The former Nina Ansaroff, now Nina Nunes, returned to action at UFC Vegas 23 in a key strawweight scrap against Mackenzie Dern. Nunes, having given birth to her and wife Amanda Nunes’ daughter in her time off, was fighting for the first time since July of 2019. Prior to her sabbatical, she’d gone on a four fight win streak before running up against Tatiana Suarez. Against Dern, she’d get another top contender, a dangerous ground specialist at that.

The winner would likely find themselves propelled into title contention, albeit with a few names ahead of them in line.

Dern blitzed forward with a combination to start the fight, pushing Nunes to the fence right away. Dern then pushed for a double-leg takedown and was able to drag Nunes down. Nunes tried to lock Dern down, but Dern quickly moved to half guard, then side control, then mount. Dern began working on an armbar and Nina was defending well, but there was over a minute left and simply too much time for the jiu-jitsu expert to work with. She eventually isolated the arm and got the tap from Nunes. A quick and big win for Mackenzie Dern, who is quickly shooting up the strawweight ranks.

Unstoppable on the ground 😤@MackenzieDern proves her jiu jitsu works on anyone! #UFCVegas23 pic.twitter.com/UP1Z74a6FY

— UFC (@ufc) April 10, 2021

Dern is hoping for a top-5 opponent next time out and is waiting for the strawweight division to shake out in the near future before narrowing down an opponent.

Mackenzie Dern def. Nina Nunes by Submission (Armbar) in Round 1 (4:48)

The post UFC Vegas 23 Results: Mackenzie Dern Quickly Submits Nina Nunes appeared first on Cageside Press.

The grappling pays off as @NinaAnsaroff gets the back and sinks in the RNC!! A FINISH for her first win in the Octagon! #UFCPhoenix pic.twitter.com/EebZgRbSPH

— UFC (@ufc) January 16, 2017

As the strawweight division has seemingly ushered in a new era behind champion Zhang Weilli, it is easy to forget just how close to title contention Nina Nunes (who has taken on the surname of wife Amanda Nunes) was prior to her hiatus.  Riding a four fight win-steak, “The Strina” had recorded victories over the likes of perennial contender Claudia Gadelha and Angela Hill going into her last bout.  In June of 2019, she fought undefeated contender Tatiana Suarez in a fight that many saw as a potential title eliminator.  Though she came up short, the state of the title picture did not see her plummet and a climb back up the rankings was completely feasible.

The desire to build a family with her wife, current two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes, led to Nunes taking time away to have her daughter and Saturday’s contest will be her first in nearly two years.  How the layoff and changes will affect the 35 year old Nunes are x-factors going into the fight, but there is no doubt a victory would make for an even more compelling strawweight division going into the second half of 2021.

Too good on the ground! 👀

🇧🇷 @MackenzieDern secures the RD 1 submission. #UFCVegas

Main card continues on @ESPN and E+ pic.twitter.com/i2BHp9Lu2F

— UFC (@ufc) May 31, 2020

There are only a handful of women in the UFC who know what it’s like to resume their careers after becoming mothers and Mackenzie Dern is one of them.  The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace took her own hiatus from 2018 to 2019 to have her daughter, returning four months after giving birth.  While there is certainly plenty of common ground with Nunes going into their bout, Dern will be looking to spoil her foe’s return as she looks for her own ascension up the rankings.

After a decorated career in grappling, Dern has amassed a 10-1 record in mixed martial arts.  Starting her career 6-0, her abilities and marketability led to many penciling her as the next potential female megastar in mixed martial arts.  After stumbling against fellow rising star Amanda Ribas, Dern’s momentum stalled.  2020, however, saw her rebuild in impressive fashion after she submitted Hannah Cifers, Randa Markos, and went the distance with Virna Jandiroba.  A win over Nunes would be the biggest of her career on paper, and looking at the rankings would figure to propel her towards another high profile matchup.

Intrigue at 115 👀@NinaAnsaroff returns vs the always dangerous @MackenzieDern!

[ #UFCVegas23 | Saturday at 3pmET | On @ABCNetwork ] pic.twitter.com/JWAlPBTYE9

— UFC (@ufc) April 9, 2021

A victory would put the winner in a position for a high profile matchup in the second half of 2021.  With the title picture locked in behind Rose Namajunas, Carla Esparza, and Yan Xiaonan, the winner would likely see Marina Rodriguez or the returning Tatiana Suarez in their next outing.

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The fight, expected to take place on the UFC’s April 10, 2021 card, was first reported by ESPN on Monday. For Ansaroff, who is partners with UFC double champ Amanda Nunes, it will be her first action since a June 2019 loss to Tatiana Suarez.

April 10th…Let’s go! pic.twitter.com/3O6zenjaQB

— Nina Ansaroff (@NinaAnsaroff) December 21, 2020

Ansaroff (10-6) had been on a four-fight win streak prior to that defeat. That run included wins over Angela Hill, Randa Markos, and Claudia Gadelha.

Nunes and Ansaroff welcomed Raegan Ann to the world on September 24. The birth of the pair’s daughter marked the first child for the couple, with Ansaroff carrying the baby. With Nunes reportedly competing in March, a bout just a little bit later for Ansaroff makes plenty of logistical sense.

Mackenzie Dern (10-1), another of the UFC’s fighting moms, is coming off a win earlier this month at UFC 256, where she got past Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision. The victory improved her win streak to three, with all three inside 2020.

Dern’s only loss in MMA came last year, against Brazilian Amanda Ribas.

No location, venue, or official name/numbering has been announced for the UFC event on April 10, 2021.

The post UFC: Nina Ansaroff to Return April 10 Against Mackenzie Dern appeared first on Cageside Press.

In a fight that very well could have title implications in the UFC’s women’s strawweight division, Tatiana Suarez and Nina Ansaroff threw down Saturday at UFC 238. With the possible exception of Michelle Waterson, who has a higher profile than either fighter, Suarez and Ansaroff had the best claims to a title shot at 115lbs heading into the event. The bout served as the featured prelim on ESPN ahead of the PPV event at Chicago’s United Center.

Within the first thirty seconds of Suarez vs. Ansaroff, Nina Ansaroff was forced to sprawl to fight off a takedown. She did, initially, fight the attempt off. But after some adjustment, Suarez had her down, with barely half a minute gone from the fight. From there, Suarez worked from half-guard, trying to move to side control, but unable to with her leg trapped. Back in guard, she’d separate, re-engage, and move to a single-leg attempt. If you had any doubts, it was clearly going to be a wrestling clinic. If you were at all famililar with Tatiana Suarez, you should not have expected anything less.

Suarez, having completed her latest takedown attempted, stayed heavy on Ansaroff and worked to drop an elbow, then a hammer fist. As she did, she attempted to move to side control, or at least half guard, but Ansaroff was able to trap her leg then move her back to guard. If nothing else it was a moral victory. Suarez, however, then got a little more active. Ansaroff basically spent close to the entire first round on her back, with Suarez attempting a late guillotine with no success.

A pair of kicks, one from each fighter, opened round two. Ansaroff was circling away from her opponent, hyper-vigilant of the takedown threat. Suarez then shot for a leg; Ansaroff sprawled, but was forced back to the fence. If you had your money on Suarez finishing the takedown there, you win the prize. Suarez managed to take the back and control Ansaroff’s ankle briefly, though Nina would make it to her feet eventually. Briefly. Dropping elbows on Suarez as the latter opted for a high-crotch single, Ansaroff was dumped back down.

Ansaroff would make it back to her feet. She’d make Suarez work. But ultimately, it was all defense from Ansaroff, who was so worried about avoiding the takedown that she had few options to attack. A low blow by Suarez — a knee — saw the action halted, and at least gave Ansaroff a chance to fire off a kick or two. Head kicks were her plan of attack, but with just seconds left in the round, she had no time to put anything together.

Entering the third round, there was no question Ansaroff was down by two rounds. Whether either round was also a 10-8 was another concern. In short, Ansaroff needed a finish. It didn’t happen. Ansaroff managed to keep the fight on the feet, but couldn’t find either the knockout blow or submission. She’d land a solid left hook or two, win the striking exchanges, swarm Suarez before the bell, but winning the round would not win her the fight.

Tatiana Suarez def. Nina Ansaroff by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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The UFC strawweight division is experiencing incredible turnover. There’s a new champion in Jessica Andrade and on Saturday there will be no less than four athletes with a case for a title shot. However, two of the top contenders in the division are looking to end the debate with dominant performances as Tatiana Suarez meets Nina Ansaroff at UFC 238.

Sometimes, you get your #FightingSpirit outside the Octagon.

For @TSPMMA115, her family gives her the strength as she makes a path to the belt. @ModeloUSA pic.twitter.com/LQrUVnkze4

— UFC (@ufc) June 4, 2019

Undefeated Tatiana Suarez has drawn comparisons to Khabib Nurmagomedov as one of the most formidable wrestlers in the MMA. A three-time bronze medalist in wrestling at the World Championships, Suarez first burst into the consciousness of the MMA world as the top pick of Claudia Gadelha on season 23 of The Ultimate Fighter and finished most of her opponents en route to winning the show in 2016. After losing a year to injury, she returned in 2017 and has rattled off several victories to emerge as one of the top prospects in the division.

Most recently, Suarez stopped former champion Carla Esparza and Alexa Grasso to add to her victories over Viviane Pereira and Amanda Cooper in the UFC. The win over Esparza, in particular, stands out as she dominated the former champion on the ground, the area where Esparza is considered her strongest. The nature of Suarez’s victories have many pegging her as a future champion and a strong showing against Ansaroff would only further that discussion.

“Just because I don’t show much wrestling or grappling in my fights doesn’t mean I’m not capable of it.”@NinaAnsaroff feels she is more well-rounded than people expect.

Order #UFC238: https://t.co/2RWTPWATgF pic.twitter.com/dJvUzD8avC

— UFC News (@UFCNews) June 6, 2019

After an inauspicious 0-2 start to her UFC career that included a year-long layoff, Nina Ansaroff was flying well under the radar when she embarked on her own four-fight win streak back in 2017. Opposite to Suarez, Ansaroff put her victories together in relative obscurity. All of her UFC victories have been on the preliminary portions of cards and three times she has been relegated either to early Fight Pass prelims or as the first preliminary fight on television.

While the audience for her fights may have been small, Ansaroff was demonstrating incredible growth in her game. She put together victories over Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger, Angela Hill, and Randa Markos. Her most recent victory over Suarez’s TUF coach, Claudia Gadelha, alerted the MMA world that she was indeed one to watch in the division. A former title challenger, the powerful Gadelha was a heavy favorite when Ansaroff scored the upset via unanimous decision last December.

The winner of this bout will have an incredible case for a title shot, but they will be competing with several big names for the opportunity. Due to the nature of her fight with Andrade, an immediate rematch for former champion Rose Namajunas is not out of the question. Longtime former champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk, who dominated Andrade back in 2017, is another candidate. Finally, popular fan favorite Michelle Waterson is also on a three-fight win streak with her own case for a title shot.

Another No. 1️⃣ contender fight!?@TSPMMA115 & @NinaAnsaroff attempt to stake their claim on @ESPN. #UFC238 pic.twitter.com/ufpwT2R6ua

— UFC (@ufc) June 7, 2019

The key to a Nina Ansaroff upset is an attack that utilizes high volume and keeps her in close-quarters with Tatiana Suarez. Doing so neutralizes Suarez’s long-range attack and allows Ansaroff to get her offense going first. Secondly, she must avoid getting stuck against the fence as it gives her less space to sprawl and avoid being taken down to the mat. For Suarez, the key is to make Ansaroff react to her punches so any entries to get the fight to the ground become easier.

Going into Saturday night, talk is revolving around the winner of the fight being next for the title shot. As is often the case, however, marketability is a major factor in being chosen to headline major events. While the numbers would say that a championship is in their future, an impressive victory may be necessary for Suarez or Ansaroff to break into the title picture as opposed to already established fan favorites such as Rose Namajunas and Michelle Waterson.

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The strawweight title picture was already crowded heading into UFC 237. Jessica Andrade did her part to make it even cloudier with a second-round slam KO to dethrone champion Rose Namajunas. With the victory, Andrade has rightful challengers approaching from multiple angles.

Nina Ansaroff vs. Tatiana Suarez Winner

How often do we get a true number-one contender fight in the UFC that doesn’t have an interim title attached? I can’t personally consider Jose Aldo vs. Alexander Volkanovski one because another Aldo title shot against Max Holloway would have been an exercise in futility had he won. This fight, however, is absolutely one. Both Nina Ansaroff and Tatiana Suarez are on great runs in the tough strawweight division and absolutely deserve a title shot with a win at UFC 238.

Nina Ansaroff looks like a completely different fighter from the fun scrapper who lost in her first two Octagon appearances. The American Top Team product has won four-straight bouts with wins over respected names in Randa Markos and Angela Hill. However, it was a decision victory against perennial top contender Claudia Gadelha that absolutely cemented her claim as a top contender. Gadelha does not lose often and has only fallen to Jessica Andrade and Joanna Jedrzejczyk in her career. Pretty good company for Ansaroff.

Tatiana Suarez is certainly the future of the strawweight division. Her grappling has led to a 7-0 record with four of those wins coming in the UFC. While her list of victims (Amanda Cooper, Viviane Pereira, Alexa Grasso, and Carla Esparza) does not carry the same weight as Ansaroff’s, it’s her style that has people clamoring for a title shot. Suarez has finishes in three of her four Octagon victories (rare in the strawweight division) and has looked absolutely dominant on the mat. A TKO over former champion Carla Esparza is her signature victory thus far.

This is great matchmaking by the UFC and it will be tough to deny the winner a title shot (but that could very well happen)…

Michelle Waterson

Because Michelle Waterson exists. Losses in 2017 to Namajunas and Tecia Torres left the former Invicta FC atomweight champion on the outside looking in in the strawweight title picture. “The Karate Hottie” worked her way up with wins over Cortney Casey and Felice Herrig before putting on the best performance of her career against Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

We saw a new Waterson that night. One that was much more aggressive, and one that put her great skillset on display. It was a performance that proclaimed, “I’m ready.”

Waterson has always had star potential, with a UFC on FOX main event in just her second fight with the promotion. She’s been featured as a desk analyst during fight nights and is the subject of a great documentary in Fight Mom. The UFC would love to give Waterson a title shot (even if she’s less deserving than the two fighters above). Hell, she was even featured in the crowd at UFC 237.

Immediate Rematch with Rose Namajunas

Rose wasn’t a dominant champion by any means. She defended her title once against the woman she took the belt from, Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Her case isn’t like Joanna’s immediate rematch situation, as Jedrzejczyk had an excellent run of five title defenses. Rose’s case rests on how thoroughly she was beating Andrade before the slam.

Namajunas was diligent behind the jab and was giving Andrade fits with straight punches. Andrade wasn’t able to do much in the grappling department either. But one slam changed everything. Obviously, it was a testament to the Brazilian’s strength; however, don’t be surprised to see people write it off as a freak knockout (slam KOs are few and far between). If that gains enough traction, maybe we’ll see tonight’s headliners share the cage once more, and that’s not a bad thing.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk?

I know, I know. This is crazy. It’s also my wild card. Sometimes, a perennial top talent who just can’t quite beat the champ is waiting for them to lose their belt (see: Joseph Benavidez in the Demetrious Johnson era). This is Jedrzejczyk in this case. She tallied an absolutely dominant win over Andrade during her title reign. And while she’s coming off a loss against flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko, she did win in her last fight at strawweight.

Conclusion

If there is some integrity left in this sport, the winner of Ansaroff-Suarez at UFC 238 will get the shot at the belt. However, we know this isn’t the case and the promotion is looking for any excuse to put Waterson in a title fight. I don’t quite believe Namajunas has a strong enough case for a rematch at the moment given the moving parts in the division.

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Both additions of Tatiana Suarez vs. Nina Ansaroff, and Katlyn Chookagian vs. Joanne Calderwood to UFC 238 were reported by the Chicago Tribune.

There are only three fights on the card for UFC 238, but they are all important fights in the women’s divisions. Of course, the marquee announced bout is the flyweight title fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Jessica Eye. With Suarez vs. Ansaroff and Chookagian vs. Calderwood, we could very well see the top contenders reveal themselves in two divisions prior to the title fight.

Tatiana Suarez is the next big thing at strawweight. An Ultimate Fighter winner, Suarez has been outright dominant in the Octagon with a 4-0 record and three stoppages, stopping former champion Carla Esparza in her last appearance. Prior to her promotional debut, Suarez tore through her season of TUF, going 3-0 with two submissions.

Nina Ansaroff, on the other hand, has had to prove her worth after losing her first two fights in the promotion. Ansaroff, the girlfriend of double-champion Amanda Nunes, has gone 4-0 since then against top-flight competition in Angela Hill, Randa Markos, and perennial contender Claudia Gadelha.

Katlyn Chookagian, a former CFFC champion, is a solid 4-2 in the UFC. She started out as a bantamweight, then dropped to flyweight when the division was opened. With wins in her first two fights at 125, she battled and controversially lost to current title challenger Jessica Eye by split decision.

Joanne Calderwood seems to finally be meeting the high expectations of her, perhaps due to fighting at 125. JoJo is 3-0 at flyweight in the Octagon (including the inaugural flyweight bout in 2016 prior to the division’s official adoption). Calderwood lost her last two fights at strawweight before the division was adopted, and is 2-0 since then including a very impressive win over top prospect Ariane Lipski.

UFC 238 takes place on June 8 inside the United Center of Chicago, Illinois. The three fights mentioned above are the only ones connected to the card.

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Fox Sports 1’s featured fight was a very important one for the strawweight division. With the winner of the Claudia Gadelha and Nina Ansaroff fight possibly being set up for the next title shot after Jessica Andrade. Ansaroff has made an impressive comeback in the division, being on the verge of being cut in 2016, she has won three fights in a row and put herself in a position to be a top strawweight. On the opposite side, Claudia is a staple of the 115-pound weight class, and has won three of four bouts going into UFC 231.

Round one was a tale of two halves. The first half of the round was all Claudia, taking down Ansaroff and landing some nice ground and pound. It looked like Gadelha had the round in the bag for the first three minutes, but somehow, Nina got back to her feet, and took full advantage of the time left in the round. Ansaroff landed some really nice kicks, making people wonder whose round it was at the end.

Round two saw a very patient approach by Claudia Gadelha. Having spent most of the round getting hit with a good jab, she was not deterred and waited until she saw a good opportunity for a takedown. She got it near the end of the round and once she got Nina down, she landed some good ground and pound and possibly stole the stanza.

Round three was a striking masterclass by Nina Ansaroff. Claudia moved forward with pressure but Nina was more than fine on the backfoot, landing some nice straight rights as well as some nice kicks as she showed she was the fresher fighter in the third. She outlanded Claudia significantly and showed that she belonged at the top of the division.

Nina Ansaroff def. Claudia Gadelha by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) 

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Since the day Joanna Jędrzejczyk lost the UFC women’s strawweight title, the division has picked up a lot of speed. Currently considered the hottest division in all of women’s MMA, the 115lb weight class will take an important turn at UFC 231, when former title challenger Claudia Gadelha takes on Nina Ansaroff. The two enter the fight with a lot of momentum behind them and the match-up will decide who stays in the title picture.

Gadelha is a long time division stalwart and is regarded as one of the best female pound-for-pound MMA fighters. She stands with a record of 15-3, which includes wins over the likes of former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz, former Invicta FC atomweight champion Ayaka Hamasaki, former title challenger Valérie Létourneau, and more. She enters the fight coming off an impressive win over ex-champion Carla Esparza. And thanks to a divisional shake-up, she’s also in striking distance of the belt. As Gadelha had lost twice to Jedrzejczyk, her chances of getting another crack at the title looked bleak. However, when Joanna lost the title to Rose Namajunas at UFC 217, Gadelha again entered the title picture thanks to her amazing resume.

Standing in Gadelha’s path will be Nina Ansroff. Ansaroff enters the fight with a record of 9-5, with wins over the likes of former Invicta FC champion Angela Hill and Randa Markos. She enters the bout at the peak of her career thus far, on a three fight winning streak. Ansaroff hasn’t lost a fight in the last two years and has never looked better. After being on the receiving end of some bad decisions in the early years of her UFC career, she has shown improvement few could have imagined.

Gadelha enters the fight as a considerable favorite given her past performances. However, considering the improvement shown by Ansaroff in her past few fights it would be folly to write her off completely. This fight is going to be a fun, competitive scrap, that’s for sure. The winner becomes an instant contender, and may be likely to face the wrestling titan of the division, Tatiana Suarez, in a potential title eliminator.

UFC 231 takes place Saturday, December 8 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The card airs exclusively on PPV in North America after televised and online prelims, and on BT Sport in the UK. In India, the card airs on Sunday December 9 live on SONY TEN 2 and SONY TEN 2 HD.

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An intriguing strawweight match-up is headed to UFC 231 in Toronto. Announced by the UFC after an initial report by TSN, former title challenger Claudia Gadelha is set to meet Nina Ansaroff at the December event. The fight marks a significant step up in competition for Ansaroff, who found success in Canada at UFC Calgary recently.

BREAKING: Strawweight contenders @ClaudiaGadelha_ & @NinaAnsaroff collide at #UFC231 in Toronto 🇨🇦! pic.twitter.com/I3Rf3iSsEh

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) September 5, 2018

Gadelha (16-3) has been fighting the best of the best for the past several years in the UFC. The Brazilian strawweight has two losses to former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, with the other blemish on her record coming against Jessica Andrade last year in Japan. Other than that, Gadelha has been perfect despite facing top flight competition. Most recently, she defeated former 115lb champion Carla Esparza at UFC 225.

Nina Ansaroff (9-5) improved her winning streak to three with a unanimous decision win against Randa Markos at UFC Calgary (UFC on FOX 30) earlier this Summer. That July victory followed wins over Angela Hill and Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger, and appears to have cashed Ansaroff’s ticket to a tougher test in the 115lb division.

UFC 231 takes place December 31 at the Scotiabank Arena (formerly the Air Canada Centre) in Toronto, Canada. Max Holloway is expected to defend his featherweight title against Brian Ortega in the main event.

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