TUF 20: Guide to the Strawweight Division

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TUF 20 Timeline:

December, 2013 - UFC announces TUF 20 with a cast of Strawweights. The season will be a 16-woman tournament to decide the first ever UFC Strawweight Champion. The UFC acquired 11 contracts from Invicta FC: Carla Esparza, Alex Chambers, Claudia Gadelha, Felice Herrig, Bec Hyatt, Emily Kagan, Julianna Lima, Rose Namajunas, Tecia Torres, Paige VanZant, and Joanne Calderwood.

*** Three of the rumoured participants are signed to the UFC, but will not compete on TUF 20: Paige VanZant (due to age restrictions), Claudia Gadelha (due to her management's concerns over making the SW limit frequently during the show), and Juliana Lima (due to language barrier).


February, 2014 - TUF 20 Coaches are announced: UFC LW Champion Anthony Pettis & Gilbert Melendez. The two will meet at UFC 181 on December 6, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada for the UFC LW Championship.


April, 2014 - Tryouts are held in Las Vegas to determine the remaining 8 cast members for TUF 20.


June 11, 2014 - UFC books first Strawweight bout in UFC history as Claudia Gadelha (11-0, Brazil) Vs. Tina Lahdemaki (5-0, Finland) in Atlantic City, New Jersey at UFC Fight Night 45: Cerrone Vs. Miller -July 16, 2014

* Claudia Gadelha wins by unianimous decision. (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)


June 30, 2014 - UFC books second Strawweight bout in UFC history as Joanna Jedrzejczyk (6-0, Poland) Vs. Juliana Lima (6-1, Brazil) in San Jose, California at UFC on FOX 12: Brown Vs. Lawler - July 26, 2014

* Joanna Jedrzejczyk wins by unanimous decision. (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)



July 3rd, 2014: TUF 20 Cast revealed!

the-ultimate-fighter-20-cast.jpg


(Left to Right) Joanne Calderwood, Rose Namajunas, Bec Rawlings, Jessica Penne, Angela Magana, Angela Hill, Heather Jo Clark, Tecia Torres, Emily Peters Kagan, Aisling Daly, Lisa Ellis, Alex Chambers, Carla Esparza, Randa Markos, Justine Kish, Felice Herrig


8 former Invicta Strawweights: (See photos and short bios on this page)

Carla Esparza (9-2, USA) (Invicta SW Champion)
Tecia Torres (4-0, USA)
Joanne Calderwood (8-0, Scotland)
Alex Chambers (4-1, Australia)
Felice Herrig (9-5, USA)
Bec Rawlings (5-3, Australia)
Emily Peters Kagan (3-1, USA)
Rose Namajunas (2-1, USA)


8 Strawweights selected through tryouts: (See photos and short bios here and here )

Heather Jo Clark (6-4, USA)
Aisling Daly (14-5, Ireland)
Lisa Ellis (15-8, USA)
Angela Hill (1-0, USA)
Justine Kish (4-0, USA)
Angela Magana (11-6, USA)
Randa Markos (4-1, Canada)
Jessica Penne (11-2, USA) (Former Invcita Atomweight Champion)


August 5, 2014 - UFC signs unbeaten Hawaiian Strawweight, Kailin Curran (3-0, USA)


September 10, 2014 - TUF 20 is set to debut on FOX Sports 1.

Teams are selected, and matches are made based on a ranking system:

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Bracket A

#1 Carla Esparza (Team Pettis) vs. #16 Angela Hill (Team Melendez)
#8 Bec Rawlings (Team Melendez) vs. #9 Justine Kish (Team Pettis) (Out due to injury, replaced by #3 Tecia Torres)
#5 Aisling Daly (Team Pettis) vs. #12 Angela Magana (Team Melendez)
#4 Jessica Penne (Team Pettis) vs. #13 Lisa Ellis (Team Melendez)

Bracket B

#2 Joanne Calderwood (Team Pettis) vs. #15 Emily Kagan (Team Melendez)
#7 Rose Namajunas (Team Melendez) vs. #10 Alex Chambers (Team Pettis)
#6 Felice Herrig (Team Pettis) vs. #11 Heather Clark (Team Melendez)
#3 Tecia Torres (Team Melendez) vs. #14 Randa Markos (Team Pettis)

1st Fight: #3 Tecia Torres (Team Melendez) vs. #14 Randa Markos (Team Pettis)

Randa Markos def. Tecia Torres via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), Round 3.

2nd Fight: #2 Joanne Calderwood (Team Pettis) vs. #15 Emily Kagan (Team Melendez)

Joanne Calderwood def. Emily Kagan via majority decision (20-18, 20-18, 19-19), Round 2.

3rd Fight: #4 Jessica Penne (Team Pettis) vs. #13 Lisa Ellis (Team Melendez)

Jessica Penne def. Lisa Ellis via submission (Rear Naked Choke), Round 1.

4th Fight: #1 Carla Esparza (Team Pettis) vs. #16 Angela Hill (Team Melendez)

Carla Esparza def. Angela Hill via submission (Rear Naked Choke), Round 1.

5th Fight: #6 Felice Herrig (Team Pettis) vs. #11 Heather Clark (Team Melendez)

Felice Herrig def. Heather Clark via unanimous decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18), Round 2.

6th Fight: #5 Aisling Daly (Team Pettis) vs. #12 Angela Magana (Team Melendez)

Aisling Daly def. Angela Magana via TKO, Round 3.

7th Fight: #7 Rose Namajunas (Team Melendez) vs. #10 Alex Chambers (Team Pettis)

Rose Namajunas def. Alex Chambers via submission (Rear Naked Choke), Round 1.

8th Fight: #3 Tecia Torres (Team Pettis) vs. #8 Bec Rawlings (Team Melendez)

Tecia Torres def. Bec Rawlings via unanimous decision, Round 2.

Quarter-Finals:

1st Fight: #6 Felice Herrig (Team Pettis) vs. #14 Randa Markos (Team Pettis)

Randa Markos wins via submission (Modified Armbar), Round 1.

2nd Fight: #4 Jessica Penne (Team Pettis) vs. #5 Aisling Daly (Team Pettis)

Jessica Penne wins via unanimous decision, Round 3.

3rd Fight: #1 Carla Esparza (Team Pettis) vs. #3 Tecia Torres (Team Pettis)

Carla Esparza wins via majority decision, Round 2.

4th Fight: #2 Joanne Calderwood (Team Pettis) vs. #7 Rose Namajunas (Team Melendez)

Rose Namajunas wins via submission (Kimura), Round 1.


November, 2014 - UFC signs South Korean AW Seo Hee Ham (15-5 MMA). She will compete at SW in the UFC, debut vs. Joanne Calderwood at TUF 20 Finale.


November 22, 2014 - Third UFC SW bout is Paige VanZant (3-1, USA) Vs. Kailin Curran (3-0, USA) (Originally scheduled for October 4 in Halifax, Nova Scotia at UFC Fight Night 54: MacDonald Vs. Saffiedine - Fight moved due to VanZant injury)

* Paige VanZant wins by TKO, Round 3. (4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC). Both fighters receive a $50,000 bonus for FOTN.


December 12, 2014 - The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, Nevada


December 13, 2014 - Claudia Gadelha (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC, Brazil) Vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC, Poland) booked for UFC on FOX 13.



Earlier News, Rumours, Cast Profiles, etc. :


TUF 20: Guide to the Strawweight Division
BY NATHAN MCCARTER
DECEMBER 13, 2013

Dana White announced on a conference call this week that the UFC has acquired 11 strawweight fighters from Invicta FC. Those 11 will compete in a tournament on The Ultimate Fighter's 20th season to determine the first ever UFC Strawweight Champion.

The 115-pound division has long been considered the deepest division in women's MMA. However, it has not been a long time where the elite have been able to compete against one another.

It was Bellator who signed several of the top female athletes to have them compete in a tournament back in 2010. Longtime divisional standout Megumi Fujii would take on Zoila Frausto Gurgel in the finals and lose a controversial decision.

Since then, the division has changed. Gurgel moved to 125-pounds, Jessica Aguilar moved to the top of the division with a seven-fight win streak and Invicta FC appeared on the scene.

Invicta finally began to build a true elite 115-pound division, and Carla Esparza would take their inaugural title. The organization brought in several of the top ranked women from around the world and helped foster prospects such as Tecia Torres.

A lot of hard work has paid off, and now the deepest division of women's MMA will be under the big top of the UFC.



TUF 20 Non-Top 10 Strawweights


Alex "Astro Girl" Chambers (4-1, Australia)

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Chambers is 35 years old, and she is on a two-fight win streak. That includes a 95-second submission victory over Jodie Esquibel at Invicta FC 5. Her lone loss was in 2012 to Mizuki Inoue.


FULL MEET THE STRAWWEIGHTS: ALEX CHAMBERS ARTICLE here



Emily Kagan (3-1, USA)

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Kagan is 1-1 in Invicta FC. She lost to Rose Namajunas, but rebounded with a stoppage victory over Ashley Cummins.


FULL MEET THE STRAWWEIGHTS: EMILY KAGAN ARTICLE here



"Thug" Rose Namajunas (2-1, USA)

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This 21-year-old is a fantastic prospect who is coming off a loss to Tecia Torres in a fun fight at Invicta FC 6.

She has a fantastic array of strikes, and has shown good submission skills as well. Her flying armbar shocked folks at Invicta FC 5. All three of her professional bouts have taken place at Invicta.


FULL MEET THE STRAWWEIGHTS: ROSE NAMAJUNAS ARTICLE here


...continued...
 
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...continued...

"Rowdy" Bec Rawlings (Hyatt) (No. 12, 5-3, Australia)

Bec-Hyatt.jpg


Rawlings was a short notice replacement in the inaugural Invicta FC Strawweight Championship match, and she was dominated by Esparza.

After defeating Jasminka Cive at Invicta FC 5, she returned to take on Mizuki Inoue at Invicta FC 6. She dropped an exciting bout to the young Japanese fighter.

Rawlings has decent raw ability, but she is not a big threat to win the first UFC strawweight title.


FULL MEET THE STRAWWEIGHTS: BEC RAWLINGS ARTICLE here


TUF 20 Top 10 Strawweights


Invicta FC Strawweight Champion: Carla Esparza

Carla "The Cookie Monster" Esparza (No. 3, 9-2, USA)

Carla-Esparza-2.jpg


Esparza has not dropped a fight since losing to Jessica Aguilar in Bellator back in 2011. Since that time, she has gone 4-0 with wins over Felice Herrig and Bec Hyatt.

"The Cookie Monster" is a very good wrestler, and once she has top position it is tough to get her off of you. She gets good position, utilizes quality ground and pound, and also looks for submissions. Two of her three Invicta FC victories came by way of TKO.

There is no question she enters as the favorite to win it all. She is, after all, the champion.

Esparza's only other loss was in 2010. She tapped to an armbar from Megumi Fujii. Esparza's two losses are to the two dominant forces in the division. Aguilar and Fujii have been the premier fighters at 115-pounds for years.

The great equalizer for the rest of the cast may be that The Ultimate Fighter is a pressure cooker. It is a different animal. A fighter does not get months to train for a specific fighter and then gradually get their weight down before weigh-ins. The timeline for TUF 20 opens the doors to upsets.

The Invicta FC strawweight champion will have her work cut out for her.

FULL MEET THE STRAWWEIGHTS: CARLA ESPARZA ARTICLE here



Joanne "Jo Jo" Calderwood (No. 4, 8-0, Scotland)

011_Joanne_Calderwood.jpg


Prior to the UFC announcement there was talks that Calderwood could have been next in line for a title shot in Invicta. And it would be well deserved.

The Scottish striker is one of the most exciting fighters in all of women's MMA. She is accurate and dangerous. In her most recent outing, against Katja Kankaanp
 
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Gonna be Esparza, JoJo, torres, Gadleha if she can make weight, that will be the final 4 imo.

Depends on who fights who but I can see Torres vs Esparza in the finals.
 
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Top Row: 'Thug' Rose Namajunas, Paige Van Zant, Carla Esparza, Emily Kagan

Middle Row: Joanne Calderwood, Bec Hyatt, Tecia Torres

Bottom Row: Alex Chambers, Felice Herrig, Claudia Gadelha, Juliana Lima
 
Calderwood is going to win and make it look easy.
 
I'd like to see Jessica aguilar added in and if she can gain the ten pounds (which I think she could) Jessica Penne moving up for a spot, lord knows there is not much left for her at 105
 
I'd like to see Jessica aguilar added in and if she can gain the ten pounds (which I think she could) Jessica Penne moving up for a spot, lord knows there is not much left for her at 105

penne would definitely be a sweet addition to this list.
 
Nice thread. Thanks for posting.

saw this shared by tecia torres on facebook. it seemed to be a nice concise look at the main players, as well as other possibilities and hopefuls.
 
I'm hoping for Rose to win but am a fan of many of these ladies. So happy the UFC added 115 and chose to do it this way with a tournament to determine the first champ. Gonna be fun to watch for sure.
 
Gonna be Esparza, JoJo, torres, Gadleha if she can make weight, that will be the final 4 imo.

Depends on who fights who but I can see Torres vs Esparza in the finals.

This.. clear top 4 of the 11, rose probably darkhorse at #5
with this format I can see any of the 4 match up in the final Id probably go with jojo vs Esparza instead but if Gadleha can perform close to her norm probably her vs Esparza given they don't face either other early.
 
Well how about that, a decent piece from BR. Now that's rare!

I'm hoping there will be major changes made just for this season, namely three 5-minute rounds that counts on record as pro fights. Would be a shame to see some of these highly-anticipated Top 10 clashes going down in spectacular fashion and the results are considered to be merely exhibitions.
 
Gonna be Esparza, JoJo, torres, Gadleha if she can make weight, that will be the final 4 imo..

Let's not forget the lessons of TUF 18. Everyone thought Baszler would be in the finals with Larosa and nobody though Rakoczy even deserved to be on the show. Turns out that nothing went as expected. I expect more of the same on TUF 20.

While I agree that the four women you mentioned are probably the favorites, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see two or three of them not make it to the semifinals. Some of the lesser known fighters could make huge strides forward training full-time for the next six months. Some of the favorites could have real trouble making weight two or three times on short notice. And who knows which fighters will thrive and which will fall apart under the constant scrutiny of the cameras and the isolation of TUF house.
 
I assume you mean in the same sense that Leonard Garcia is a talented striker?

Herrig is a legit talented striker. She was 23-5 as a kickboxer and won multiple tournaments as a pro. She even competed in Chuck Norris' short-lived World Combat League. Very few women in MMA can beat her on the feet. I would rank her as the fourth best striker at 115 behind (in no particular order) Inoue, Calderwood, and Torres.
 
She even competed in Chuck Norris' short-lived World Combat League.
Well stop the fucking presses.

That's like, K1 level striking, but better.

I assume you think Munah Holland is a striking great too because she competed in the WCL?
 
Calderwood vs Torres for the belt, and Vanzant wins the hottie of the house award.
 
I assume you mean in the same sense that Leonard Garcia is a talented striker?

i didn't write the article. it was posted on bleacher report, so be sarcastic with the author.
 
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