First man-versus-woman fight coming to mixed martial arts

by Michelle da Silva on December 17th, 2013 at 1:14 PM

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The world of mixed martial arts is hoping to go out with a bang. Shooto Brazil, an MMA organization, has arranged the first-ever man versus woman fight. According to MMA Fighting, Emerson Falcao will take on Juliana Velasquez on Friday (December 20) in Rio de Janeiro during Shooto 45.

"[Shooto president] Andre Pederneiras came up with the idea," Velasquez, who is experienced in judo, told MMA Fighting. "My team believes I’m ready, so I accepted the challenge. My expectations are the best. I’m well trained to get there and win.

"I’m used to training with man every day,” she continued. “I’m a professional judoka and I know the adrenaline of the competition, I know how to handle this."

Velasquez will be making her MMA debut. Falcao, however, has been competing since April. The bantamweight lost to Benny Blackat in the first round at Upper Sport Combat 2.

If the scheduled fight goes through, the mixed-gender competition will be added to a year of MMA firsts. In March 2013, Fallon Fox, the first openly transgender MMA fighter came out publicly during an interview with Outsports. Despite controversy about whether Fox had unfair physical advantage, she competed and lost to Ashlee Evans-Smith in a Championship Fighting Alliance featherweight title fight in October.

Comments

5 Comments

RUK

Dec 17, 2013 at 4:45pm

Well.

Wouldn't like to be Falcao. What an awful situation.
If he wins over a first-timer judoka (i.e. no striking training or direct MMA battle experience), so what? If he loses to a girl, he REALLY loses. He'll never hear the end of it.

What possessed him to take this fight?

OTOH I'd watch it, it would be awesome to see a woman win in a mixed match.

Jeff

Dec 20, 2013 at 9:33pm

It a hoax.

well

Dec 21, 2013 at 12:25pm

wasn't this a stunt to publicize violence against women or something? and there have already been man v woman mma fights. maybe you already looked into this before putting up the article so perhaps I'm mistaken.