Bellator 69: Fujii vs. Aguilar. Can You Say Superfight?

Editorial by Lacey Neher

Fujjii (left) vs. Aguilar

I am not going to mince words here, Megumi "Mega Megu" Fujii (25-1) is my favorite fighter. (along w/ Lyoto Machida...but I digress) This Friday night at Bellator 69 Fujii will be fighting one of my top five favorites, Jessica "Jag"Aguilar
(13-4). In my opinion, this is the Superfight of the year. No, not Rousey vs. Tate not Sonnen vs. Silva...FUJII vs. AGUILAR.

Ronda Rousey is a great fighter, but she is also a great publicity machine. She is an expert at getting her name out there. I mean...geesh, I am talking about her right now. But, in my opinion these two 115 pounders will leave a much bigger footprint in the history of MMA.

Especially Fujii, considering she holds the record for the most consecutive wins with 22 in a row before being defeated by Zoila (Frausto) Gurgel by split decision for the Bellator 115lbs. belt. Some people still think that fight was too stiffly contested to call a definite winner.With Fujii winning over 75% of her fights by submission, she is the original gangsta when it comes to armbars, keylocks and toe holds.

Jessica Aguilar is pretty smooth on the ground as well winning a high percentage of her fights by submission. She was also defeated by Gurgel in the 115 tourney and that  defeat was was even more contested by fans because Jag, in most opinions had the slight advantage over Gurgel in strikes.

Fujii has been mainly fighting over in her homeland of Japan, but she is fighting in her first North American fight since her defeat. Mega Megu's last fight was on New Years Eve at Dream in Japan. A fight she won by armbar in the first round. Aguilar may give her a great test, because Aguilar is well versed on the ground as well, but Fujii's experience and sheer determination may help her pull out the victory.


Aguilar won a decision over Patricia Vidonic back in February. Jessica is a well respected member of the FMMA community and MMA as a whole. She is very kind and insightful and I predicted she would be defeated in her last fight, I am so glad she proved me wrong. She is a true warrior, both standing as well as the ground and you can never ever count her out.

Megumi Fujii is the #1 ranked 115lbs fighter with Jessica Aguilar ranking in behind her at #2. Gurgel has lost any ranking in that weight class for she hasn't fought in it since she won the belt at Bellator a year and a half ago. The winner of this Superfight will walk away with the #1 ranking and if you care about the sport one iota you will be watching MTV2 at 8pm EST this Friday night. My prediction is that it will be an all out war by two fighters who have raised the bar in MMA.

Yes, as I said Fujii is my fave, and  Aguilar is up towards the top of the list as well, so I can't bring myself to out and out cheer for either. I will be cheering for both and happy for fans of MMA that they have the gift of this Superfight to look forward to.


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Straight Outta the UK: MMA Fighter, Danielle West

By Lacey Neher

Danielle West (4-3) is a 145lbs MMA Fighter, who if you didn't know this fact in advance, you may be surprised. She is a renaissance woman truly as she travels, writes, makes soap, and oh yeah... she kicks people in the face now and then.

On one hand, the weight division she fights in is struggling because of the recent PED scandel by the seemingly unstoppable Cris "Cyborg" Santos. But, on the other hand Marloes Coenen is keeping the 145lbs weight class in the spotlight with her victory in the first ever Invicta FC main event last month. West, just like many other female fighters would like to earn a spot on an upcomimg Invicta show. She has a name many in the FMMA community know and the American born and bred, United Kingdom transplant, hopes to make it more well known in the future.

 I got a chance to get to know Danielle "The Curse" West better in an interview. I think you should too.


LN: How did you get your start in MMA? Tell me about yourself...

West: got started about 9 years ago when I used to help out and take notes cage side at fights for the journalist and photographer. They had mentioned the event's ring card girl was meant to fight at the next event but couldn't get an opponent. I thought it a shame that she had worked so hard and couldn't showcase it plus I had been a bit of a scrapper in my youth but at 25 I was starting to get overweight so would have to shed 10 kg in 5 weeks so I put myself forward. Back then while the UK MMA scene was still very much in its infancy it wasn't at all unusual for someone to take a fight on short notice or be from a single discipline background so my agreeing to fight her with only a year of judo and 4 weeks of jiu jitsu drills wasn't completely unusual though looking back it wasn't a great idea. Turns out the ring girl had boxed and was experienced in both competing as well as boxing so she pretty much mopped the floor with me. I was hooked though and couldn't wait to return to training and compete again.

As for myself I was born in the US just outside Boston and moved to London UK in 2000. I have a 17 year old daughter and am actually moving to Singapore in October and have a novel I wrote due out in the autumn as well so lots of exciting stuff happening right now. I also make soap as a hobby and always give a bar to my opponents to thank them for taking 6 weeks out of their life to prepare to match me.


LN: Who is your hero or Role Model?

West: Nien Cheng who is the author of Life and Death in Shanghai, she was an extremely courageous person. Abe Loncoln!! He was a boxer (so in theoretical dead president matches he would win most fights though I reckon Teddy Roosevelt would give him a seriously hard time) and also stuck by his convictions.


LN:What has been your biggest obstacle so far?

West: It is always finding fights! Years ago it was finding women at my weight though am now thrilled to say that MMA in the UK has so many women emerging on the scene though sadly there is a gap in terms of experience so I still have to look abroad to fight (most UK shows don't have the budget to fly women over from other countries). Right now I am trying to get on Invicta, One FC in Singapore, Deep Jewels or Pancrase in Japan or even Pro Elite FC in Hawaii but it is still a struggle.


LN: What has been your proudest moment?

West: Wow, that is tricky. I was very proud of myself in my rematch against Maria Hougaard Djursa (nee Nielsen) because the gameplan was a complete departure from my normal style and it worked. I had started to really improve my striking under the tutelage of Olof Ingemarsson and was a very different fighter. I was also proud of how I did against Rin Nakaiup until the judges called it a draw and then I was just kinda baffled.


LN: What is your ultimate goal?

West: My ultimate goal seems to change over time; when I first started it had always been to fight in Japan and then once I managed to do that I had wanted to break the top ten of the unified rankings though after seeing a few fighters on the top ten that I am not so certain should be (Yana Kunitskaya has ducked me twice both times citing injury then going on to have fights within a week of our original match dates to girls with record of 0-1) so I think I have gotten over being benchmarked by others' standards and have stopped paying attention to the rankings and started to look at my performance and how my coaches think I performed. So I guess my goal now is to have two more matches before the end of this year and perform well.


LN: Are the opportunities for European fighters any different than those of North American fighters?

West: I'm not sure as I haven't asked the US fighters about the scene there. In Europe as a woman you have to hope a show has a home town girl at your weight since the chances of the promotion flying over two women is extremely slim. And once you find a show that will have you there is the chance that the decision may be biased but I think that you have to go into every fight looking to finish. I think it helps that I have been around for a while and am active in my contact of other promotions and also with the women in my weight class to see if opponents are needed. Even now though I am looking more at the US & south east Asia for matches as there aren't as many opportunities in Europe that I can find.


LN:What is your routine the day of a fight?

West: It varies depending on who is with me and the promotion b ut usually I get up have breakfast, chill, then I like to do drills , nap, go for the medical, if I am on late in the card and my nerves are bad I like walking around in supermarkets as that always seems to put me in a relaxed almost distracted state. Then I drill and warm up and walk out.


LN: What is the best part about being a MMA fighter?

West: For me it has definitely been meeting so many inspiring and great people. Fighters, team mates and coaches alike. I feel like a bit of a Freemason or gold card member in a way that I can go anywhere in the world and find an MMA gym and feel at home. Plus I have been able to travel all over the world to fight which has been tremendously exciting for someone who never even imagined they'd travel outside of the US.



LN: It seems the 145lbs weight class has faded in Strikeforce, Where do you see your weight class going?

West:Notice I didn't mention fighting on strikeforce in my goals, hahah? I am baffled as to why they keep shrinking the womens division weight classes! I used to fight at 155 and many years ago I can remember seeing several women fighting at over 165! It seems they want to fit women into 125 or 135 and I know they say it's because the talent is so shallow but that is utter rubbish! There are more women training than ever before and if the shows encouraged these women by having them compete on more shows they would see that the talent is there. It is especially infuriating because the last thing I thought I would have to worry about in an athletic space is my bloody weight! Everyone is different in terms of their build and for a fighter to have to obsess about their to the point that seems to borderline eating disorders is outrageous! If you are talented at 155 then you should be able to showcase those talents at 155! No one ever tells Roy Nelson or Brock Lesnar or Junior Dos Santos that their too big or that their talent pool is too shallow. It is ridiculous. I cannot and will get below 145 and if that means the end of my career in the sport so be it, I will not risk my health to conform to someone else's bizarre idea of athletic aesthetic perfection. That was the exact reason I used the song I did on the highlight reel I put out last week. Ugh, sorry rant over.


LN:Is there anything you would like to add or anyone you would like to thank?

West: Where to begin! New Wave Academy and Nick Osipzak, Olof Ingemarsson, Masters Academy and Matt Chapman, Pro Game Management, my amazing sponsors Cherry Active, Scramble, Customised Sport and Bridge Dental Labs, my daughter and amazing boyfriend and of course my incredible fans for their support. And you for doing the interview. Thank you!



Thanks Danielle for taking the time to answer my questions! Best of luck to you in the future!

Check out West's highlight reel.




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UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller Full Results

The complete UFC on FOX 3 results:

MAIN CARD RESULTS

• Nate Diaz def. Jim Miller via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 2, 4:09
• Johny Hendricks def. Josh Koscheck via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Alan Belcher def. Rousimar Palhares via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 4:18
• Lavar Johnson def. Pat Barry via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 4:38

PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS

• Michael Johnson def. Tony Ferguson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• John Dodson def. Tim Elliott via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• John Hathaway def. Pascal Krauss via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Louis Gaudinot def. John Lineker via technical submission (guillotine choke) - Round 2, 4:54
• Danny Castillo def. John Cholish via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Dennis Bermudez def. Pablo Garza via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Roland Delorme def. Nick Denis via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:59
• Karlos Vemola def. Mike Massenzio via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 1:07

Invicta Fighting Championships 1 Putting Itself on the Map

By Lacey Neher

Young and Smith after their war.
Photo courtesy of Esther Lin

Invicta Fighting Championships put on it's inaugural show in Kansas City and in my opinion, it was an epic hit!  Shannon Knapp and Janet Martin should be proud of their promotion that boasts only women's mixed martial arts fights. Even though the stream had it's hiccups in general it was a nice one and I was glued to my computer every minute.

Cassie Rodish got the night started off in a big way by defeating Meghan Wright in 36 seconds of the first round with a ninja choke. Not bad on Rodish's part considering she was a last minute replacement.

Ashley Cummins got the unanimous decision win over Sofia Bagherdai to keep a perfect professional record. Bagherdai had a bit of a hard time making weight and she seemed somewhat sluggish in the last two rounds which helped secure Cummins victory.

The third fight of the evening gave us Randi Miller and Mollie Estes. he two fought a war for the first two rounds, but Miller got the better of Estes in the third round defeating her by TKO. This was a great fight to watch and I got to hand it to Mollie Estes, she has a great attitude even in defeat.

Sarah Maloy and Michele Gutierrez took to the cage in a fight that was mainly fought standing. Maloy was victorious in the win snatching the unanimous decision. One of the more exciting moments of the fight is when the two punched each other in the face at the same time subsequently finding the two fighters stunned and falling to the canvas at the same time.

Muay Thai fighter, Amy Davis defeated Nicdali Rivera-Colanoc with a Kimura in the second round. Davis is a very intense fighter, and she had her eye on the prize the moment she walked in the cage.

Sarah D'Alelio out "Bunny" boxed her opponent, Vanessa Mariscal to capture a TKO victory in the first round. D'Alelio was coming off the controversial armbar defeat by Ronda Rousey and she proved she is still a force to be reckoned with.

The fight of the night and in my opinion in the running with Kaufman/Davis for fight of the year was the all out war between Leslie Smith and Kaitlin Young. The two gave it their all every second of the three rounds. The judges had a huge decision ahead of them because it was such a closely contested fight. The only conclusion the judges could come up with was calling it a draw. The judges got it right and the two women both received win bonuses.

Liz Carmouche made easy work of her fight by defeating Ashleigh Curry in the first round with what she does best, ground and pound. Curry didn't have one second of dominance in the fight and showed her inexperience in the lopsided fight.

Jessica Penne and Lisa Ellis put on one of the bloodiest battles of the evening. Ellis sustained a bloody nose when Penne plowed her with a vicious knee. Penne went on to get the win by TKO in the third round.

The main event of the evening was kicked off with an intense staredown as Romy Ruyssen wanted revenge for Marloes Coenen defeating her in their first go around in the years past. Coenen showed Ruyssen that she will not be out stared or out classed as the former Strikeforce champ, Coenen defeated Ruyssen by unanimous decision after dominating most of the fight.

It was nice to see a card that lived up to the hype, proving more exciting than most, if not all UFC cards. The UFC is the premier promotion, and I credit it for bringing MMA to the popularity it is at now, but these days it is overexposed and to be honest, not all but, a lot of the fights are two guys fighting not to lose. Every fight at Invicta was fought by fighters who came to win and they weren't afraid to risk it all win or lose.

If there is "naysayers" out there still I would love to hear there excuse as to why women still don't belong on the worldwide MMA stage. They train just as hard as their male counterparts and their hard work was evident in the display of athleticism shown last night at Invicta FC 1.

The next Invicta Card will take place on July 28th in Kansas City once again with Shayna Baszler and Sara McMann headlining the card.

Full results and scores from InvictaFC 1

Cassie Rodish Defeated Meghan Wright via Submission (Guilltoine Choke) at :36 in the 1stRound

Ashley Cummins Defeated Sofia Bagherdai via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Randi Miller Defeated Mollie Estes via TKO (Punches) at 3:27 in the 3rdRound

Sarah Maloy Defeated Michele Gutierrez via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Amy Davis Defeated Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc via Submission (Kimura) at 3:47 in the 2ndRound

Sarah D’Alelio Defeated Vanessa Mariscal via Submission (Punches) at 3:19 in the 1stRound

Kaitlin Young vs. Leslie Smith Draw (29-28, 28-29, 29-29)*

Liz Carmouche Defeated via Ashleigh Curry via TKO (Punches) at 1:58 in the 1stRound

Jessica Penne Defeated Lisa Ellis via via TKO (Punches) at 2:48 in the 3rdRound

Marloes Coenen Defeated Romy Ruyssen via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)



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Invicta Fighting Championships One: The Makings for One Big Night of Fights

By Lacey Neher

On April 28th, a new MMA promotion will make it's debut. Invicta Fighting Championships One will take place in Kansas City with Former Strikeforce Champ, Marloes Coenen meeting Romy Ruyssen in the main event of the 11 fights contested in the FMMA history making fight card.

Invicta will be one of those rarities in North American MMA. An all female fight league. Now and then a various promotions across America will have a fight card with an all female cast, but Invicta is one of only a few promotions that will feature only women. There have been some other women's promotions come and go and hopefully Invicta will be a mainstay in MMA.

If you think about it there is a lot of cards in which there will be 10 men's bouts and one or two women's. Inevitably the women's fight will be named fight of the night, because about 99.9% of the time the women come to put on a war. Now, think about this, a whole card and promotion that features all women putting on 11 "Fights of the Night" in one evening? Well,  that has the makings for a great show and I predict that this is what we will see on April 28th. All the fighters on the card are either established professionals who have recognizable names (ie: Coenen, Lisa Ward Ellis, Jessica Pene, Shana Nelson, Sarah D'Alelio) Or they are in the midst of making their names known as newer pro's in MMA. Women always fight to win in MMA. There will be no "fighting not to lose" this evening.

 I don't want to make predictions on the fights, because I consider a lot of these women my friends and who wants to decide between your friends? ( full fight card, live stream and ticket info will be available below)

I got a chance to catch up with one of the driving forces behind  Invicta, Shannon Knapp. I asked her a couple questions regarding the upcoming event.

LN: How long did it take to make this promotion come to fruition?

Knapp: We began building the foundation for the promotion about 10 months ago. It is a long process to take an idea and transform it into a legitimate operating business. A lot more goes into it then waking up one morning and saying “ I am going to be a promoter”…lol

LN:What makes this promotion different from any other besides the obvious?

Knapp: I think that Janet and I came into this business with a different mindset than most people do when they get into the promoting business. It isn’t about getting rich, turning a quick dollar, or riding an athlete’s coattail to the “proverbial athlete associated fame” that you see so often. It is truly about making a difference, helping to bring organization to this side of the sport that has been grossly neglected and to help the females in this sport get the well-deserved recognition that has been absent. 

LN:How did you get involved in match making and what inspired you to create an all women's fight league?

Knapp: I have worn many hats in this sport, so I guess it would only be fitting that I and the matchmaker’s position would cross paths at some point. I am joking! I worked my way up through the industry always working directly with the athletes and finally settled into the position of matchmaker because it was an area that I excelled in. The inspiration to develop an all-female fight league came from identifying the need for change and realizing I was at an impasse in my career, I needed a new challenge and a new fight. I got into this business to make a difference as I have always been a huge advocate for the athlete and for the sport. I built my professional reputation on those foundations and this quest was something I could identify with. I have faced the same obstacles working in the sport as these females have competing. I knew that this was a perfect fit for me. I could make a difference with my experience and my knowledge in the sport for the female athletes and they could make a difference in my life by reigniting the fire in me and by giving me something to fight for that I am passionate about.


LN:What are your hopes for Invicta now and in the future?

Knapp: My hopes for Invicta FC are to build a solid professional platform for women competing in the sport of MMA. To bring awareness and appreciation for what each and every one of the female athletes brings to the sport. To educate and build fan bases that will support the females and help the sport to grow. Success for us is being able to sustain and support our business to provide continued opportunities to the female competitors in this sport.

Thank you Shannon for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions!

Knapp's co-pilot in Invicta is Janet Martin. Martin will be working in the match making department as well as athlete relations for Invicta. She had this to say of the event on April 28th,

"Shannon and I are both very excited about Invicta Fighting Championships upcoming All Pro Women's MMA debut event. Our fight card is stacked with 11 well matched fights that brings high level talent to the InvictaFC Cage in all weight divisions. It is our goal for our event and the mission of our company to showcase the skills and athleticism that is Women's MMA. We feel InvictaFC One will provide the fans of MMA the opportunity to watch some of the best and brightest female fighters, as they take centers stage in A Cage of Their Own. Whether fans are cageside for the action or watching our Free Live Stream, we are enthusiastic that fans will be excited and entertained by every bout up and down the card. We believe that InvictaFC will elevate women's particiaption in MMA by providing outstanding competitive events for both fighters and fans. We look to the future to be the premier organization for Women's MMA by working with high professional standards with the Women's MMA community and within the MMA industry."

Well known Women's MMA match-maker Sam Wilson has come on board Invicta to help with the much anticipated match ups. Wilson has set up a great number of fights across the women's MMA board and she is very proud to be a part of this ground breaking promotion. Wilson is a tireless supporter of Women's MMA and she had these words to say about Invicta,

"Believe and it will happen! Thank you Shannon Knapp for making the dream come true! Your knowledge and expertise has brought together a monumental list of athletes, media and professional personalities to make this dream reality. I know the ladies will leave it all in the cage! Here we go!"


Thankfully for those of us who aren't fortunate to make the event, there will be a live stream in which you can see here>>> INVICTA FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS ONE. Or, for you lucky people who want to attend here is where you can get your tickets>> INVICTA TICKETS

Here is the full card for Invicta Fighting Championships One

Marloes “Rumina” Coenen vs Romy Ruyssen

Jessica Penne vs Lisa Ellis-Ward

Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche vs Ashleigh Curry

Kaitlin Young vs Leslie Smith

Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio vs Shana “Rock Solid” Nelson

 “Slick” Sally Krumdiack vs Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider

Nicdali “The Night Queen” Rivera-Calanoc vs Amy “Lil’ Dynamite” Davis

Michele “Diablita” Gutierrez vs Sarah Maloy

 Randi Miller vs “Miss” Mollie Ahlers-Estes

 Ashley “Smashley” Cummins vs Sofia Bagherdai

Cassie Rodish vs Meghan “The Babe” Wright

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Unified Women's Pro MMA Rankings April 2012

Real Women and Mens MMA doesn't participate in the voting for the rankings. We just post the awesomeness for the masses to witness!

Getting to Know Irish MMA Fighter: Catherine Costigan

By Melissa Traynor

I recently had the pleasure, no the honour and not just because she is one of the fighting Irish ;), to interview one of the many amazingly talented and successful athletes of mixed martial arts, Catherine Costigan a fighter with a solid background of wins. She is not only dedicated to her sport, but she is also one who is dedicated to helping others reap the health benefits of mixed martial arts training as she coaches and changes many lives of both men and women with her Body Power program. I wanted to know more about this spitfire and what she feels makes a champion a champion as well as wanting her to help bring to light some of the experiences she has had and the adversity she faces and feels others may face as a woman in the sport.




MT: How long have you been involved in the sport of mixed martial arts or other combat sports?　

Costigan: I started when I was 14 in freestyle kickboxing and points style fighting with my coach Dermot McGrath. This background gives me a big edge in timing, speed and strategy. How to take the opponent apart bit by bit.

When the first UFC came out on video we started training MMA as much as we could straight away.

MT: Have you ever been involved in traditional martial arts?

Costigan: I never thought that the martial arts I joined were super traditional, the style that I did was open to ways and ideas about fighting creating an all round martial artist. I wear my white Karate gi and black belt to the cage as I do believe there is something special about it. To me it akin to the samurai donning his armour and colours before battle. I am true to tradition there and in my attitudes as a martial artist, especially in respect.

MT:What has been the biggest challenge for you thus far in the sport?　

Costigan: I’d have to say coming through injuries, getting opponents and sparring partners at Atomweight (105 lbs).

　 　 　
MT: What do you feel is the biggest challenge that women are facing in the sport and how do you feel it can be overcome?　

Costigan: I’m not going to say the general that we want to push forward and make ourselves belong because it has been done over the years. Women fighters have laid the foundation, Sexton, Carano, Fuji, Cyborg. We know the demand and talent is out there. Being paid as much as the men, being exciting, making waves will get more women and men to support and demand the match ups they want on the female side.

　 　　

MT: What discipline do you feel is most important to success in mixed martial arts?

Costigan: Wrestling! It really hardens and develops will power, it’s the food for it. This is the one thing fighters can’t be without.　

　 　 　
MT: What is the biggest misconception about (you) or women in general in mixed martial arts or any other combat sport?　

Costigan: That I should be at home doing what every other woman is doing. Safe job, kids, husband and cute dog. I remember at the Q and A before UFC 93 in Dublin, a woman asked Michael Bisping about women fighters being in the UFC and he said to her " Shouldn’t you be sweeping up?"
I wanted to get on the mic and tell him " Come on up here and I’ll clean the floor with you!"

MT:What do you feel makes a champion a champion?

Costigan: A champion is one that is willing to face a reflection of themselves across the cage and train to beat it.　

MT: Do you agree that there is a difference between simply being a fighter vs being an athlete? Explain your answer.　

Costigan: Yes there is a difference. And it come down to attitude. You must be both. An athlete will crumble under punishment in the cage but a fighter will embrace it.

　 　 　
MT:Do you feel that nutrition plays a major role in your ultimate success? Explain your answer.　

Costigan: Absolutely J. Look at all the fighters now coming up with Mike Dolce to the scales. GSP has his personal chef. The food that goes into your body is the building block for your performance, recovery and obviously making weight safely.

　 　 　
MT: What do you feel that you bring to the table or how do you hope to inspire other women to get involved in the sport?　

Costigan: I hope to be an all round female fighter that can really bring every part of the game and be exciting doing it. I decided back 10 years ago that I needed to start teaching to get more girls/women involved in it. And man did that change things. I remember my first class had 30 women. And the guy before me teaching the Tae Bo class looked very worried as he knew there was a change coming and I was bringing it! There weren’t many women teaching at the time in Ireland so it makes a huge difference having a woman coach.

　 　 　
MT: What is one piece of advice you would give to women thinking of getting into combat sports?　

Costigan: Do it! So many women call me and tell me they are afraid of doing the classes because they will look stupid so a lot don’t turn up. The one rule I live by is no regrets because I am afraid of what people think of me.

People are predictable and boring because they have been programmed that way.

I will work for the rest of my life teaching my female students how to stand out from the crowd. No programming, just let them feel the freedom of life. Feel accomplishment of the purest form in combat. No drug matches the feeling.(or so I’ve been told.)

It’s the one point always for me when the ref lifts my hand that I know it’s the life for me.

I also want to thank Melissa Traynor for highlighting women’s MMA and how amazing it is.

Please check out Catherine's website here: www.catherinecostigan.com

Thanks to Melissa Traynor for her amazing interview with Catherine Costigan! Check out Melissa's website: MELISSATRAYNORSWORLD.

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Unified Women's Pro MMA Rankings for March 2012

realwomenandmensmma.com doesn't participate in the voting, We just share the awesomeness for all to see.

Not to be Overshadowed: Two FMMA Must See Fights That are NOT Tate vs. Rousey

By: Lacey Neher

Okay, as a good friend in MMA of mine so smartly pointed out...Enough is Enough!! As much as I respect Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey and I am excited to see them fight, In all honesty I gotta tell you, THIS FIGHT IS NOT THE END ALL BE ALL FOR WOMEN'S MMA! I am so tired of seeing Tate / Rousey videos and interviews jammimg up my newsfeed on facebook. As my good friend (Sam Wilson) also pointed out there are a couple of other fights coming down the pike that need your undivided attention.

1. Jessica Aguilar vs. Patricia Vidonic at Fight Time 8 in FT. Lauderdale FL. on February 17th

2. Alexis Davis vs. Sarah Kaufman 2 at Strikeforce in Columbus Oh. at Strikeforce Tate vs. Rousey. (there they are once again)

Let's look at Aguilar vs. Vidonic first. The two 115lbs. powerhouses have made some impressive showing in the past year. They both were nominees for Fight of the Year in the 2011 WMMA awards (Aguilar vs. Esparza and Vidonic vs. Colarelli) Vidonic won fight of the year for her fight at the Breast Cancer beat down back in October of 2011.

Aguilar (12-4) has been a mainstay in professional FMMA for some time now. Everytime she steps in the cage she brings a war. The American Top Team fighter lives and trains in Florida and if you follow Jag on facebook or twitter you know she is a very optimistic and insightful person. She is an all around fighter with a background in jiu jitsu. Every single fight I have seen her in is more exciting then the last. Many of you may remember her split decision loss to Bellator Champ, Zoila Gurgel back in 2010. A lot of people believe she was robbed (myself, being one of them). "Jag" wins her fights in various ways but 6 of her twelve wins have been by submission.

Vidonic (5-1) may not have the same experience as her counterpart, but she is a vicious all around fighter in her own right. She is very strong and dedicated to her sport in every capacity. She resides and trains in Billings, Montana on the Vidonic Fight Team headed up by her husband Jason. Her nickname may be Little Patricia Vidonic, but she fights like a woman twice her size. Three of her five victories have been by way of submission and you can tell by watching her she is a lot stronger then her small stature gives her credit for.

The two will clash next week and I hate to make predictions, (mainly because I am bad at it) Yet, my gut is telling me that Patricia Vidonic will have her hand raised in the end after winning a decision or submitting Jag. That is saying a lot for me because I am a huge Jessica Aguilar fan. With all due respect to Jag, Vidonic may just be a tad bit more powerful than Aguilar.

Davis vs. Kaufman

Former Strikeforce 135lbs. Champ. Sarah Kaufman will step into the cage against a very formidable and underrated Alexis Davis. This isn't the first time the two have fought though. The two Canadians met back in 2007 with Kaufman coming out the winner by TKO.

Sarah Kaufman (14-1) may be one of MMA's finest boxers behind Junior Dos Santos. In many of her fights she puts on a striking clinic, and her opponents face shows that they just fought Sarah Kaufman by the sheer black and blue condition it is in afterwards. She has won the majority of her fights by TKO/KO. As your should remember she won her fight against Roxanne Modafferi by going all Rampage on her and slamming her out. Kaufman's one and only loss came to Marloes Coenen back in 2010 when she lost her belt. Minutes after the fight she was going over her armbar defense with her coach to insure that. that never happens again. She is a very dedicated fighter who fights on the Zuma Fight Team out of British Columbia Canada, and she could care less if she is seen as "Hot" and shrugs away using any sex appeal to gain fans. I completely respect her for this. In my honest and humble opinion, Ms. Kaufman is the rightful top contender to Tate's belt. She earned that status when she defeated Liz Carmouche back in the fall. Strikeforce has totally screwed her by putting Rousey in as the top contender merely because she is a hot commodity right now. That is the side of MMA I absolutely loathe. The business side. Because Zuffa believes that a Tate vs. Rousey fight would get more twenty-something dudes to watch. The rightful fight should have been Tate vs. Kaufman 2. (Kaufman defeated Tate back in 2009 by UD) Sorry Dudes....truth hurts.

Alexis Davis is one of FMMA's most underrated fighters. She is a native Canadian, but she is making the transition to becoming an American and she fights on the Dayboll Jiu Jitsu team. She was last seen destroying Amanda Nunes back in September by TKO, a fight she was picked to lose. Davis and Kaufman fought back in 2007 with Kaufman winning by TKO. The Alexis Davis that Sarah Kaufman fought almost 5 years ago is not the same one she will be fighting on March 3rd. When Davis lost to Kaufman it was her first pro fight, and as many of you know a great percentage of fighters lose their first pro fight. She has evolved as a fighter and she is a champ in her own right. She holds the Raging Wolf 135lbs. belt. She earned the belt after submitting Tonya Evinger in the first round by RNC. Majority of "Ally Gators" wins have come via submission. She is a smooth fighter that takes her opponents by surprise by her unassuming fight style. Davis defeated veteran Julie Kedzie back in the summer in yet another fight she was picked to lose. People keep counting her out, yet she keeps proving them wrong over and over. Davis will be a mainstay in Strikeforce for a long time. She may not be a flashy trash talker or PR machine, but she puts her time and effort into perfecting her performance in the cage.

I think this fight will be closely contested. As long as Davis stays out of Kaufman's jabbing range and pushes through Sarah's almost impenetrable take down defense, you will see Davis win by submission.(that is my official prediction)

So make it a point to look into ways of watching Jessica "Jag" Aguilar vs. "Little" Patricia Vidonic. Their fight will be replayed on February 21st at 8pm EST on GoFightLive and Alexis "Ally Gator" Davis vs. Sarah Kaufman on March 3rd during the prelims which will be aired live on Showtime Extreme. (Not sure of the time yet). They are two fights that may have been overlooked due to the OVER HYPING of Tate vs. Rousey. Not saying the fight isn't deserving of watching, I am frankly just wanting to see the two fighters skills in the cage rather than hearing their back and forth trash talking. Actions speak so much more louder than words.

As far as who will go home from Columbus with the 135lbs. belt, I have no idea and right now I really am having a hard time caring. I am not one of those journalist who jumps on a hype train simply to bring in readers. The winner of the Kaufman/ Davis fight will be the title holder soon enough and people will be asking, Rousey who?





Lacey Neher is the owner/editor of Real Women and Men's MMA and she is the creator of the successful MMA Facebook page Real Women and Men watch MMA, as well as a sought after video maker of Fighter HL and promotional videos.

CALLING ALL FEMALES WHO FIGHT IN THE CAGE!

I am sending out a plea for all Women's Fighters, their teams and supporters to help me out on my next video. Last August I made a video entitled "The Real Face of Women's MMA". I encorporated over 500 female fighters into the video. Now, I would like to make a new one and blow out the last number. I know I missed a big amount of fighters and now I would like for anyone who is a fighter and anyone who knows a fighter in some way to please get pics to me of any female fighter.

 FUTURE ~ PAST~ and ~ PRESENT!!

Please email me a pic: laceyneher@hotmail.com tag mein your pic or message me your pic or post a pic on my  Facebook profile page or my Facebook Fan Page Real Women and Men watch MMA. I am looking for any pic but at least one of them has to be a good one where the fighters face can be seen and recognized.

My belief is that there is no ONE face of Women's MMA and I find it ridiculous that the media is hell bent on naming one. Any woman who steps into the cage is the face of Women's MMA and the world needs to see that face!

Please share this plea on Twitter. Facebook or Google plus. Let's show the non believers that there is PLENTY of depth in Women's MMA!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

~Lacey