Women's MMA News: Porto/Gadelha off Shooto Brazil 13; JEWELS Adds Fights to "Fifth Ring"

While Cris "Cyborg" Santos' title bout destruction of Gina Carano has brought female MMA unprecedented levels of fan and media attention, it seems one promotion in the new Strikeforce champ's home country still isn't quite on the girlfight bandwagon.

Despite a July report from Claudia Gadelha that the 20-year-old BJJ whiz would face the experienced Vanessa Porto in Shooto Brazil's first ever women's bout, that fight is not on the final card for Thursday's show as released by the promotion to Tatame on Tuesday. It's not immediately clear whether the match was scrapped, or never made official in the first place; another post made today says that Porto is "ready to fight," but makes no mention of the bout. It does, however, say that Porto is off of September's "Shine Fights" event in Florida, and will next compete for Wallid Ismail's Jungle Fight promotion on September 19th.

It's unfortuate that these two skilled ladies won't get their face time on what is easily Shooto Brazil's most stacked card to date - one which features four title fights (including Siyar Bahadurzada defending his worldwide 83kg strap) and will be televised on Brazil's Combate TV. The head of Nova União (and Gadelha's trainer) "Dede" Pederneiras has spoken highly of female fighters in the past, but has not included a women's bout on any of the thirteen Shooto Brazil cards held since he assumed presidency of the promotion in 2006.

* * * * *

It seems Porto and Gadelha aren't the only women in Brazil having a tough time finding fights. One-time EliteXC signee Carina Damm also spoke out this week about her frustrations with trying to get a local match made:

"I was suspended until April [in the United States] and here in Brazil, it's difficult to find a fight for me, and with what the market pays here, it's not worth my while. I don't know why, but it's only here in Brazil that the best events don't value female fights... Maybe because of preconceptions, I don't know... I'm negotiating to return now in September and I've already been training hard for some time."

Meanwhile, Damm is keeping busy by helping to organize a new MMA event titled "Gladiadores," which holds its first card on August 30th in Espírito Santo, Brazil.

Side note: while checking up on Damm's recent activity, I noticed a few outlets mention that she hadn't fought since beating Ana Maria "India" in December of last year. That fight (along with another between the same two women, five months prior) was absent from Damm's Sherdog "Fight Finder" record due to Damm competing under her ring name, "Barbie." The results for both bouts have now been amended and added to Damm's record; you can watch the second fight here.

* * * * *

L to R: Tomoko Morii, "Amoeba" Oya, Hikaru Shida, Mika Nagano, Chihiro Oikawa

Japan's much-maligned JEWELS added a couple bouts to the card for September's "Fifth Ring" on Wednesday, including a few names which will be familiar to fans of joshi puro (female pro wrestling). Inaugural Smackgirl ace and female MMA pioneer Megumi Yabushita has signed with JEWELS, and her first fight will come against fellow pro wrestler Atsuko Emoto, aka "Bullfight Sora." Ice Ribbon's Hikaru Shida will also participate in a grappling match, though no opponent was confirmed at the press conference.

Also announced were the pairings for the first of the promotion's "Rough Stone" Grands Prix. The 60kg (132 lbs.) bracket has been revealed, and promotional poster girl Shizuka Sugiyama will put her undefeated record on the line against German import Alexandra Sanchez. Sanchez trains out of Berlin and has only one pro bout under her belt (fight viewable here and here) along with some amateur experience (here and here). From the videos, it looks like she's been fighting much smaller competition and could be in for a rude awakening against even a moderately skilled fighter like Sugiyama.

The other bout in the 60kg bracket will see pro wrestlers Chihiro Oikawa and Tomoko Morii clash.

Photo and fight card via GBRing.

JEWELS - 5th Ring
September 13, 2009
Shinjuku Face
Tokyo, Japan

Main Event - JEWELS MMA Rules - 49kg (108 lbs.) Limit
Misaki Takimoto (10-10-4 / Zendokai Yokohama)
vs.
Seo Hee Ham (3-3 / CMA Korea)

JEWELS MMA Rules - Openweight
Megumi Yabushita (17-15 / freelance)
vs.
Atsuko Emoto (2-2 / freelance)

Rough Stone GP 2009 - 60kg (132 lbs.) Limit - Opening Round
Alexandra Sanchez (1-0 / MMA Berlin)
vs.
Shizuka Sugiyama (5-0 / Zendokai Yokohama)

Rough Stone GP 2009 - 60kg (132 lbs.) Limit
Chihiro Oikawa (1-1 / Fighting Investigation Team BATTLARTS)
vs.
Tomoko Morii (0-1 / Ito Dojo)

Grappling Match
Shida Hikaru (Ice Ribbon) vs. TBA

Rough Stone GP 2009 - 48kg (105 lbs.)
Kikuyo Ishikawa (1-0 / freelance)
Asami Kodera (3-3 / PUREBRED Kawaguchi REDIPS)
Shinsaki Ozawa (0-3 / Zendokai Matsumoto)

The Grabaka-trained Miyoko Kusaka was set to debut in the opening round of the 48kg GP,
but has withdrawn due to injury. No replacement has been announced.

Rough Stone GP 2009 - 54kg (119 lbs.)
Mika Nagano (3-2 / S-KEEP/CORE)
Rina Tomita (2-1 / AACC)
Yuko "Amoeba" Oya (2-0 / DEEP Official Gym Impact)
Yuko Kagoshima (pro debut / Shinagawa CS)