.....

 

[Eater of Souls]

Lucindo and the Penningtons by DEC.

Forgot. Kayla via sub. Going senile faster than I thought.

 

[Mittens]

Very happy about the Tecia/Carla result.

After a reprehensible start rounds 4 and 5 of the title fight were actually okay. Dunno if I agree with the decision, but doesn't really matter either. Pena is still generally very irritating, though.

Forgot that Harrison had a fight and slept over it.

 

[MajorTB]

For me, Pennington/Pena was not the worst robbery I’ve ever seen. Round 1 was close, & live judges often favor the fighter coming forward, & I feel like Julianna came forward the most early on in the fight. Pennington was very accepting of bottom position when she was put there & I honestly feel like it was a mental block to not try to mount an escape, much more so than Julianna’s “crushing” top game. I would go with GDR next for Raquel.

Harrison/Vieira was competitive & dull. I figured Ketlen as Kayla’s actually hardest test in the UFC. Kayla goes for O Goshi, Ouchi Kushi & Osoto Gari, as well as Uchi Mata in the clinch. If you don’t freak out as she goes for the toss & defend wisely, you can usually block the reap she’ll attempt after you defend the toss. From the outside, her shots for the knee pick were kind of desperate & reeked of “get away from me”. None of this should be surprising for anyone who’s watched her fight with Marina Mokhntkina. Women with high level (national team level) grappling experience (Ketlen was the Brazilian national champion in wrestling) have traditionally been able to stifle Kayla’s TDs & make it a grinding match. Nova Unaio’s first 2 good female fighters (Jacquline Andrade & Claudia) were good BJJ & Judo artists. Stylistically, Kayla probably smashes Pena & Pennington who will\would’ve been in a deeper technical deficit than Vieira. Kayla should stick to what works for her, Judo. Her striking is honestly very wooden & you can see she hates it. Vieira acquired herself well, imo. She’s a good fighter, just lacks that killer instinct.

Rodriguez/Lucindo was fun. Lucindo might be a future champion, she’s already a very seasoned fighter. Rodriguez might be done as a top contender but she can still have fun fights as a gatekeeper for the top 10. I’d go Lucindo/Lemos & Rodriguez/Hill

Carla/Tecia was fine. Both women looked like aging elite fighters to me. I feel like having a child on the back of an elite fighting career kills their prime. I was happy to see Carla finally get the respect she deserves & that send off was a great recap of a very underrated (I am guilty of this) career. If she’s gonna stay fighting, I would suggest a Loma or Robertson fight.