Official Women's Division Discussion #27

[Necrocrawler]

I assume, as is Japanese tradition, this will be a battle of teenage schoolgirls TO THE DEATH?

Battle royale to appease the gods

 

[leto1776]

Montana DLR vs Mayra Bueno Silva in the works for Feb 27: https://www.mmafighting.com/2020/12...no-silva-in-the-works-for-ufc-event-on-feb-27

 

[aerius]

Decided to watch Taila vs. Mara again since I couldn't remember that fight and wanted to know how the heck Taila lost given the way she controlled Gillian on the ground and beat up Meatball everywhere.

UFC debut jitters are real. Good work early in the 1st, then gave up a questionable takedown but managed to keep her composure and keep improving her position until she could start threatening some subs near the end. Looked a bit gassed & sloppy at the start of the 2nd which allowed Mara to get a lot of clinch time, but she defended the takedowns pretty well and didn't let Mara get double underhooks or a dominant body position on her. Then she found her groove in the 3rd and lit up Mara badly on the feet.

Fundamentally, she looks pretty solid all around. She's not thrashing around on the ground and giving up freebies, she knows how to work in the clinch, and she sets things up well on the feet. Looking at the Meatball and Robertson fights, I think she's going to be a problem for lots of fighters in her division. Dealing with her standup is going to suck, going to the ground isn't a picnic either as Gillian found out, and she's been learning Valentina's clinch takedown techniques. I think she's one of the more promising fighters at 125, and definitely one to keep an eye on.

 

[Askafan]

Montana DLR vs Mayra Bueno Silva in the works for Feb 27: https://www.mmafighting.com/2020/12...no-silva-in-the-works-for-ufc-event-on-feb-27

You'd think Whitmire vs Cifers would be a loser leaves the roster type of fight, but then I don't know why Hannah is on such a good contract - $25k show being her last published purse, with some saying she's now on $33k despite the losses. So she's not cheap, especially when you factor in her opponents picking up performance bonuses.

Why? Is Ali her behind the scenes management consultant, does Dana just love her organic sausages? I'm just hoping they're keeping her around for Super Atomweight.

 

[You Will Vote For Dreyga]

You'd think Whitmire vs Cifers would be a loser leaves the roster type of fight, but then I don't know why Hannah is on such a good contract - $25k show being her last published purse, with some saying she's now on $33k despite the losses. So she's not cheap, especially when you factor in her opponents picking up performance bonuses.

Why? Is Ali her behind the scenes management consultant, does Dana just love her organic sausages? I'm just hoping they're keeping her around for Super Atomweight.

She has done a lot of favors for the matchmakers stepping in on last minute in the middle of the panedemic. Being a company woman has it rewards.

 

[Askafan]

She has done a lot of favors for the matchmakers stepping in on last minute in the middle of the panedemic. Being a company woman has it rewards.

That certainly helps, I believe Cortney Casey is the highest paid unranked fighter at the moment on $53k to show, she's another who's been well rewarded for services above and beyond.

 

[Kuksenkov]

As for Hannah Cifers: Indeed, she went from $25k to $33k after the Agapova fight. We also saw Angela Hill be the co-main twice (then later bumped up to main event), against two Top 10 fighters, after being a company woman too.

Wouldn't be shocked if Chookagian gets another raise too (25k prior to her title shot, 60k-65k afterwards), as she took three short notice fights this year. She'll probably be on a 70k contract next year, not bad for a fighter that doesn't move the needle.

 

[Mittens]

Hans Gruber just fell off the Nakatomi Tower, and christmas eve is officially here. So it's time for my personal list of things worth listing for 2020:

Bestest Fight: Zhang/Joanna
JBG Special Award: Stoliarenko/Versoza
Best Submission: Lipski
Overall MVP of the Year: Io Shirai
The Arianne Lipski Award: Lipski
Rewatch Everything Award: Tecia Torres (that CV is pretty damn great, even with all them losses considering who she lost to)
Saddest thing: No Seohee Ham at all

Have a great and safe yuletime, you lot. :tree:

 

[Rizz]

Now things are getting interesting. Who was Cindy going to fight? Is this the most hardcore way to duck a fighter ever? This also puts her win streak vs low level fighters in even more bad light.

 

[MMALOPEZ]

https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2020/12/bellator-russian-ronda-irina-alekseeva-signs-multifight-deal

 

[leto1776]

Fight of the year for me is JJ/Zhang. Will give some thought to the rest.

I assume you are asking only for WMMA?

Well this is fun, think I'll put in two lists, first off the UFC

KO of the year, Cachoeira saving her career by koing Dobson
Submission of the year, GDR putting the Venezuelan Vixen to sleep!
Breakout fighter, Ribas ☆
Prospect to watch in 2021, Murata ☆
Fight of the year, Weili v Joanna ☆
Fighter of the year, Mackenzie Dern, 3 x Ws including 2 bonuses and the first kneebar finish. ☆

The non-UFC list

KO of the year, Geltmacher koing my fave caber tosser Caitlin Sammons ☆
Submission of the year, the Demopoulos comeback against Sam Hughes ☆
Breakout fighter, Manon Fiorot
Prospect to watch in 2021, Juliana Miller
Fight of the year, Stoliarenko v Verzosa
Fighter of the year, Juliana Velasquez

Don't know much about the Asians, sorry.

Edit: In case these get totalled up and as it's unfair to have two votes, this side of the briny anyway, I've put a ☆ by my final choice.

KO of the Year: Bianca Antman's headkick against Veera Nykanen at Brave 37
Submission of the Year: Vanessa Demopoulos putting Sam Hughes to sleep with an inverted triangle after getting dominated for most of their title fight at LFA 85
Breakout Fighter: Amanda Ribas
Prospect to Watch in 2021: Lupita Godinez
Fight of the Year: Zhang vs. JJ
Fighter of the Year: Mackenzie Dern

KO of the year: Antman vs Nykanen
reasoning:
i) it was a headkick that KTFO'd her opponent (always most important in this category)
ii) she was losing the fight and it was a last-round comeback KO
iii) it's not in a major org so makes me look like a know-it-all hipster... well it would have if @Larisa. hadn't just mentioned it (and my next few picks)
iv) all must kneel before the ANTMAN!!!!

Sub of the year: Demopolous/Hughes
I feel there is a dichotomy between skillz (eg a flyweight boxer piecing up their opponent with slick movement to a TKO) and 'holy shit bro' factor (eg two fatty HW behemoths swanging at each other till one of their heads pops off) when making these kinds of choices.
I was going to go with Lipski/Carolina for the 'holy shit bro' factor despite the mega-derp level of the whole sequence, but then @Askafan mentioned Demopolous/Hughes which ticks both the skillz and 'holy shit' boxes so is the clear winner to me.

BreakOut Fighter... Amanda Ribas
- I just want to force you to do a video segment singing her praises and hyping her future. That's two three votes now, you know it's coming.

(but it was gonna be my pick before seeing anyone else's anyway)

Prospect to Watch in 2021: Erin BlanchField

Fight of the Year: Moroz vs Silva ( because I have to be different )

Fighter of the year: Carla Esparza (...what?)

Singlet Award: Murata Canopener

KO of the year: geltmacher over caitlin (I'm not sure I seen any other KOs this year that are memorable)
Submission of the year: Lipski that's a once in a lifetime sub.
Breakout fighter: yan xiaonan (alot of people are saying Ribas who really didn't do much (PVZ and Markos), but yan graduated from prospect to contender knocking off veterans like KK and Claudia.
Prospect to watch in 2021: Murata
Fight of the year obviously: Zhang vs jj
Fighter of the year: Tecia Torres, she looked like she was on the decline but 2020 she dominated 2 prospects and shows she's still at the top, no one really stands out val got some defenses, Ribas got some wins, Dern has 3 wins, Robertson can hit 3 wins with her next fight.

erin blanchfield vs. victoria leonardo is the answer to at least one of these

KOTY - Andrade over Chookagian, Kielholtz over Jackson, or Blanchfield over Leonardo.
SOTY - Dern over Cifers or Lipski over Carolina.
Breakout fighter- Denice Zamboanga or Cory McKenna
Prospect - Bella Mir, Kana Wantanabe, or Claressa Shields
FOTY - Weill/Joanna is the only option
FOTY - I think it may be Lauren Murphy?

KO of the year: Geltmacher over Caitlin
Submission of the year: Lipski because she had not shown much prior. Dern is supposed to be the ground wizard to end all grappling to hear her team talk but it does not show.
Breakout fighter: Yan Xiaonan
Prospect to watch in 2021: Bella Mir although I expect I am giving her extra regard based on her father and might be expecting too much.
Fight of the year: Zhang vs JJ
Fighter of the year: Dunno. Nobody really stands out. Some people are talking about Dern but her standup and takedowns are still terrible and she continues to look down when throwing an overhand right. So just because I am a crotchety old bastard I will say Ribas just to irritate Leto.

Thanks for all the ideas. Anyone else have anything?

Not every YouTuber is a biased "know it all", but Clown Shoes and his fellow Addict narrator speak out of their narcissistic asses quite often, unfortunately they have followers who agree with them and spread those ideas around online.
.

Doesn't help that they block any comments that disagree with them, so it looks like there is no disagreement with their opinions. The second one you mentioned, his review of Hamasaki vs Ham last NYE, he deleted every comment that pointed out he didn't know/understand Rizin's scoring system.

 

[Eater of Souls]

Thanks for all the ideas. Anyone else have anything?

WMMA poster of the year: PurpleStorm. Genuinely good guy.

 

[aerius]

Thanks for all the ideas. Anyone else have anything?

KO of the year: Priscilla Cachoeira's bus driver uppercut to pickup her first win in the UFC and save her career

Sub of the year: Sabina Mazo choking out Kish in the last 90 seconds of a close fight to seal the win and get the first sub in her career

Breakout fighter: Darina Madzyuk. No one had even heard of her a month ago. Boy has that ever changed after her last fight.

Prospect to watch: Taila Santos. Beat up Meatball on the feet and won against Robertson on the ground, that's gonna be trouble for a lot of flyweights.

Fight of the Year: Waterson vs. Esparza in a 3 round nail biting demonstration of how not to punch and how not to shoot a takedown. Just kidding. It's Weili vs. Joanna.

Fighter of the Year: Valentina Shevchenko. Not so much for her work inside the cage, but what she's doing to help promote & grow the sport. She's now heavily featured on the UFC's media and promo material, has features on ESPN, sets a good example for women looking to get into combat sports, and she teaches seminars that anyone can attend.

 

[leto1776]

Keep an eye on Seika Izawa in 2021. Made her debut and won against an opponent with much more experience than her, and in her second fight this past weekend at DJ31, she defeated the DJ strawweight champ in a non title match. Now she is guaranteed a rematch for the title.

 

[PurpleStorm]

WMMA poster of the year: PurpleStorm. Genuinely good guy.

Thanks EOS. I enjoy learning & reading for all the banter & humor.

 

[leto1776]

 

[werepig]

my 2020 ufc wmma awards:
- best hype-train derailment: roxy v. maycee barber
- lazarus award: shana dobson, who went from being KO'd by priscilla cachoeira to G'nPing mariya agapova
- freak fight award*: bea malecki v. veronica macedo (am currently rewatching and the fight is starting to fall apart at the 3:00 mark of round 2)
- "nice jitz!" award: gdr putting julianna pena to sleep with a guillotine
- quicksand award: randa markos v. mackenzie dern - randa would have escaped if it were anyone else but mackenzie dern
- picasso award: jessica-rose clark for rearranging sarah alpar's face 3 weeks before her wedding
- bumfights award: gina mazany v. rachel ostovich
- event of the year: calvillo v. eye
- fighter of the year: hannah cifers, for going 0/4 against veteran fighters angela hill & mackenzie dern, then getting KO'd in spectacular fashion by prospect mariya agapova, and finally, being on the wrong end of a "comeback of the year" fight against mallory martin. thank you for your service ms.cifers!

---
*there was a bigger size discrepancy between jessica andrade and katlyn chookagian but this bea/veronica fight is way funnier to watch

 

[Rizz]

Happy Holidays Everyone.

 

[Eater of Souls]

Merry Christmas everyone.

 

[WMMA]

Merry Christmas everyone, this year hasn't been great for many people, hopefully 2021 will be better. Take care of yourselves.

Times are tough but remember:

WMMA poster of the year: PurpleStorm. Genuinely good guy.

Preach! Poster of the year, period. Across all boards on Sherdog.

Hope you're doing well EOS, Merry Christmas