Castillo vs. Gellner and DeRandamie vs. Webber Strikeforce Fight Videos and The Winners Post Fight Interviews

Germaine De Randamie and Jenna Castillo both made their Strikeforce debut in grand fashion last night. Castillo won her pro debut by knocking Charlene Gellner out with vicious strikes and knees while DeRandamie's knee found Stephanie Webber's sleep button getting her the KO win as well.

Here are the links to the fight videos:

Jenna Castillo vs. Charlene Gellner

DeRandamie vs. Stephanie Webber

Women's MMA Roundup caught up with the two fighters "drunk" from their spectaucular wins. This interview is informative and down right comical at times. Congrats to both ladies! We look forward to seeing them fight in the future!

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What Kind of MMA Fan are You?

By Lacey Neher

Mixed Martial Arts as a sport is expanding as a whole everyday and the real reason this is happening, is the incredible fans of the sport. MMA fans come from every walk of life; rich, poor, old young, male, female etc...etc... Listed below are a select variety of fans.Where do you fall on the list? It is absolutely possible to be more than one! This article is not meant to offend or disparage anyone's love of the sport it's just my observation from conversing with many fans on a daily basis.

The Poser: This fan is all but that. They try to hang with the avid fans by starting conversations with sentences like this, "That Chuck Liddel is such a great fighter." Can anyone beat him?" I use this as an example because it really was a conversation I had a couple of months ago.

The Pride Mourner:  This fan was (and still is) die hard for the now defunct promotion out of Japan. Many of the Pride stars have moved on to the UFC but, the fighters of what once was the UFC's biggest competition are playing in a completely different playground. Sometimes called a "Pride Bride" the Pride Mourner longs for the good old days when a fighter could stomp on their opponents while they were down not have to fear getting a DQ or a point taken away.

The Forum Troll: is a unique Human being in and of themselves. They sit on forums such as Sherdog and The MMA underground for hours at a time purposely baiting others into having a war of words on any topic having to do with MMA. I personally have had run ins with this type of "fan" I try not to take the bait but, you know what? Sometimes you just can't let them get away with calling a four letter word for your perfectly sane observation. More often than not these people live in their parents basement and haven't had human contact outside their house.

The Pretender: This fan is so impressed with the sport that they sign up for one free session of Brazilian jiu jitsu or Muay Thai (or netflix a BJJ DVD) then quit so they can say they are a mixed martial artitst or at least act like they are knowledgeable in the sport, They don their Tapout shirts and talk loudly so the whole room can hear what it's like to perform a perfect armbar on an opponent.

Here is a youtube video inspired by this type of person.

Fairweather Fans: Every sport has these. For example, Lyoto Machida knocks out Rashad Evans in grand fashion to win the UFC LHW belt and they are his greatest fan. Then, on his second title defense he is knocked out and they could care less if he wins or loses anymore. They've now jumped on the Shogun bandwagon...that is until he loses. It's a vicious cycle really.

Zuffa Zombie: This a pretty self explanatory fan. They are all UFC all the time. They have no use for any other organization and Dana White is one of their Idols. That pretty much does it.

Real MMA Fans: This is possibly one of the easiest descriptions to write. A real MMA fan loves all MMA. Female or Male, No matter what organization, no matter what country, and no matter what weight division. They are respectful of other fans and they don't feel the need to call them a four letter word in order to get their point across. They choose to pay a bill late and get those tickets to the MMA event coming to their town. They jump at the chance to get an autograph or a picture with a fighter no matter who they are. A real MMA fan just generally loves the sport as a whole and welcomes any info they can get or any fights they can watch at any time anywhere.

This video is dedicated to all mma fans and features fan photos from our FB homebase Real Women and Men watch MMA.

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Video Interviews with TUF Coaches, Dos Santos and Lesnar

On March 30th the 13th season of the UFC's The Ultimate Fighter reality show debuts on Spike. Earlier this month number one Heavyweight contender, Junior Dos Santos and former Heavyweight champ, Brock Lesnar were announced as the coaches. The two met with the media to speak about being TUF coaches and what it means to them and their future in the UFC.




Thanks to Heavy.com for the wonderful interview footage!









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Getting to Know Fighter, HAROLD “The Constrictor” LUCAMBIO

By Dayne Voorheis
Student LBJJ

Born in Venezuela, Harold “The Constrictor” Lucambio came to United States at the age of fifteen. Lucambio struggled with the language barrier and said “acquaintances would take advantage of this barrier to play jokes on me.  I couldn’t read English and I was very gullible. Standing at a marked doorway that read “push” I was told to pull it instead. I stood there baffled as the jokesters chuckled.”

Lucambio trained as a boxer under his father who boxed in the Venezuelan military thus transforming Lucambio into a strong confident athlete and an avid and dual competitor in high school; a track star and soccer player dominating both fields. While in high school, Lucambio chaperoned his sister who dated a student that trained under professor Pedro Sauer an 8th degree black belt under grand master Helio and Rickerson Gracie. Sauer is regarded as one of the most technical Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors in the world and was voted as “the best B.J.J. instructor” in a worldwide poll conducted by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club. Lucambio was invited to Sauer’s academy and took immediate interest in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Since then, Lucambio has also been training with the Gracie’s in Torrance CA for over nine years, and currently trains with Eric Paulson at CSW in Fullerton CA, and previously trained at Body Shop in Lakewood CA. Lucambio believes in continuous improvement.

Thomas Kenney, a black belt who is very well known for his grappling skills, chose to fight the underdog Lucambio at Long Beach Fight Night held on July 18, 2010, which was the main event of the evening. Lucambio, a brown belt, took the challenge. In the second round, Lucambio defeated Kenney by making him tap out. The OC register wrote an article: "Lucambio ruins fun for fans of Kenney" and noted that Kenney brought around 300 friends and family to this event only to ruin it for Kenney who announced his retirement that same night after being defeated.

Lucambio’s motto is “hard work beats talent” and proved that night that if you train hard, you can defeat any talented black belt. Lucambio is a meticulous strategist who prides himself on creating an airtight game plan against his opponents.  Lucambio’s dream is to continue training and believes that if you are a good fighter, you should always be a good trainer as well. “There are many people out there that are good fighters, but are not good trainers, and vise versa” says Lucambio. “ I want to be both.”

Lucambio recently opened up his own gym in August of 2010 in Bellflower CA and is very grateful for the many things in his life. Lucambio has a wife Therese, and a two-year old son Cade who is an upcoming fighter. The Lucambio’s are very excited to welcome another son due next month. Lucambio is very supportive of his family and their dreams. He provides encouragement to his students as well. Lucambio is very well known to inspire and push his students to become successful in this world no matter what.   Lucambio will receive his black belt in of March this year from professor Sauer.  “Ambitions or dreams will come into being, but it is the hard work and discipline that will get you there” says Lucambio.



Many thanks to Dayne Voorheis for writing this wonderful article! If you have an idea for an article that you would like to submit, please email us at realwomenandmenmma@gmail.com. And as always join us on our facebook homebase Real Women and Men watch MMA! Follow us on Twitter at@realwomenmenMMA

Female Fighter's Message To The UFC President! (Video)

Who says that for female fighters to be considered legit thay have to fight in the UFC? Women's MMA is growing with or without Dana White's support. Check out this video I made in response to White's claiming that women will NEVER fight in the UFC.

Nick Diaz Discusses his MMA Career (video)

In a rare interview Nick Diaz took a break from training for his fight against Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos to sit down with Sherdog's  "Fight week".  Diaz and Santos fight this Saturday in San Diego for the Strikeforce welterweight belt. 




Don't forget to join us here on Real Women and men's MMA for a live chat during the event! As always join us on Real Women and Men watch MMA for updates  discussion and fun!!

Clay Guida Sets His Sights on Stealing Pettis' Thunder

Clay Guida and Anthony Pettis (13-1)  will meet in the cage at the TUF 13 finale in Las Vegas in June. Guida (28-11) won his last fight knocking Takanori Gomi out at UFC 125. Pettis is next up for a title shot after defeating Ben Henderson for the WEC's lightweight belt. But, the  draw decision in the Edgar/Maynard title fight put "Showtime" Pettis' title shot on hold.

 MMACanada.net's David Stanford caught up with Clay and talked with him about what the his fight with Anthony Pettis will mean to the UFCs' lightweight division.

Super-Terrific Fan Made Video of the Week: Grand Theft UFC.

Last week's video had a more dramatic flair about it. This week it seemed fitting to go the comedic route.

You have to have big stones to steal a mixed martial artists hat as they are walking in for a fight. But, then again ... maybe it's a genius move. For the most part these fighters that suffer at the hands of  the very bold thief, are in a zone and there is only a momentary flinch. Check out this video by ukuledoj's video highlighting some of the crimes in progress.....





Check back next week to see what the next Super-Terrific Fan Made video will be! Join us on our FB homebase Real Women and Men watch MMA!

10 Big Questions for Fighter "Little" Patricia Vidonic

By Lacey Neher

"Little" Patricia Vidonic has been involved in mixed martial arts since 2008. As an amateur, she had a record of 4-1 and she won three title belts with three different organizations in two seperate weight classes.Vidonic holds two fight of the night awards one as an amateur and one as a pro. Hailing from Medford, Oregon and fighting out of Farmington, New Mexico, Patricia holds a pro record of (2-1) and is coached and managed by her husband,
Jason Vidonic.

This past summer Vidonic competed in the reality show the "Ultimate Woman Challenge". Sixteen female fighters moved into a house where they trained, performed charity work,and fought to be named "Ultimate Woman." The details as to when (or if) the show will be aired is still being worked out. There was a rumor that it will be aired this summer but, that hasn't been confirmed.  (Hopefully it will!!)



I had the pleaure of asking Patricia some questions about her training, the reality show and her life.


1. How and when did you get your start in MMA?

PV: The very first time I ever trained MMA was for a couple months in the summer of '08. A very good friend of mine at the time (for 3 years), Jason told me he was getting ready to start training another person in our town, so I asked if I could try it out. Wow, I had never felt that kind of energy throughout my body. I knew that MMA was definitely for me. At that time, I was still married to my ex, he thought any activity was "stupid". This took it's toll on my over the years (10 years). That is why I quit training, until the last week of December '08. About the first week of December I took a debut ammy fight, not sure how I was going to even get ready for it. (Not a good idea) I finally was able to get it through his head that we cannot be together, and that was that. Jason and I remained friends, so I reached out to him as a friend and coach. He prepped me as good as he could in 3 weeks for this fight on January 24th 2009. Oh and I knew nothing about confirming fights, so it was also at 130lbs (10lbs more than what I was weighing). Again, not a good idea.One thing led to another; he choked me, I choked him and it was love.....


2. What has been your toughest test on your MMA journey?

PV: Finding fights that are worth taking ~ pay, wishy washy promoters and higher rate of opponent drop out.


3. Who are your biggest influences?

PV: I really look up to Cris Santos, she is an amazing athlete and has a beautiful family. I work hard and strive to be at her caliber someday.


4. What is your favorite part of training?

PV: Knowing that I can push myself to unknown limits and walk away stronger.


5. Who and where will you be fighting next?

PV: As of right now 1/21/2011 All the details are worked out, I have verbally committed and the contract is in my email box. My opponent is Angelica Brotherton. The promotion is Art of Fighting in Tampa, FL. This will be a televised event on at least one network!! I also need to get my bloodwork done and a dialated eye exam if there's anyone out there interested in sponsoring me either long term or just for this fight Please contact me at TeamVidonic@live.com


6. What is your routine before a fight to get you “in the zone”?

PV: The morning of my fight, I get up whenever my eyes open, you know 6 or 7AM. That's sleeping in! I just do my normal routine minus the caffeine. I like to nap later in the afternoon and stay as focused and relaxed as possible till I start warming up for my fight.


7. How do you balance fighting with being a mother and wife?

PV: I have to live a structured lifestyle, which I prefer. Balancing training, family time and resting isn't as hard as some make it out to be. I am self employed, this is my job and I can as long as I treat it as such, I shouldn't have too many problems. Stuff happens though.....


8. While you were filming The Ultimate Woman Challenge you were basically cut off from the outside world. (Family, friends, computer, phone, TV, etc...) How did this affect you during the taping of the show?

PV: I managed not to let it affect me, yeah, I was bummed out from time to time, but who wouldn't being away from their "reality". I missed my guys and dog, I missed my son's 1st day of the 6th grade
as well as my first wedding anniversary. I lived through it to fight another day.


9. Did you walk away the winner? (Just Kidding!) Did you walk away a better fighter from the experience?

PV: Ha! You will have to wait to find out.....I think every one of us on the show walked away a better fighter in some aspect of their game. How couldn't we; we were training at Throwdown Training Center in Las Vegas, NV. They are a top notch facility that produce some of the worlds most talented athletes. Being able to train with that many professional female fighters at once is an experience all in it's own!! Way more good than bad.


10. What is your favorite part of being a mixed martial artist?

PV: Knowing that my body is in top physical and mental condition. Getting to spend lots of time with my coach, hubby and best friend........

Patricia and her husband celebrating

after a win back in November.

Thanks for answering our questions Patricia! Best of luck in your future endeavors!
Check out "Little" Patricia Vidonic's Facebook page Little Patricia.

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Who has the Greatest Fans? MMA Does!!! (Video)

A video that was made for the members of Real Women and Men watch MMA celebrating how wonderful the MMA community is.

"Critics may never understand our favorite sport or why we love it, but make no mistake about it, if you put on an MMA event we will there!"

First Real Women and Mens Live Chat this Saturday!!

Join us during the UFC's Fight for the Troops 2 this Saturday to live chat during the event.  Go to the widget at the bottom of this website, click on "Join Chat' and then choose how you would like to connect. Log on to the live chat by connecting through your MySpace, Twitter, or Facebook account. It's pretty simple really! This is a trial run to see how well it goes. We usually comment on the facebook page Real Women and Men watch MMA during events but, you need to do a lot of refreshing to make sure you keep up with all the things being said. I will be updating RWWMMA as always with results. (hidden in the comments as always!)The show begins at 9pm EST and 6pm PT. I hope to see you during the fight! Thanks!

10 Questions with The Happy Warrior, Roxanne Modafferi

Roxanne "The Happy Warrior" Modafferi (15-6) has been a professional mixed martial artist since 2003. Hailing from Wilmington Delaware, Roxanne makes her home in Kawasaki Si, Kanagawa, Japan where she works as an English Instructor. Modafferi, is a favorite among MMA fans because of her approachable and easy going nature. 

She's lost only two of her last ten fights with one of her most memorable wins being over one of the winningest female fighters in the sport, Tara LaRosa. The Modafferi/LaRosa fight was one of the years most exciting fights earning the two the WMMA award for "Fight of the Year". Her most recent fight with Hitomi Akano at Sengoku "Soul of Fight" scheduled on December 30th had to be cancelled due to a stomach ailment on Modafferi's part. Roxanne will be taking on Rosi Sexton at Cage Warriors 40 in the UK on February 26th next. Fighting all her fights as a 135 pounder, this will be Modafferi's first fight at 125lbs.

Great friend and first time contributor to Real Women and Men's MMA, Dave Thomas caught up with Roxanne Modafferi and got a closer look into her mixed martial arts journey.

DT: What made you decided to train and fight MMA?

RM: I've always loved various kinds of MMA, and got into MMA from my Judo friends when they showed me the UFC.


DT: Is fighting in Japan more exciting than the United States?

RM:It's so exciting to fight anywhere, in any country! Traveling is more exciting and I enjoy seeing new places as part of fighting.

DT: Were your friends and family surprised my your intrest in MMA?

RM: My friends all support me, and my parents do, somewhat reluctantly. They just worry about my safety but encourage me to follow my dreams.

DT: Who would you like to fight in the near future?

RM: I want to have a rematch against Sarah Kaufman, Shayna Baszler, and Hitomi Akano. I'm bitter my health robbed me of my chance to fight her in Sengoku this past New Years 2010.

DT: What discipline do you practice?

RM: My discipline is "MMA now." I train grappling, kickboxing, and MMA all together. I love BJJ and have a purple belt, but haven't trained with a gi in ages.

DT: If you could train with any fighter in the world who would it be?

RM: I enjoy training with my current coach Kunioku, and I'd love to train again with K-Taro Nakamura. He can always choke me out effortlessly with his infamous rear-naked choke. I've also always wanted to meet/train with Matt Serra and Aaron Riley.


DT: What got you into Dragon BALL Z Kai?
 
RM: "I've never seen Dragon Ball Z kai, the redone version, but as for the original DBZ, I just happened to see it on TV and thought it was so cool how the fighters train to get stronger, and struggle against the bad guys."

DT: What is your favorite submission?

RM: The triangle choke and straight arm-bar are my favorite submissions.


DT: Would you rather win by K.O. or submission?

RM: I'd rather win by Submission, but my next goal is to win by punch- KO.


DT: Who inspired you the most when you became a MMA fighter?

RM: When I was in college, I was waffling about if I actually wanted to compete MMA. Then I went to a Reality Fighting in New Jersey in 2003, and watched Laura D'August fight Del Greer. Laura was kind of my rival from the NAGA grappling tournaments, and when I was looking up (literally) as she entered the ring, I thought, "Wow, I want to fight her in there some time..."

Also, Aaron Riley, with his heart and 'keep pushing forward' fight style inspired me a lot. Finally, Naruto and Goku from the anime with their 'always get back up' attitudes inspire me most of all.

Thank you, Dave!


DT: Thank you Roxanne for taking the time to do this interview.WAR ROXY!!!!!!

Dave made this incredible video tribute to Roxanne!





Thank you Dave for contributing your awesome interview to Real Women and Men's MMA! If you have a MMA article or interview you would like to post email us at realwomenandmenmma@gmail.com or message Lacey Neher on facebook.

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Strikeforce Diaz vs. Cyborg Fight Card Finalized

On January 29th at the HP Pavilion in San Jose California Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg will take place with 13 bouts on the card. Nick Diaz (23-7) takes on Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos for the men's welterweight title belt. In yet, another title fight Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (13-2) puts his men's middleweight belt on the line against "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler(18-6). Herschel Walker makes his return against Scott Carson after a deep cut under his eye forced him out of the Henderson/Babalu event back in December and MMA veteran, Trevor Prangley returns after his win over Keith Jardine at Shark Fights 13 back in September.







 



Stephanie Webber


Fighting on the unaired  preliminary portion of the event there will be seven men's bouts and two female fights. Germaine de Randamie and Stephanie Webber take each other on with Jenna Castillo and Charlene Gellner stepping into the cage to fight one another. De Randemie transitioned to MMA a couple of years ago after having a perfect career in Muay Thai with a record of 45-0. Stephanie Webber holds the same MMA record of 1-1 as her opposition, deRandamie. Training under UFC vet, Dennis Hallman, Webber is coming off a win over Keri Scarr back in December. Muay Thai and San Shou standout Jenna Castillo makes her MMA debut up against Charlene Gellner who had a amateur record of 3-0.

Showtime Bouts to air

Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (welterweight title)

Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Robbie Lawler (middleweight title)
Herschel Walker vs. Scott Carson
Roger Gracie vs. Trevor Prangley

Preliminary Bouts (unaired)
Nate Moore vs. Nathan Coy
Bobby Stack vs. Isaiah Hill
Ron Keslar vs. Eric Lawson
Germaine de Randamie vs. Stephanie Webber
James Terry vs. Lucas Gamaza
Jenna Castillo vs. Charlene Gellner
Anthony Dariano vs. Alan Perez
Ricky Jackson vs. Niko Jackson
Sam Bracamonte vs. Armin Safiari



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Super-Terrific Fan Made Video of the Week!

Isn't You Tube one of the best creations on the internet? Mixed Martial Arts has a plethora (I love that word!) of amazing fan made tribute videos. Every week we will highlight one of those terrific videos. There are funny, moving, hard hitting and down right beautiful fan made videos being uploaded everyday. Mixed Martial Arts fans are never short in their creativity and genuine passion they put into their videos.This video is entitled
"The Belief of MMA" by Machinemen and uploaded by daantje757. Personally, it gave me chills.




If you have a fan made video you would like to get highlighted post it to our FB page
 Real Women and Men watch MMA. (or message it to me on FB (Lacey Neher)

UFC Fighters to Duke It Out for the Troops (Official Fight Card)

On Saturday January 22nd The UFC will put on a show for some of America's brave fighting men and women in Ft. Hood Texas. Evan Dunham and Melvin Guillard (who stepped in for injured Kenny Florian) are set to fight in the main event. Lightweights, Dunham and Guillard both fought last at UFC 119 back in September. Guillard won his bout against Jeremy Stephens by split decision. A decision that was booed when it was announced. Dunham is coming off a split decision loss to Sean Sherk in another bout that was booed when the winner was announced. It was the first professional loss for Dunham bringing his record to 11-1 while Guillards record improved to 26-8-2. It's not a bad main event considering Melvin Guillard brings a high energy game to the fight and Evan Dunham is one of the UFC's best up and comers.

Heavyweights, Matt Mitrione (3-0) and Tim Hague (12-4) are matched up in the co-main event of the evening. Mitrione's last fight was UFC 119 as well where he defeated Joey Beltran by unanimous decision. Mitrione is on a 3 fight winning streak with two of those wins coming by way of (T) KO. Hague's last bout (in the UFC) was against Joey Beltran as well. A fight in which he lost by knockout in the first round. (Hague fought in the AMMA promotion for two fights, both of which he won, since he last fought in the UFC)

The rest of the card really isn't all that bad for a free event to be aired on Spike. A big handful of fighters will be making their UFC debut after transitioning from the WEC.

 Here is the full fight card:
Evan Dunham vs. Melvin Guillard (LW)
Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Hague (HW)
George Roop vs. Mark Hominick (FW)
Pat Barry vs. Joey Beltran (HW)
Cole Miller vs. Matt Wiman (LW)
Cody Mckenzie vs. Yves Edwards (LW)
DaMarques Johnson vs. Michael Guyman (WW)
Mike Thomas Brown vs. Rani Yahya (FW) (Thomas is stepping in for injured Sung Jung)
Waylon Lowe Vs. Williamy Freire (LW)
Charlie Brenneman vs. Almicar Alves (WW)
Will Campuzano vs. Chris Cariaso (FW)


Here is a video of Evan Dunham talking about 2011 and his upcoming fight in an interview he did with
MMA NEWS LEAK



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Gina Carano Is No Longer the Face of Women's MMA

By Lacey Neher

Strikeforce put out yet another statement today claiming Gina Carano (7-1) will be fighting again soon. To be honest, I'll believe it when I see it. Don't get me wrong, Ms. Carano can take credit for helping catapult women's MMA with her amazing performances from 2006 up until her loss to Strikeforce's current middleweight champ, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos but, she hasn't fought since.

Since her loss to Cyborg in August of 2009, all we have heard about Gina is that she was filming a big movie. Carano is the female lead in Steven Soderbergh's much anticipated, "Haywire" that is set to release in April of this year. She plays a covert kick butt operative that swoops in "Expendables style" and does the job that the government can't legally do. Strikeforce CEO, Scott Coker will release a statement now and then about Carano's possible return but, Carano herself has stayed mum.

 Randy Couture even mentioned his thoughts on Carano's staying away from the cage at the UFC 118  press conference in August of 2010 saying, "Gina just did a movie that’s going to be coming out soon. I haven’t seen her in the gym, haven’t talked to her in nine months,” Couture revealed. “I’m not sure where she’s at. I know the movie is going to be very big for her and I’d be very surprised to see her back in the cage.”

One reason for Carano staying out of the game could be that she is waiting to see how well the movie does before she decides whether she will be fighting again. It is possible to do both, look at Randy Couture. He's filming two movies this winter and training to fight Lyoto Machida in April. Or maybe she will fight sometime close to the movies release as a way to promote her movie.  Speculation among true fans of women's MMA is that after her loss to Cyborg she lost her fighting spirit and she found another avenue in which she can showcase her talents. (movies)

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see Carano return to the cage and I hope that I'm wrong. But,until I hear from her lips that she is fighting again and she steps into the cage with 4 ounce gloves on her hands, I won't hold my breath.

For a couple of years Gina "Conviction" Carano reigned supreme as the "Face of Women's MMA." Fans and Media put her on a pedastal because she's a looker as well as a fierce mixed martial artist. Whether a female fighter has beauty on her side has nothing to do with whether she should be remembered as a great fighter. Fans and media have learned this in the past year and a half. (for the most part)  But, with Gina's absence a whole new crop of fighters have come along to take that title from her. Some say Cris "Cyborg" Santos is now that "face", some say Megumi Fujii, and some say Miesha Tate is becoming the "face"of Women's MMA. I say every female fighter that trains hard, sacrifices time with her family, puts her body on the line, has an immense amount of fighting spirit, and love for the sport is the "Face of Women's MMA."


Here is some "on set" footage of Carano during the filming of Haywire.



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Heather Clark vs. April Coutino. Amazing Knockout Video!

*Heather "Hurricane" Clark (2-1) and April "La Princessa Azteca" Coutino (3-1) fought in New Mexico January 7th at the ECSC "Friday Night Fights". The introductions of the fighters took longer than the actual fight itself. Check out this AMAZING Knockout by Heather Clark. The females owned the night on Friday, January 7th!



Thanks to Nonstop WMMA for bringing this footage to my attention. The title reads "Nonstop" because it is just that! All WMMA, All the time!


*Clark is a cast member on the upcoming WMMA reality show, Ultimate Woman Challenge.

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TUF 13 Coaches Named (Another *White Noise* Article)

Today the UFC announced that former heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar and number one heavyweight contender, Junior Dos Santos will put on their coaching caps in the thirteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series. If you're a big mixed martial arts fan and you haven't heard this by now climb out from that rock you were hiding under because this is one of a gazillion articles that have been published about the announcement. The show will feature an all welterweight (170lbs) cast with the winner taking home the six figure contract as always and an overnight rise to fame in the organization...or a one way ticket to flash in the panville.

The announcement comes as a surprise considering the rumors flying through MMA land in the past month. Names such as Edgar, Maynard, Sonnen , W. Silva, Aldo, Faber...etc...etc... Rumors were circulating as well that Lesnar had lost his love for MMA after his loss to Cain Velasquez in October and he had no desire to continue in the UFC. If there is any truth to these reports, Maybe UFC President Dana White saw this as a way to bring him back in the game through a new avenue, and maybe spark a new attitude from Lesnar.

Dos Santos was on deck to take on current champ Cain Velasquez but, the champ is out due to a shoulder injury.  The winner of JDS vs. Lesnar won't get an interim title belt but, the chance to snatch Velasquez's belt. JDS expressed to the organization that he didn't want to wait to fight Velasquez. The last time he fought was in July of 10' and it would be more than a year between fights for him. Fighting is his career and he needs to fight to make money. I think the UFC has found a way to keep JDS' bank account in the black for now.

Some fans aren't very happy with Lesnar being a coach because of his personality and lack of experience. Many have said that they wanted to see a Dos Santos/Carwin match up. Shane Carwin vs. Junior Dos Santos would make a great match up in the cage but, for a reality television series...maybe not. Consider the past seasons of TUF, there always seemed to be a "bad guy" and a "good guy" when it came to the coaches. Josh Koscheck was the obvious villian in season 12, season 11 brought us Tito Ortiz as the villian, season 10 Rampage Jackson put on the villian moniker, and Season 9 brought us Michael Bisping as the foil. (and so on and so on)

The show is set to start taping this month and maybe, just maybe, a new superstar will emerge during the shows run. (It's supposed to be about the cast of unknown fighters after all!) Real Women and Mens MMA and our FB homebase Real Women and Men watch MMA will post updates during the season to keep everyone abreast of TUF 13's twists and turns.

Randy Couture on Machida, Movies, Maynard and More. (video)

In Randy Couture's most recent interview he talks about his recent and upcoming movie projects, his upcoming fight with Lyoto Machida, Edgar/Maynard 3, Brock Lesnar and Chael Sonnen. "The Natural" is a busy man and any signs of retiring are very far in the distance.








Couture talks with MMA 30's Dave Farra in an interview posted on 1/10/2011.


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Amanda Nunes Wants a Couple More Fights Under Her Belt (video)

As most of you already know, Amanda Nunes stole the show at Strikeforce challengers on Friday, January 7th with her 14 second KO of Julia Budd.  In a post fight interview she explains that she wants more experience before facing Cris "Cyborg" Santos for the title. Very intelligent decision from a very humble Amands Nunes.




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Amanda Nunes Steals the Show at Strikeforce Challengers 13. (Video)

Julia Budd and Amanda Nunes (145 lbs) took each other on at Strikeforce Challengers Friday night in Nashville, Tennessee.  The buzz surounding Budd may have made you think that she was the favorite. (Budd is the only woman to defeat Gina Carano in Muay Thai) Nunes came out hard and strong and knocked Budd out with 4:46 left in the first round...Yes, my friends 14 seconds. I can't even remember who else was on the card! Amanda Nunes stole the show! Her record improves to 6-1 with all of her wins coming by KO, technical or otherwise.  It's highly likely a Cris "Cyborg" Santos and Amanda Nunes bout could happen someday. It will be a good one judging by the way these to ladies are hard hitters.




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Female MMA..Ignite the Light..... and let it Shine!!!

Female MMA is a force to be reckoned with! It's growing by leaps and bounds with no end in sight!

Carla Esparza ia one of the Female Fighters featured in the video.



Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Bracket and Fan Made Promo

Over the course of the winter and spring of this year Strikeforce will be holding an eight man heavyweight grand prix. (beginning on February 5th) The winner is reported to get a crack at the Strikeforce HW champ himself, Alistair Overeem. If Overeem wins he will be the grand prix champ as well as HW champ. There is a huge buzz throughout the MMA community about this tournament and some people are arguing that the best Heavyweights in MMA are with Strikeforce rather than the UFC. I'm going to leave that to the fans in the forums to argue about, in the meantime I'm going to enjoy an awesome grand prix on American soil. (doesn't happen often enough.) Get together your "March Madness Style" office pools together and hope this tournament goes forward as planned without any glitches!








The participants are:

Fedor Emelianenko vs.Antonio Silva   
Fabricio Werdum Vs. Alistair Overeem (Current HW Champion)
Andrei Arlovski vs.Sergei Kharitonov  
Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers

Here is the tournament brackets released by Strikeforce:

As if the brackets weren't cool enough, here is a fan made promo for the Grand Prix!

Thanks FlywinEvolutionsMMA, for putting together a nice video!

As always check out our FB homebase Real Women and Men watch MMA!

Going Pro: 10 Questions with Heather "The Main Event" Martin

By Lacey Neher

Heather "The Main Event" Martin (8-3) is a female fighter in transition. She is making the leap from amateur mixed martial artist to professional mixed martial artist in 2011. Fighting out of Jackson Tennesee, Heather is a heavy hitter with a background in boxing. In her final amateur fight on February 26th when she took a fight in a couple of hours notice and defeated Brooke Shutes via first round TKO. Her next fight will be against Amanda Lucas at the Firelake Casino in Shawnee, Oklahoma this weekend with the FCF organization. I caught up with Heather between her final amateur fight and her pro debut.












1. How did you get your start in MMA?

HM: I started in Martial arts at the age of 5. I was a product of child abuse and had a lot of anger issue's so my dad got me started at an early age trying to find an outlet for my anger. I moved into boxing at the age of 16, and then started in Jitsu several years later.

2.Who is your Hero?

HM: That is a hard question... I have several hero's. Mostly, that would be my Dad. He has been the biggest supporter of me. He was at every tournament, belt testing, and event from the time I was five up until last year he never missed a single one. Mia Hayes and Mardee Schwartz who are constant reminders to me to keep fighting for what I am fighting for. There are people like Slade Bittler, Cathlin Daley, Shelley Devine, Quincy Rice, Nick Wood, Laura Edler Hill, John Pruett, Beth Revell, Dizz with Talk MMA and WAY to many more to name, that are TOTAL inspiration to me. They have stood beside me when I needed it the most and helped push me through the hard times. I am forever grateful for those people in my life.

3.How do you balance family, work, and training?

HM: I think I balance it pretty poorly. Best Buy is GREAT with working out my schedule for fighting and traveling to train out of state, but I have two boys who I miss spending a lot of time with and time away from. They have spent a lot of time in gyms. I hate that I have missed so much with them, but I keep reminding myself that I am fighting to give them a better life than what they have had. We train at some crazy and random times. Most of the guys on our team are Sheriff's so we could be training at normal hours or until 2 a.m. It's always random hours, but we put in no less than 4 hours a day.

4. What or Who has been your biggest test?

HM: I have been my biggest test. I am really quick to second guess myself and think that I am not good enough. My team has helped with my confidence a lot though. I have some really awesome people on my team pushing me, and helping me overcome all obstacles.

5. What is going through your mind in the moments before the bell rings to start a fight?

HM: My corner's voices. They give me a motivational speech right before walk out, and I try to focus on their words. I also concentrate on breathing, and I replay where I want the fight to go in my mind. I try to focus on nothing other than what my corner's tell me to do, and what I need to do to keep it my game.

6. How did you come about your nickname/fighting name, the Main Event?

HM: My very first fight I was the main event fighter. My trainer's and team mates just kept telling me over and over that I am the main event... It just stuck with me.

7. Where do you train?....And who corners you?

HM: I train at Hip Escape with Jackson Mixed Martial Arts Academy powered by crossfit. I am from Team Bellicose (which is Latin for Eager to fight, and aggressively hostile). My corner's are two of my teammates. Lacie "Vixen" Jackson and Johnny "Law" Jackson.

8. How are you preparing for your next fight with Amanda Lucas?


HM: I am training a lot of ground and take down defenses because I know that she is from Trinity and they are legit with their ground games. I have some really great people working on my ground. Ashley Wheat is my main trainer who is a black belt in BJJ under Luiz Palhares. I am working on cleaning up my standup with some really good pro boxer's, and working crossfit for conditioning. Other than that, long hours and daily beat downs from my team mates are just a part of the fun process getting ready for any fight.

9.Do you think the transition from Ammy to Pro will be tough or business as usual?

HM: I have been in ammy MMA for four years, so I think the competition will be tougher and at a better caliber... I think it will be more of a test on my preparations than it will be tough. I am excited for what this path will lead me to.

10. What is the best part of being a mixed martial artist?

HM: What is there not to love about being a FEMALE mixed martial artist?! We get to spend all of our time in the gym while the rest of the world is out having fun, we get to count calories while the rest of the world is eating what ever they want, we get to walk around looking all beat up with black eyes, fat and busted lips, swollen cheeks. Lol, ok. I am kidding. It really is great though. For me, it's knowing that I am apart of something in life much bigger than most people ever even dream. It's hard, and there are many days that you wonder why in the world you are doing what you do, between the injuries, the blood, the sweat, and the tears there is nothing else in the world like it. Hearing thousands upon thousands of people scream your name, the feeling of your hand held high in victory, the self accomplishment you have after you have raised above the obstacles and come out on top, that is what makes it the best part for me. My teammates have seen me break down and cry like a baby, but they are always the first there to pick me up. Our team is more than a team we are family. They are closer to me than a lot of my family, and that's just the greatest feeling in the world knowing that you have a team that loves each other that much.




Photos by Jason Stackens

 
Heather Martin is a very humble and vibrant human being.You can guarantee that Real Women and Men's MMA will be watching her career and we wish her luck on her professional debut!

Check us out at our FB homebase Real Women and Men watch MMA and as always check back here often for all things MMA.

2010 WMMA Award Winners Announced

Last Night The WMMA awards were given to some exceptional people. Women's MMA is on the rise (whether you like it or not! ) and the up and coming female fighters and their brilliant supporters are hard to ignore! The awards gave 18 awards away to 18 deserving recipients. Here is the list of those categories and the winners:





The Legancy Award:  Sam Wilson won this award for her hard work in getting Women's MMA brought to the masses. She is a matchmaker throughout the country but, most notable matches have been made with the Tuff-N-Uff organization and their female amateur fights and tounaments. Sam is a highly respected asset to the Female MMA community. Congrats Sam!!!!

Inspirational Fighter of the Year: Mia Hayes is inspirational in many ways, She is a mother of seven beautiful children, she is an undefeated mixed martial artist (2-0), and she is fighting breast cancer. Mia is one strong lady who isn't letting her disease hold her back in any way. Congrats Mighty Mia!!

 Headline if the Year: "Zoila Frausto upsets Megumi Fujii, wins Bellator 115-pound women’s tournament.” Zoila Frausto did what many other women have tried to do, defeat Megumi Fujii. In what some thought was a controversial decision, Zoila got the win and the first ever Bellator Women's Championship belt. Congrats to Zoila!





Sponsor of the Year: Tussle Fight Gear is a highly respected name in women's mixed martial arts. The brand mostly sponsors female fighters and is worn in many a fight across the country. Congrats to Slade Bittler and his Tussle Fight Gear!




Promotion of the Year: Tuff-N-Uff  (out of Las Vegas) was chosen over the big name promotion because of its dedication to giving amateur fighters a platform to make a name. Many female fighters are getting their start in the promotion and moving into the professional world with ease thanks to Tuff-N-Uff. Congrats
 Tuff-N-Uff!

Upset of the Year: Zoila Frausto Defeats Rosi Sexton Zoila has made it a habit of ruining peoples great records this year. She defeated Sexton at Bellator 23 on June 24th of 2010. It was a big finish with Frausto knocking out Sexton with a big knee to the head in the first round.





Submission of the Year: Michelle Waterson defeats Ro Califano with a flying armbar. The video says it all.....Congrats Michelle!





Knockout of the Year: Sarah Kaufman's Slam over Roxanne Modafferi  "The Slam heard around the world" got a lot of play after it took place. Take a moment and check it out! It is AMAZING! Congrats Sarah!

Amateur Female Fighter of the year: Taylor Stratford (6-0) is ranked number one among amateur 145lbs female fighters in the country. She is currently getting ready to fight in her second round fight in the Tuff-N-Uff's promotion's 145lbs tournament. Remember her name you will see it a lot in the future! Congrats to Taylor!

Female Newcomer of the Year: Liz Carmouche (5-0)  won both her fights with the Strikeforce organization this year defeating Colleen Schneider and Jan Finney up until Strikeforce took notice of her she was a relative unknown. If Carmouche keeps up the good work a possible title shot could be in her future. Congrats Liz!

Female Featherweight (145lbs) Fighter of the year: Cris "Cyborg" Santos (10-1)

Female Bantamweight (135lbs) of the year: Miesha "Takedown" Tate (11-2)

Female Super Flyweight (125lbs) of the year: Carla Esparza (4-1)

Female Flyweight (115lbs) of the year: Zoila Frausto (10-1) (co-winner)

Female Flyweight (115 lbs) of the year: Akaya Hamasaki (4-0) (co-winner)

Female Strawweight (106 lbs) of the year: Naho "Sugi Rock" Sugiyama (3-0)

Fan Picked Favorite Female Fighter: Jessica Aguilar (10-4)

Fight of the year: Tara Larosa vs. Roxanne Modafferi Moosin: God of Martial arts.
Go to this link to view the fight: Pro MMA Now  Modaferri walked away victorious from the bout which was a a barn burner from start to finish. Congrats to both ladies!

Female Fighter of the Year: Miesha Tate (10-2) is the number one contender for the 135 lbs belt with the Strikeforce organization. She won the four woman top contendership tournament that Strikeforce held back in August of 2010. She is quickly becoming a well known face in the women's mixed martial arts community and she has a very bright future ahead of her. Miesha will take on the Current 135lbs champ Marloes Coenen sometime in 2011. Congrats Miesha!





Congrats to all the winners of the 2010 WMMA awards! 2010 was a grand year in female mixed martial arts and 2011 can only be better!!!