Issue 044
December 2008
Responsible for providing some of the most exciting fights the sport has ever seen, female MMA fighters were never subjected to the same roadblocks that female boxers were. Widespread (but not universal) acceptance by promoters and fans led to a generation of female fighters who competed across the globe.
The collapse this year of both BodogFIGHT and EliteXC has led to a situation where no major promotions feature female fights, and there is a very real risk that dozens of highly talented and entertaining women warriors may not have an arena in which to showcase their skills. Here we present some of the sport’s top female fighters
Gina Carano, 7-0-0, Las Vegas, USA
IN BRIEF: Good-looking former kickboxer, often described as the face of women’s MMA.
THE GOOD: Great striking, a crowd-pleasing style and trains at Xtreme Couture with some of the sport’s top pros.
THE BAD: Has struggled to make weight throughout her career and is seen as unprofessional by many as a result.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: Undefeated. Almost a household name in America thanks to her high-profile fights on CBS and stint on American Gladiators.
MUST-SEE FIGHT: Her three-round fight with Julie Kedzie in 2007, a back and forth caper that showed she wasn’t just a kickboxer.
Tara LaRosa, 15-1-0, New Jersey, USA
IN BRIEF: Described as ‘the Fedor of female MMA’, LaRosa is a powerful and well-rounded fighter known for her toughness and fearless fighting style.
THE GOOD: Heavy hands, good groundwork, very aggressive.
THE BAD: Her main problem is finding suitable opponents. Formerly fighting at 135lb, she announced she would cut to 130lb for the right fights.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: Held the Bodog 135lb women’s title. Often ranked pound for pound, one of the sport’s top women fighters.
MUST-SEE FIGHT: Her 2007 clash with the durable Kelly Kobald showed her toughness and aggression.
Megumi Fujii, 15-0-0, Tokyo, Japan
IN BRIEF: Super-slick submission wrestler known for her devastating leg locks.
THE GOOD: Lightning fast, the 115lb Fujii benefits from true flyweight speed. Can slap a submission on in a blink.
THE BAD: Fujii lacks effective striking ability and has been described as gun-shy.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: Remaining undefeated over 15 fights since 2004.
MUST-SEE FIGHT: Any of her quick submission wins (five of her 15 wins were in less than a minute).
Rosi Sexton, 9-1-0, Manchester, England
IN BRIEF: Hyper intelligent and multi-talented holder of a PhD, also a student osteopath and mother of one.
THE GOOD: Clinical approach to fighting coupled with a mean streak that barely fits into her 125lb frame.
THE BAD: As Europe’s top female MMA fighter in her weight class, matches come few and far between.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: Holder of the Cage Warriors 60kg title, has won in Costa Rica, Russia, Canada, and the USA.
MUST-SEE FIGHT: Her recent scrap with Debi Purcell was action-packed from start to finish; her title defence against Dina van den Hooven, one of the great female fights of all time.
Cris ‘Cyborg’, 6-1-0, Curitiba, Brazil
IN BRIEF: Ultra-aggressive and very, very scary looking wife of MMA fighter Cyborg Santos
THE GOOD: Trains with the Chute Boxe team and has their signature striking-style down to a tee.
THE BAD: Is familiar with the ground game but this is seen as her weak link.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: So far, she is in the early stage of her career – no titles or high profile fights just yet, but a match with Gina Carano seems on the cards.
MUST-SEE FIGHT: Her demolition of the highly touted Shayna Baszler was particularly brutal and unintentionally comedic – a true must-see.
Roxanne Modafferi,11-4-0, Tokyo, Japan
IN BRIEF: Librarian look-alike whose appearance hides an unexpected fighting ability.
THE GOOD: Flexible, highly aggressive and dedicated, Roxanne combines a polished submission game with solid striking.
THE BAD: Not as physically strong as others in her weight class, and has been out-muscled in the past.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: Won the K-GRACE eight-woman tournament, a one-night event that saw her take out the fearsome Marloes Coenen along the way.
MUST-SEE FIGHT: Her 2005 fight with Jennifer Howe was a dramatic slugfest that ended with a slick submission.
Shayna Baszler, 9-5-0, Sioux Falls, USA
IN BRIEF: Talented submission fighter trained by Josh Barnett in the art of catch wrestling and MMA.
THE GOOD: Athletic and well-rounded, Baszler is skilled in all areas but has unusual yet effective submissions.
THE BAD: Four of her five losses are due to strikes, raising questions over her chin.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: Hitting a twister in an MMA fight in just over two minutes is the high point of her career.
MUST-SEE FIGHT: Said fight where Baszler first suplexes then taps out Tama-Chan with the twister.
