TUF 26 (A New World Champion): Weekly Updates - Daily Talk

[mihailovich]

This TUF has been really great, it's a shame so many people aren't giving it a chance just because they think all girls there are bums. Barb, Roxy and Sijara are looking really sharp so far and i'd give Roxy a chance against anyone, her grappling in general is excellent nowadays, vicious GNP.

And that high kick of Sijara?

I haven't watched even one episode but I always check out the highlights from Roxy's fights. So happy that she's got a second wind in her career. She now has true killer instinct. Hopefully she wins the whole thing.

 

[Tobago Jones]

Disagree, Eye was at some point one of the best FLWs of the world, at BW she was clearly undersized.

Which of her opponents outsized her? I can’t think of anyone obvious aside from McMann.

 

[MajorTB]

LaRosa angling for her retirement fight?

LaRosas last good win was in 2011. She was never the best female fighter in the world as she'd have you believe. She comes off as extremely bitter. Murphy and her can go fight it out in some bush league as far away as possible from TV.

Which of her opponents outsized her? I can’t think of anyone obvious aside from McMann.

Kaufman was definitely thicker and stronger than Eye. I think Eye was carrying extra weight at 135 that slowed her down some, but a lot of her problems go beyond weight.

 

[leto1776]

Disagree, Eye was at some point one of the best FLWs of the world, at BW she was clearly undersized.

Her best win at 125 was against former 115lber Zoila Frausto (Gurgel at the time). She was propelled off of hate for Frausto. 125 at the time was barely a step above non existent. She was never that good.

 

[executionermma]

Her best win at 125 was against former 115lber Zoila Frausto (Gurgel at the time). She was propelled off of hate for Frausto. 125 at the time was barely a step above non existent. She was never that good.

At amateurs she has a win over Barb (who as you know became 125 queen later), it has to count too.

Which of her opponents outsized her? I can’t think of anyone obvious aside from McMann.

McMann, Kaufman and Bethe. Jessica is taller than Bethe, but Bethe is a big and thick girl, she cuts like 15-25 lbs to make 135, seems like a much stronger girl than most BWs and specially a FLW Eye.

 

[leto1776]

At amateurs she has a win over Barb (who as you know became 125 queen later), it has to count too.

McMann, Kaufman and Bethe. Jessica is taller than Bethe, but Bethe is a big and thick girl, she cuts like 15-25 lbs to make 135, seems like a much stronger girl than most BWs and specially a FLW Eye.

An ammy fight 9 years ago? Really?

Magana has a win over Barb as a pro. maybe she should have been hailed as the best at 125.

 

[esum80]

Apparently finalists were leaked on twitter earlier by accident. Don’t wanna spoil it but isn’t hard to find

apparently it is, cause i tried like half a dozen different searches without luck (PM me)

couldn't find anything either.

 

[executionermma]

An ammy fight 9 years ago? Really?

Magana has a win over Barb as a pro. maybe she should have been hailed as the best at 125.

At some point Magana was legit, she was 11-4 losing only to Aguilar, Penne and other girl when Eye fought her, of course now she sucks and is probably the worst fighter in UFC, but it hasn't been like that forever.

PS: Barb went like 10-1 in amateurs, only lost to Eye.

 

[leto1776]

At some point Magana was legit, she was 11-4 losing only to Aguilar, Penne and other girl when Eye fought her, of course now she sucks and is probably the worst fighter in UFC, but it hasn't been like that forever.

PS: Barb went like 10-1 in amateurs, only lost to Eye.

So can you name any other legit wins Eye has at flyweight as a pro, besides Frausto?

 

[executionermma]

So can you name any other legit wins Eye has at flyweight as a pro, besides Frausto?

Well Carina Damn is not a scrub, she is not a UFC-level fighter but isn't a bum either, if that fight was at FLW (im assuming) thats a legit win.

 

[leto1776]

Well Carina Damn is not a scrub, she is not a UFC-level fighter but isn't a bum either, if that fight was at FLW (im assuming) thats a legit win.

Carrina Damm entered that fight on a two fight skid, before that she won two, preceded by a three fight skid. Her downward spiral was already established when she fought Eye.

The idea that Eye was top of the 125 division, even back in 2012, is such a false narrative.

 

[executionermma]

Carrina Damm entered that fight on a two fight skid, before that she won two, preceded by a three fight skid. Her downward spiral was already established when she fought Eye.

The idea that Eye was top of the 125 division, even back in 2012, is such a false narrative.

10-1 (not a normal record for WMMA standards) at pro and 5-0 at amateurs, definitely a top FLW at that time, maybe not #1

 

[MidgardSerpent]

This TUF has been really great, it's a shame so many people aren't giving it a chance just because they think all girls there are bums. Barb, Roxy and Sijara are looking really sharp so far and i'd give Roxy a chance against anyone, her grappling in general is excellent nowadays, vicious GNP.

And that high kick of Sijara?

The majority of the girls that lost are boxercise scrubs with zero ground game that gave up the second it hit the ground. If you're fighting in a light weightclass and you're female, it's common sense you better fucking have some ground game.

Roxy has improved tons though in the twilight of her career, but imo she has very low marketability. Don't see the division having much star power in general.

 

[executionermma]

The majority of the girls that lost are boxercise scrubs with zero ground game that gave up the second it hit the ground, imo it was a pretty sad display. Roxy has improved tons though in the twilight of her career, but imo she has very low marketability. Don't see the division having much star power in general.

Most of them, yeah, they certainly aren't UFC-level, but if UFC can get 4 or 5 of TUF girls to fight at 125, this TUF was a sucess. I'd have Roxy, Barb, Sijara, Nico and and Montana at least. Also you have to keep in mind that the best FLWs aren't at this TUF (Ariane Lipski, Jennifer Maia, Kuma, Nakai etc). And disagree about Roxy, she can have a great fanbase with proper marketing.

 

[MidgardSerpent]

Most of them, yeah, they certainly aren't UFC-level, but if UFC can get 4 or 5 of TUF girls to fight at 125, this TUF was a sucess. I'd have Roxy, Barb, Sijara, Nico and and Montana at least. Also you have to keep in mind that the best FLWs aren't at this TUF (Ariane Lipski, Jennifer Maia, Kuma, Nakai etc). And disagree about Roxy, she can have a great fanbase with proper marketing.

Also, in their defense, most TUF seasons are littered with weak competition, usually a handful will rise above the rest and have a decent career in the UFC. I'm sure we will see something similar with this season. Just got really annoyed how easily the losing girls were dispatched on the ground. Emily even admitted she quit, even though the ground was her strength, not exactly a good look to your future employer.

The Sarj ko was absolutely sick though.

 

[executionermma]

Also, in their defense, most TUF seasons are littered with weak competition, usually a handful will rise above the rest and have a decent career in the UFC. I'm sure we will see something similar with this season. Just got really annoyed how easily the losing girls were dispatched on the ground. Emily even admitted she quit, even though the ground was her strength, not exactly a good look to your future employer.

The Sarj ko was absolutely sick though.

Dude i think Roxy grappling is being really underrated, she has that Khabib style of claustrophobic pressure, mixing transitions with continuous GnP, most low-tier girls at UFC right now would quit against someone like her too. Of course vets wouldn't, but girls with less than 10 fights are very likely to not know how to deal with that type of beating.

But yeah some other girls were very outclassed on the ground, to a astonishing extent.

 

[Askafan]

10-1 (not a normal record for WMMA standards) at pro and 5-0 at amateurs, definitely a top FLW at that time, maybe not #1

Back in October 2013 she was the number 2 flyweight at Fight Matrix behind Honchak, number 10 p4p. I'm not a believer in the Fight Matrix methodology but still, you're not wrong.

 

[Thirdpres]

Back in October 2013 she was the number 2 flyweight at Fight Matrix behind Honchak, number 10 p4p. I'm not a believer in the Fight Matrix methodology but still, you're not wrong.

Yep.

Jessica Eye was considered a top ten flyweight back in the day. I think she entered the Unified Women's Rankings/MMARising at ten back in 2011. It is not that easy to find that kind of information now but there are articles floating about with that information in them. Mostly from the UG.

I decided to look into some of my old notes from years back to see if I had anything. I saw a few items that I will post. The top one is Unified. I can't recall the other systems off the top of my head. No specific order to them in time frame but I think the Unified one is the (second most) recent just by eyeballing them.

The most recent one is the second list now that I am feeling a little better; it reflects Munah Hollands win over Marianna Kheyfets, having fractured her orbital bone during the fight and leading to her retirement from MMA.

Once LaRosa was inactive and Sexton and Gaff went to the UFC Honchak and Eye were left on top of the heap at flyweight.

Cat was already back to the bantamweight division due to her Invicta stint and going into the UFC prior to Sexton and Gaff of course.

Super Flyweights (116-125 pounds):

1. Tara LaRosa (20-2-0)
2. Rosi “The Surgeon” Sexton (12-2-0)
3. Cat “Alpha” Zingano (6-0-0)
4. Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak (5-2-0)
5. Sheila “The German Tank” Gaff (9-4-1)
6. Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly (13-2-0)
7. Jessica “Evil” Eye (6-1-0)
8. Marianna “The Crushen Russian” Kheyfets (5-0-0)
9. “Slick” Sally Krumdiack (9-4-0)
10. Hanna Sillen (5-1-0)

*Previously number two-ranked Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Gurgel (Frausto) removed due to inactivity. She will be eligible to be ranked again upon her return from injury.

Note: This was the timeframe of the Cage Warriors Women's Flyweight Tournament. Gaff had just punked Jennifer Maia with a fake hand-greeting to punch that knocked Maia out of the top ten at flyweight for this rankings.
--

Flyweight (116-125lbs) (MMAVixens.com?)

1.Cat Zingano 6-0
2. Rosi Sexton 13-2
3.Sheila Gaff 10-4-1
4. Munah Holland 6-1
5.Angela Magana 10-4
6. Barb Honchak 5-2
7. Aisling Daly 13-3
8.Takayo Hashi 14-4
9.Marianna Kheyfets 5-1
10. Jessica Eye 13-4
11. Roxanne Modafferi 15-10
12.Miki Morifuji 11-6
13. Carina Damm 17-8
14.Hanna Sillen 5-1
15. Reyna Cordoba 5-0
16. Heather Clark 5-2

--

1 Tara LaRosa
2 Rosi Sexton
3 Takayo Hashi
4 Sheila Gaff
5 Aisling Daly
6Angela Magana
7Lacey Schuckman
8Jessica Eye
9Felice Herrig
10Michelle Ould
11Maiju Kujala
12Barb Honchak
13Heather Clark
14Reyna Cordoba
15Marianna Kheyfets
16 Jasminka Cive
17Katja Kalliokoski (Kankaanpaa)
18Hanna Sillen
19Kate Jackson
20 Tevi Say
21Sarah Maloy
24 Kinberly Novaes
23Bec Hyatt (Rawlings)
24Sarah Alpar
25 Sally Krumdiack
26 Simona Soukupova



--
Here is just a number of flyweights of that timeframe and just before hand to get a sense of some of the fighters. Not everyone listed was a flyweight at the same time. There are a few that are a part of the larger list not included but lots of cross overs.

((Edit) And there are just so many out there. I remember feeling that Brazilians just were not being accurately depicted in the rankings during this time period so when I was doing the Women's MMA List by Weight Class thread I made sure to be fully inclusive of them in the upper rankings where it made sense to me.)

W125:
Tara Larosa, Cat Zingano, Rosi Sexton. Hitomi Akano, Carina Damm, Barb Honchak, Sheila Gaff, Sally Krumdiack, Zoila Gurgel (Frausto). Marianna Kheyfets, Hanna Sillen, Maiju Kujala, Katja Kankaanpaa (Kalliokoski), Reyna Cordoba, Angela Magana, Sophie Bagherdai, Heather Clark, Jessica Eye, Michelle Ould, Takayo Hashi, Aisling Daly, Lacey Schuckman, Kate Jackson, Jennifer Maia, Kalindra Faira, Tevi Say, Sarah Maloy, Kinberly Novaes, Bec Hyatt, Sarah Alpar, Nina Ansaroff, Kelly Warren, Casey Noland, Jasminka Cive

Tonya Evinger, Anita Rodriguez, Felice Herrig

Herrig had started into the strawweight division just before this period. Heather Jo Clark was gunning for her and trying to get her to go back up to flyweight or catchweight for a fight. Clark would eventually go down to strawweight in pursuit of that fight and the UFC (of course).

Evinger fought three times at flyweight towards the end of this period. 2011-2012. Including the fight with Rodriguez who has often jumped between weight divisions.

 

[Ignicious]

It sucked that DeAnna (my boo) and Sarj had to fight eachother, but I had a feeling that Sarj would end up winning that fight.

 

[lagofala]

Roxy has improved tons though in the twilight of her career, but imo she has very low marketability. Don't see the division having much star power in general.

I disagree with this. The ability to truly inspire works better than trash talk sometimes. She is real to the max. If UFC eskews their normal way of promotion, she could be a mainstream darling.